John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band

[CarlM]

He is not known primarily as a mandolinist let alone a bluegrass musician but he is excellent at both.

[musicofanatic]

Jorgensen mentioned Disneyland...dunno how many times I saw him there in the 1970s ('60s?), in different bands...playing clarinet in a dixieland band, etc. He is an extremely well rounded, advanced musician. No need to mention Pederson with his massive credentials and lengthy career. Patrick Sauber is equal to any on fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar...also possesses a wealth of info on Lloyd Loar-signed mandolins...pretty much has all serial numbers cataloged in his head. I know I have heard of Mark Fain here and there. Some band!

[Verne Andru]

Yeah, John is a monster player across multiple genres and instruments. In addition to bluegrass he does Gypsy jazz and was the lead guitarist for Elton John's last world tour before covid shut down live events.

I had the pleasure to see him close and in-person a number of years back when he brought his Gypsy Jazz quintet to town (only 4 made it so it was really a quartet but no matter). In keeping with the Parisienne Gypsy Jazz café vide the event was in a local church-converted-into-community-center with informal seating so he and the band were right in front of me. They played their hearts out in what was one of the most enjoyable evenings of my life. He stunned me with how long he was able to hold a note on clarinet, among other things.

If you want a real treat his CD Ultrasponte won't disappoint.

[Ray(T)]

I also saw John and the quintet play in a historic church and now a performance venue except that, rather than a quintet of four, they were a quintet of nine! There was a young man sitting in front of us, having previously been impressed to see him playing with Elton John, but now on the front row less than ten feet from the band. He was even more impressed when John stayed to chat during the interval.

I find the most impressive thing about his musicianship is the ease by which he slips, seamlessly, from one instrument to another. He can be playing a hot-lick gypsy jazz piece on guitar, put the instrument down, pick up the clarinet and simply carry on playing. Never seen his bluegrass band; they played a bar half a mile down the road from here but I didn’t find out ‘til a week later.

[cayuga red]

I also saw John and the quintet play in a historic church and now a performance venue except that, rather than a quintet of four, they were a quintet of nine! There was a young man sitting in front of us, having previously been impressed to see him playing with Elton John, but now on the front row less than ten feet from the band. He was even more impressed when John stayed to chat during the interval.

I find the most impressive thing about his musicianship is the ease by which he slips, seamlessly, from one instrument to another. He can be playing a hot-lick gypsy jazz piece on guitar, put the instrument down, pick up the clarinet and simply carry on playing. Never seen his bluegrass band; they played a bar half a mile down the road from here but I didn’t find out ‘til a week later.

He's a true superstar, a wonderful musician.

[Verne Andru]

John did a signature mandolin model a number of years back that flew largely under the radar; he doesn't play one in concert, which doesn't help. It was the top-of-the line in the short-lived Paris Swing brand Greg Rich did after leaving Gibson and before doing The Loar.

The John Jorgenson Paris Swing is a stellar mandolin and very unique for both its Gypsy Jazz stylings and the way it's made. Premium hand carved solid woods, they are built with top shelf components, except the tuning machines that were absolute rubbish. It's a short-neck oval hole (done as a petite D) mixing the best from Gibson's snakeheads and F models; instead of using ladder bracing like Gibson ovals it has a modified tone-bar design taken from Fs. The result is a very loud, focused and refined tone that is a true stand-out. This is what the Folk Musician site says about it:

The John Jorgenson Signature Mandolin has personal details, both cosmetically and soundwise, and according to Jorgenson, is "unlike anything that is currently available." The mandolin features a solid sitka spruce top, solid AAA flamed back and sides, an ebony fretboard, a miniature D-hole soundhole with a Maccaferri-style rosette, and a clear pickguard with a Jorgenson label. The mandolin comes in a black finish and has the Paris Swing “Tour Eiffel” headstock label in M.O.P./abalone and gold leaf.

John Jorgenson is a pioneer in the American gypsy jazz movement. Even with his eclectic history as a pop and rock artist, gypsy jazz is the style that’s closest to his heart. Jorgenson worked directly with Paris Swing Co. product designer Greg Rich to get his signature mandolin to meet his specifications.

I got mine quite by accident from the fellow blowing out the last of the PS stock on eBay and couldn't be happier. The clear pickguard looked nice but the way it was mounted it muffled the sound so I replaced it with a floater when I added electronics. The “Tour Eiffel” headstock label is a bit cheesy but all-in-all it satisfied my thirst for a premium mandolin (they don't get much better than this).

[BillWilliams]

Looks really nice. Do you play gypsy jazz with it?

I would be curious to hear it through amplification.

[NickR]

I once asked John about the Paris Swing mandolin and he said the sound hole was just too big for such an instrument. It seems then that the company made a mandolin with a much smaller sound hole for him as a signature model and it follows his favoured Tuxedo finish.

[Verne Andru]

I once asked John about the Paris Swing mandolin and he said the sound hole was just too big for such an instrument. It seems then that the company made a mandolin with a much smaller sound hole for him as a signature model and it follows his favoured Tuxedo finish.

While the Jorgenson-sig was the top of their mandolin line, Paris Swing had a few models, as well as gypsy-jazz style guitars, including their infamous grande bouche:



No idea what they sounded like but there were a few stories of the tops caving in, as one would expect. That is the model most associated with Paris Swing and the target of John's words.

They also did a normal F-style:



And a more traditional oval hole:



It iis this last one that I was after - I just love the looks. When I finally tracked down the fellow selling off the stock all he had left was a Jorgenson he had put aside because of some scuffing on the top. We quickly agreed on a price and the deal was done.

[Verne Andru]

Looks really nice. Do you play gypsy jazz with it?

I would be curious to hear it through amplification.

LOL - I have on occasion played gypsy jazz on it but that's not my focus, nor am I any good at it. I really respect the talent that goes into it and find it a great place to find inspiration.

Here's a youtube I did with the mandolin electronics through my guitar rig. It is just a bit of impromptu wankering through a looper but gives a good idea of the sounds I can get out of it.

[Verne Andru]

Here's what the stock Jorgenson looks like:



The fingerrest/pickguard is clear plastic with John's name, which looks really cool. The problem is that block in the middle is sandwiched between the mandolin's soundboard, a piece of felt and the fingerrest, which seriously hampers the tone and volume.



I love that they followed a Snake-head aesthetic but think it is would be killer Gypsy Jazz with a slotted headstock ala Selmer/Maccaferri's. The Paris tower doesn't really work visually for the time - GJ was during the Deco and art Nouveau periods that adhered to rigid formality in form and line whereas this is random and blobby. The white tuner buttons [attached to the worst tuning machines] were a glaring mismatch to the aged binding and trim.



A while back I had a thread in the Builders section about the difference in weight between doing normal and slotted and it appears slotted is lighter. If they ever revive these that would be the way to go.



The thing I really liked about the PS line is it was something the same yet different in a new and interesting way, which I think should be encouraged.

[Ray(T)]

I don’t think I’ve seen photographs of him actually playing anything other than a Gibson.

[Verne Andru]

I don’t think I’ve seen photographs of him actually playing anything other than a Gibson.

Same here. Some of the old-timers around here had an insider view of Paris Swing as it was happening but nothing said about the JJ connection that I heard. There must be stories.

As noted above, after Paris Swing went away Greg Rich, the mandolin-man behind it, did The Loar which are direct knock-offs of Gibson guitars and mandolins. There is no denying the power of the scroll, but it's just more of the same. Paris Swing was at least trying to do something a bit different.

[BillWilliams]

Here's a youtube I did with the mandolin electronics through my guitar rig.

I like the sound, Verne - I think it would work well for gypsy jazz.

[bigtoothmando]

John Jorgenson Bluegrass 'Midnight flyer' is one of those beautiful master piece the band created.

[Dave Greenspoon]

Caught John as part of the Desert Rose Band at Rams Head in Annapolis just over 10 years ago. Incredible musician, no matter what is in his hands.