We just added one more amazingly creative entry to our PROFESSSIONAL'S SOUND LAB. The latest is a Choro Nouveau dazzler from master jazz theoretician and software guru Craig Schmoller of Mando ModeExplorer fame. Craig's brilliant interpretation of Lydia O'Lydia colors even farther outside the lines with some intriguing parallel guitar counter-melodies and the addition of some Brazillian percussion, basically a pandeiro, which he describes as "an ebony block with a small stick, 2x4s glued together and a peewee baseball bat."

Schmoller is already a well-known fixture here at JazzMando, receiving rave reviews for his PC based software Mando ModeExplorer, an interactive tour guide into a wonderful journey of chord and scale theory. Such study can be dry and tedious taken out of context, but throw in some compelling graphics, a deliberative organizational strategy, a sexy chord computer, and you have this fabulous instructional aid for unraveling the mysteries of jazz theory.

From our earlier JazzMando review, Mando ModeExplorer is a "powerful tool for the chord hungry mando-enthusiast, this terrific resource allows the player to grow and literally explore a gazillion chord and scale fingering opportunities. Visually appealing, it features sight and sound of a real mandolin fretboard as new positions are unraveled before your eyes. Find the fingering for a Ab7(b13)+11(add9)/F and light that fingerboard like a Christmas tree!"

Speaking of Christmas, it's just around the corner; Mando ModeExplorer would be a great gift idea for yourself, or something to spend the winter months indoors investigating. Strongly consider a purchase!

Meantime, listen in, and stretch your mind with the other artists interpretations of the five songs from the "Getting Into Jazz Mandolin" book from Mel Bay.

Enjoy Audio:
Craig Schmoller Lydia O'Lydia

More artist interpretations.
Purchase Mando ModeExplorer.
Read Jazzmando Review.

Posted by Ted at November 21, 2008 6:52 PM