Hard to believe it's been seven years since registering the domain name for JazzMando.com. They talk about the proverbial seven-year itch where person tires of a routine (or job, house, spouse) and chooses to move on. We'll have none of that here; we plan to keep a good thing going! (Too much fun to stop now...)

After the resounding success of our "Getting Into Jazz Mandolin" last Fall, we're finalizing contract negotiations with Mel Bay Publishing for the next book, and are proud to be collaborating with the world's foremost authority on jazz mandolin, Don Stiernberg. The Ted/Don project is tentatively titled "Jazz Mandolin Appetizers," and varies from the more comprehensive, curriculum approach of the 120 page format of GiJM, to something more bite size (pun intended).

Sample chapters include Crunchy Chords, Delicious Reharm, Spicy Blues, Organic Pentatonic, and Lick Pantry, within a more palatable 48-60 pages. Don's already ahead of the game and has penned several examples on a healthy supply of cocktail napkins; we hope to start transcribing the mentor's genius into publisher-ready material over the next few months. You've already been enjoying his quarterly Jazz columns at Mandolin Magazine. Soon you'll be able to get it in book and CD form!

Do you have any additional ideas what a good jazz mandolin sampler book should have? Help us out. Tell us what you'd like to see in print and supporting audio.

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Posted by Ted at March 21, 2009 7:23 AM