Some interesting David Grisman mandolin recordings brought to our attention playing with Stephane Wrembel, one of the headliners at the North Hampton Django in June, courtesy of festival director, Andrew Lawrence.

Wremble was raised in Fontainebleau, France, just down the road from Samois-sur-Seine, where the largest of the international Django festivals is held every year. Now a resident of New York City, the man is a regional treasure for everyone with an interest in Gypsy Jazz. A player of tremendous technical ability and deep, ever-evolving artistic vision, Stephane toured and recorded Gypsy Rumble this year with acoustic music luminary and mandolin innovator David Grisman.

Hear samples from his most recent CD with Grisman on the myspace.com site: Audio

Posted by Ted at 05:55 AM

May 29, 2006 | Some Uke

Okay, so it's not as much money as a Lloyd Loar mandolin, but it's still pretty impressive, especially for a Ukulele. $11,211.11 was the wining auction bid last weekend on a white ukulele autographed by billionaire Warren Buffett, renowned for his investing discipline, and his passion for the quaint 4-string instrument.

The 75-year-old plays the ukulele and received a copy of the auctioned instrument. International Dairy Queen, a Berkshire unit, helped create the ukulele for the auction. Buffett is the world's second-richest person, after Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and was recently worth $42 billion according to Forbes magazine.

Proceeds will benefit Omaha Children's Hospital, which is part of the Children's Miracle Network. Berkshire Hathaway is based in Omaha, Nebraska.

Casino spokesman Jeff Kay said GoldenPalace.com, winner of the auction intends to display the ukulele in a "traveling museum" it sends to U.S. and Canadian cities.

Suppose any viewers will exclaim, "Hey, nice mandolin?"

Read the article

Posted by Ted at 03:50 PM

May 26, 2006 | Jazz in June with Paul Glasse

Experience world-renown Bebop/Texas Swing mandolinist Paul Glasse in a special guest appearance with the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra in the first of Lincoln's "Jazz in June" concert series, Tuesday, June 6th. The 7:00 PM outdoor performance on the beautiful Sheldon Art Gallery (12th & 'R' streets) Sculpture Gardens Grounds is free to the public, and has been known to draw over 6,000 in attendance. Admission is free, but come early, bring a lawnchair or blanket and enjoy a refreshing evening of jazz. JazzMando is underwriting this special artist appearance.

No strangers to the jazz mandolin phenomenon, Jazz in June has featured virtuoso mandolinist Don Stiernberg in its 2003 and 2004 series, and additionally later this season, New Orleans bandolimist John Eubanks will be featured with Rick Trolsen and Gringo Choro, Tuesday, June 20th.

More on the concert series: Jazz in June

View Map

Note: morning workshop with Paul Glasse has been canceled due to schedule conflict.

Posted by Ted at 06:19 PM

May 25, 2006 | Django in June 2006

June 16 - 18, 2006 in beautiful Northampton, MA, the third annual celebration of Gypsy Jazz in the tradition of Django Reinhardt. In a nutshell, the weekend consists of:

• Two great concerts: On Friday, June 16th a double bill featuring Sweden's Andreas Oberg (with Djangobook's Michael Horowitz) and The Stephane Wrembel Trio. Saturday night, gypsy guitarist Lollo Meier from Holland.
• Clinics for guitarists, violinists, mandolin, and bass players by performers and other expert teachers.
• Loads of time and space for djamming of both the free-form and facilitated variety.
• Convenient, affordable housing on the Smith College Campus. Vendors with the latest in gear, learning materials and recordings. (Note Paris Swing Mandolins is a sponsor!)

Great concerts but also an excuse to provide Django in June participants with the option of on-site housing and facilitate hangin', djammin', and sharing a passion for this music with as few logistical complications as possible. There will be jamming more or less incessantly throughout the weekend and these djams will be of two sort: facilitated and wide open. Please rest assured that all levels of ability and familiarity will be represented, including yours.

Free music: pick up advanced leadseet files of some of the most popular tunes played in these jams, including:
Dark Eyes, Minor Swing, Django's Castle, Bossa Dorado, Minor Blues, Swing 42, Swing Gitan, Swing 39, Douce Ambiance, Djangology, & Daphne.

Download: Leadsheets (zip file)

Download: Rhythm tracks

Website: Django in June

More information: Contact

Allons-y mes amis!

Posted by Ted at 09:33 AM

May 23, 2006 | Housecleaning

We've been doing a little housecleaning around JazzMando. With over 250 pages on the site, including articles, exercises, tips, and news, it can get a little cumbersome without constant organizing. We've re-indexed our script menus to give you a better bird's eye few of subjects you can dive into:

Exercises and Techniques

Tone Concepts

Jazz Theory

Of course our Tips and Tricks archives are sorted by month, so if you just want a potpourri of topics click on the bottom of the Tips page. If RSS feeds are your thing, plug us in to your RSS or XML reader.

More info: RSS Feed

As always, tell us what works for you: Contact

Posted by Ted at 09:05 AM

May 20, 2006 | Circle of Fifths Cloth

Like the old SNL "Shimmer" Skit, "It's a Dessert Topping; no it's a Floor Wax!..."

New to the JazzMando Merchandise Center, the Circle of Fifths Polish Cloth. It's an educational aid, no it's a mandolin maintenance product, no it's an educational aid, no it's...

Whatever your needs, it does both. Display it out on your music stand, drape it over your case; just keep it nearby, so that when you're fighting through those unavoidably compelling Dominant/Tonic Relationships, you have something to dry that tear in your eye, AND make your mandolin look better.

Review the Five Benefits of Circle of Fifths Fluency and always wipe your axe when your done practicing. Limited quantities on hand, so don't wait!

View: Ci5 Cloth

Buy: Circle of Fifths Polish Cloth

Read: Circle of Fifths

Reminisce: Saturday Night Live ""Shimmer""

Posted by Ted at 01:46 PM

May 18, 2006 | New Wheels

Imagine our thrill, Djangos Cadillac working with guest artist Joe Craven in an upcoming CD release in their second project, "New Wheels". Mandolinist Kerry Williams, our tag of "Cleanest Picker of the West" also sports a lovely Arrow "Jazzbo" crafted by fellow Oregonian Super Luthier, Paul Lestock, and we are waiting with anticipation for our copy of this audio meeting of the two Western superpowers of jazz mandolin.

We hope to have a full review soon, but until then, this from their press release:

"The Northwest's own "Contemporary-Vintage Acoustic Gypsy Jazz Swing Band" - Djangos Cadillac is proud to announce the release of their second CD, titled Djangos Cadillac, New Wheels. This release is a long cool smoky tall drink of water and major evolution from the sweet and swanky self titled original cd release in 2003.

Join Djangos Cadillac and Joe Craven at their Hood River CD release party at River City Salloon June 22nd 8:00pm. The following night is the big city Portland CD release party to be held at Mississippi Studios is the following night June 23rd at 7:30PM."

CD's will soon be available on line at CD Baby & djangoscadillac.com.

Gentlemen - start your CD players!

Studio Information

Arrow Mandolins

Review: Jazzbo

Posted by Ted at 06:38 AM

May 17, 2006 | Quest for Dominants

The number 5 is a magic one in music theory. Chords based on the 5th scale degree, the dominant, pack a powerful pull to the home key. Roll out a Dominant 7th chord, G7 for example, and fight the urge to sing "Happy Birthday" in the key of C.

You can organize all 12 keys chromatically, C, C#, D, Eb, E, etc..., but where it really makes harmonic sense is when you organize them by fifths, C, G, D, A, E, all the way through until you cycle back to the beginning key. This is what's know as the Circle (or Cycle) of Fifths.

There's much more to this concept, and we explore this in our article, Circle of Fifths on the website.

Check out the latest entry: Circle of Fifths.

Posted by Ted at 11:10 AM

May 16, 2006 | Gilberto Silva

If you've been following the Champions League final in football (that would be soccer to those of you hailing from inside the US border), you are probably aware of one of Brazil's stars, 29 year-old Gilberto Silva. What you may not know is this incredible athlete is also an amateur mandolin hobbyist!

Though he packs more poise in his passing skills than picking, it's assuring to know his fondness for the mandolin. Quote: "Maybe, after the Champions League and the World Cup, I will pick it up and play some old songs in celebration. Who knows with the mandolin? But with the football, for Arsenal and Brazil, I am very confident."

Read article

Posted by Ted at 05:57 AM

May 15, 2006 | Hazardous Material

Instrument hygiene, though oft overlooked, is certainly a relevant topic. You not only want your instrument looking its best, but you want to protect your investment.

We advocate minimal polish but regular wiping with a quality cloth. Gently rubbing the skin oil and dust that has accumulated during practice (let alone performing) ought to be as routine as brushing your teeth.

Then again, certain instruments may require more drastic measures...

Posted by Ted at 09:25 PM

May 14, 2006 | Mandolin Symposium Fundraiser

Join the fine community at the Mandolin Cafe in supporting the scholarship fund for the Mandolin Symposium, held June 26 through July 1 in Santa Cruz, California at UCSC campus facilities.

The Mandolin Symposium is a 6 day event with seminars, demonstrations and performances led by Master Mandolinists David Grisman and Mike Marshall. Mike and David have brought together a group of instructors that include Mike Compton, Don Stiernberg and Tim O'Brien to teach various subjects on all aspects of the Mandolin. The 2006 Symposium will also include several guest mandolinists to come in and spend time with us sharing their skills and knowledge. Sam Bush, Andy Statman, Evan Marshall and Hamilton de Holanda will each join us for a day and will be the guest instructor for that day. They will present a workshop in the evening followed by a performance.

About the Symposium

Donate

Posted by Ted at 03:48 PM

May 12, 2006 | Rigel Q200 Mandola

Now out and definitely worth the waiting, the new Rigel Q-200 Mandola (Q-Dola). It's everything we expected and more. Bold vibrant tone, the strident resonance of a professional mezzo-soprano opera singer. Neither tubby nor clubby, the fingerboard sports the comfort and playability both professional and serious amateurs have come to expect of a Rigel ax.

Often overlooked because if its superb Rigel acoustic qualities, what really grabbed us was the power and clarity when plugged into a good acoustic amp. This will be a monster "band" instrument in pop and "cerebral" folk music, as well as satisfying front porch picking instrument in the intimate quiet of a summer sunset.

Nice work, Pete Langdell!

Read review

Posted by Ted at 10:42 AM

May 11, 2006 | New at Mandozine

Ten-year old Mandozine gets a facelift. Check out the new homepage of John Baxter's fabulous mandozine.com website. In John's own words, the "site is intended as a resource for those who are just starting out, the more advanced players that are always ready to help the beginners, and those who don't play, but love the music."

Resources include free user TablEdit Files, Mandolin Flash Cards and MandoTuner, quick access to some terrific videos, a wealth of tremendous artist interviews, Mandolin "Photo of the Week," and of course, ground-breaking Mandozine Radio, all mandolin, all the time.

View site

Nice work, John! Love the new digs...

Posted by Ted at 05:56 AM

May 10, 2006 | Sponsors

We'd like to thank our sponsors for their generous support of the JazzMando Site. These builders, music retailers, software developers, and record labels are on the cutting edge of creating products that serve our market, and we encourage you to click on their banners and spend some time on their sites.

Advertising revenue is directed at maintaining the site, but also for offering scholarships, supporting clinics and workshops such as the June 6th Paul Glasse Clinic, Mandofest, Jazz in June, special concerts, new product development and instrument designs, and other important projects that spread the good word about playing jazz on the mandolin.

Thanks again charter advertisers, Michael Lewis Instruments, Phoenix Mandolins, Arrow Guitar and Mandolin, Adventure Music, Rigel Instruments, Ludewig Mandolins, MandoMode Explorer, Jonathan Mann Manndolins, Paris Swing Mandolins, MidContinent Music, Mandolin Cafe, Blue Night Records, and JM Flatwound Mandolin Family Strings.

Please visit their sites and tell them you appreciate their support!

Posted by Ted at 06:25 AM

May 08, 2006 | Homer & Jethro

50 years ago, the great Homer and Jethro, legendary comic country duo were the latest addition to Fender's fledgling artist roster. Homer, with his Fender Duo Sonic and Jethro on the classic 4-string Mandocaster. Often referred to as "the thinking man's hillbillies", they specialized in comedy records with their schtick of satirical versions of popular songs.

Hard to hold back a chuckle reviewing the RCA song titles:
Barefoot Ballads
The Worst of Homer and Jethro
Life Can be Miserable
At the Country Club
Songs My Mother Never Sang
At the Convention
Fractured Folk Songs
Tenderly
Zany Songs of the 30's
Old Crusty Minstrels
Cool Crazy Christmas
Something STupid
Wanted for Murder
Ooh, That's Corny
Cornfucius Say
Nashville Cats
Any News?
Homer and Jethro's Next Album
Playing It Straight (jazz instrumentals)
It Ain't Necessarily Square (jazz instrumentals)

(Those last two are "must-haves!")

View image

Posted by Ted at 04:12 PM

May 05, 2006 | Ted Twister

We encourage a regular, rigorous, aggressive practice routine. Always nice to get a few good licks learned, but sometimes we think a little common sense is in order...

View image

Severe weather season is here for the Midwestern Plains in the United States, and of course the Atlantic Hurricane Preseason is imminent. (Heard they had a great crop of recruits, last year.)

Be prudent and pack a survival kit, including 5 days fresh water, flashlights and battery powered radio, blankets, some dry food goods, and of course all three volumes of O Melhor do Choro ready to pass the time.

Candles are also a good idea so you won't have to be reading the JazzMando Website on your computer in the dark.

(Scented, for mood.)

Posted by Ted at 11:23 AM

May 02, 2006 | Tips Reminder

The Tips and Tricks section of the JazzMando website bears mention once in a while. In case you haven't noticed this resource, every 3 to 5 days we have been documenting some thoughts, concepts, and tricks of the masters such as Don Stiernberg, John McGann, Niles Hokkannen, John Reischman, Evan Marshall, and many knowledgeable but not as well-known specialists.

We'd suggest book-marking it and at least once a week check in with us. We may have something revolutionary to take your playing a new direction!

Check in: Tips and Tricks

Posted by Ted at 08:39 PM