Upper Midwest swing fans, you've got a great opportunity for some lively Gypsy jazz with one of favorite regional string bands, Harmonius Wail and some of their amazing friends. Coming up Saturday, September 8, 2007 4-10pm, the 5th annual Midwest Gypsy Swing Festival. Featuring:

Stephane Wrembel - Paris, France & NYC
Kruno Spisic - Croatia, Philadelphia
Harmonious Wail - Wisconsin's Finest
Swing Gitan - Chicago's premier gypsy-jazz band
Caravan Gypsy Swing Ensemble - Authentic Gypsy Swing Group
The Gadjo Players - Eclectic Acoustic

Immerse yourself in this unique European-style jazz festival.

Tickets are $30 at the Barn Door Art in the Barn 5927 Adams Rd., Madison, WI
Saturday, September 8, 2007

Posted by Ted at 06:21 AM

August 27, 2007 | Vintage Vibes Music

JazzMando welcomes new sponsor Vintage Vibes Music, Arizona's (and online) premier Acoustic Music Shop. Owner Jeff Looker offers some of the best assortment of wood and strings assembled by today's craftsman, including: Collings Guitars and Mandolins, Bourgeois Guitars, Lowden Guitars, Goodall Guitars, Santa Cruz Guitars, Gallagher Guitars, Ome Banjos, Huss and Dalton Guitars and Banjos, Phoenix Mandolins, Stelling Banjos, Weber Mandolins and Resonator Guitars, Deering Banjos, Wildwood Banjos, Romero Banjos, Beard Resophonic Guitars, Bishline Banjos, McIlroy Guitars, Petros Guitars, Breedlove Mandolins , New-MAD/ Peter Mix Mandolins and Eastman Mandolins and Guitars.

Click on the Vntage Vibes Music side banner for an online tour, or if you are ever in the Phoenix (Tempe) area, drop on in to visit Jeff and a collection of some of the best guitars and mandolins under one roof.

Website: Vintage Vibes Music

Email: Jeff Looker

Posted by Ted at 06:24 AM

August 25, 2007 | New Lewis Octave Mandolin

Just out from JazzMando charter sponsor and world class builder Michael Lewis, an entirely new design of octave mandolin. Originally requested as an F body, Michael was given creative license to balance form and function with his legendary genius and craft a whole new instrument. Scale on the octave is 23-1/2".

View Picture

The California builder is internationally regarded for his cleanliness of detail and his eye for a good chunk of wood. This one happens to be highly figured California black walnut (back) and Alaskan sitka spruce (top). Lewis weighs in with a humble tribute to his peers, "This has been the result of influences and ideas mostly from John Monteleone, Hans Brentrup, and Paul Lestock. I find inspiration from many other makers, and just remember, there is nothing new under the sun. We all borrow ideas and try our best to make them our own."

Nice work, Michael! Simply stunning; of course we would expect nothing less...

Builder's Website: Michael Lewis Mandolins

Contact: Michael Lewis

Read review on the Lewis D'jango Mandolin

Posted by Ted at 06:13 AM

August 22, 2007 | Festival Wear

Festival season will be winding down soon. Climaxing the year, the prestigious Walnut Valley Festival (in nearby Winfield, Kansas) nears, coming up the 3rd week of September with its 40 acts and 8 contests. No better time to get your wearables than now, including the JazzMando "Dogs Playing Mandolins T-shirt" especially while the weather's good.

White (short-sleeve) double-stitched fabric Hanes "Heavyweight", in pristine white 100% Preshrunk cotton (perfect for the summmer "Dog Days" humidity), double needle sleeves and hem with shoulder to shoulder tape, these comfort-soft shirts are adorned with those hep "cats," er... Dogs, larger than life in four-color print.

Sometimes they play poker, sometimes they play pool, but here--it's mandolins. Help support the site with a purchase of this shirt for yourself, and/or a friend.

Purchase information: Dog's Playing Mandolins

Posted by Ted at 06:12 AM

August 20, 2007 | Further Adventures

We've been enjoying the latest release of New Jersey guitarist John Carlini, Further Adventures. Featuring a familiar rhythm section of Chicago area bassist Jim Cox and drummer Phillip Gratteau who played strong support roles in recent collaborations with premier jazz mandolinist Don Stiernberg in Angel Eyes and By George, Carlini's 6 and 7 string guitar artistry and compositional mastery dazzle. His gift for voicing standards as well as some original music has been honed by years of varied roles, including a stint with the David Grisman Quintet, tour conductor and arranger with the Ice Capades, and of course our favorite, three years of partnership with Don Stiernberg. No mandolin on this CD, but the Don does play some rhythm guitar on some tracks.

Such classics as "Autumn in New York," "Days of Wine and Roses," and "You Must Believe in Spring," Carlini also struts some Pop treasures, including "Both Sides Now," and "Mona Lisa." Favorite cut has to be perennial Bebop challenge, "Donna Lee," capably fast-paced but never road-hazard busy.

Of course we would have like to hear Stiernberg's mandolin on this one, but any connoisseur of smart acoustic string jazz will enjoy this CD.

More info: Blue Night Records
Preview and purchase: Further Adventures

Posted by Ted at 06:17 AM

August 18, 2007 | Jazz Dispute

Music is a conversation. Sometimes it's with the audience and sometimes it's amongst they players themselves. It can be phrases, it can be extended prose, but it's always about connecting if done right.

If you've ever wondered what sort of existential communication goes on between two Bebop musicians, this short YouTube video just might have the answer for you:

Jazz Dispute

The fun really comes in toward the end when the drum fills take over...

Special thanks to overseas JazzMando correspondent, Anton Darby (Belgium) for bringing this to our attention.

Posted by Ted at 10:41 AM

August 16, 2007 | Pachelbel Rant

And we thought we were the only ones annoyed by Pachelbel's Canon in D. Comedian Rob Paravonian weighs in with this knee-slapping YouTube video on the topic.

Pachelbel Rant

You just gotta love the cerebral musician humor!

Posted by Ted at 02:07 PM

August 14, 2007 | Mandolins for Kids

One of our charter JazzMando sponsors, Cool Mandolin Company announces an exciting "recycling" program for that unused mandolin laying around your house or family estate. You've enjoyed the mandolin, now take advantage of the opportunity to spread the love a bit with their Cool Mandolins for Kids Program, "The new cure for Mandolin Acquisition Syndrome." Maybe you've graduated to an upgrade in pursuit of your own mando excellence and have a spare laying around, begging to be played.

Cool Mandolin Company, creator of many fine mandolin related accessories and wearables is excited to initiate this great program. Laura Leder, company founder pleas, "Do you have a gently-used mandolin at home that would make a child really happy? If so, we'd love for you to send it to us. We'll find a young picker that’s in need of one and send it directly to them. It won't cost anyone a cent. We won't take any fees and we'll pay the shipping fee to the recipient." We LOVE the mandolin and we want to help promote it to the next generation of "mandolin legends".

Please contact Laura Leder at Cool Mandolin Company.

Email: Laura Leder

Phone: (215) 630-8047

Website: Cool Mandolin Company

Posted by Ted at 05:40 AM

August 12, 2007 | Mandolins in Space

You don't even have to be a Trekkie to appreciate the coolness of Texas Middle School teacher and avid mandolinist, Brian Altair and his New-MAD Carbon Fibre Mix A4 in space.

The 8-string astronaut posts, "This is me yesterday on NASA's C-9 "Weightless Wonder" (the more colorful nickname of this aircraft is not encouraged). I was with some teams of junior high and high school teachers demonstrating laws of motion (or in one experiment, determining mass without gravity) for use in science classrooms across the US. My team's experiment didn't take the entire 50 parabolas, so I got Peterson Tuners to donate a StroboFlip tuner, and I measured the effect of gravity on the tuning of my Mix A4. I'll tell you what I observed after a few of you posit hypotheses. I will tell you that I found if difficult to pick. The darn thing kept trying to float away!"

Of course the award-winning New Millennium Acoustic Design Mandolin was the perfect candidate for this flight. Space Age technology in Space; it's a natural.

Congratulations, Professor Altair! To infinity and beyond!

Summary and more pictures on the Mandolin Cafe Message Board

Read review of Mix A5

Posted by Ted at 07:26 AM

August 10, 2007 | Jake Schepps

We had the great fortune of stumbling onto Jake Schepps, first class banjoist and composer, and submit for your reading entertainment, a review of his latest projet with mandolinist Matt Flinner, "Ten Thousand Leaves."

From his website: "With engaging, dynamic material that reflects the Colorado aesthetic of roots music, the band focuses on creative composition, melodic ideas and tasteful solos. The Expedition Quartet remains true to the artistic values of stringband, yet draws on certain jazz sensibilities, such as improvisation and more extended harmonies. The group includes Ryan Drickey on violin, Greg Schochet on guitar and mandolin, and Eric Thorin on bass. More information is here. Jake also plays with the 'chamber-grass' ensemble called the Strings of Tao featuring an eclectic mix of original compositions, jazz, Brazilian choro and traditional fiddle tunes.

"Over the years, Jake has performed on stage with Leftover Salmon, Yonder Mountain String Band , Matt Flinner Trio, Runaway Truck Ramp, Abigail Washburn, Jangeun Bae, Brian Prunka, the Classical Mandolin Society's Orchestra with Don Stiernberg, Tony Furtado, Boulder Acoustic Society and many more."

Of course we were thrilled to hear anything Matt Flinner touched (he produced the project and offers his mandolin talents on many of the cuts), but Jake has a good ear for a tune, as well as a masterful sense of composition. The ensemble plays well together in a tasteful and thorough compilation of original material.

Read review: Ten Thousand Leaves

Artist website: Jake Schepps

Posted by Ted at 06:14 AM

August 08, 2007 | Ed Elliott

Happy to hear news of Oklahoma builder, Ed Elliott, back on the bench. In addition to a healthy pedigree of building instruments for Mosrite and Music Man, he has since produced rockabilly & "surf-style" electric guitars and some fabulous solidbody electric mandolins. A beautiful red E.F. Elliott 8-string graced the lounge of JazzMando Headquarters not long ago.

One of his mandolins was seen on stage in the hands of Dixie Chick (fiddler) Martie Maguire, including her smash popular video, "Goodbye Earl."

Read article: Master Crafstman Ed Elliott

More on Ed Elliott at Emando.com

Posted by Ted at 05:40 PM

August 06, 2007 | James Condino in Mandolin Magazine

Congratulations to friend and mandolin innovator James Condino for the feature story in the latest (Summer) issue of Mandolin Magazine. In the well-penned David McCarty article, James gives us more details of his history as well as insight into his building philosophies.

Since we reviewed two of his mandolins last year in our Builder's Spotlight, he's moved from the west coast to Asheville, NC. Expect to hear more from him as he is now assigned writing duties in a regular column in the magazine.

Read article online

Subscribe: Mandolin Magazine

Read last year's review: Green Cricket & African Blackwood

Posted by Ted at 08:39 PM

August 04, 2007 | August MandolinSessions now online!

New, our latest submission on the Mel Bay MandolinSessions.com website, "Developing Pentatonics for Jazz: A systematic approach to pentatonic mastery in all 12 keys." We've tackled this subject before, but we expand a bit on the idea of comfort and familiarity of pentatonics in all twelve keys--how to achieve it.

If your idea of a pentatonic scale is two out of five notes always on an open string, or the first note of the pentatonic always starts on your first finger, this article is for you. Find new freedom through the FFcP approach to one of the most popular scales in Western European music, and prepare yourself to use it in advanced jazz concepts.

Read article: Jazz Mandology

Don't forget to download the two-page PDF exercise! FFcP Pentatonic Studies

Read past MandolinSession articles.

Posted by Ted at 11:24 AM

August 02, 2007 | Sqeakswe Premium Finishes

We're pleased to introduce you to Larry Sweeney, owner of Squeakswe Finishes located in Morrisville Vermont. We became a huge fan of Larry's work with custom Rigel finishes during his long tenure there, and he's currently performing finish work for New-MAD Carbon Fiber Mandolins, Running Dog Guitars, and Froggy Bottom Guitars.

In addition to standard finishes, he offers superior, extensive expertise in acrylic lacquer or Dupont metal flake, pearl and car clear. We have a sample of some of his work below, many instruments you will be familiar with. Larry was crucial in the development of the Rigel Gypsy "Q," achieving that vintage look in an ultra-modern instrument.

Contact Larry: Email

Phone: 802-888-5663

Posted by Ted at 06:49 AM