Don Stiernberg - Mandoboppin!

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The Mandolin Cafe has posted the following news release:
Don Stiernberg - Mandoboppin!

Don Stiernberg returns with a spectacular new collection of ten original compositions and two standards with vocals on Mandoboppin! On the project Don and company cover swing, bop, and Latin jazz tunes featuring acoustic mandolin, guitar, piano, bass and drums.



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[mandolino maximus]

Samples sound good. Can you believe he made a concert appearance on May 31st and did not mention on stage the project's official release on June 1st? It was Alan Munde and Greg Cahill's show although Don encouraged standing ovations for his own singing. (We did get to hear some good Blue Skies mando, good swing guitar by Munde, and a great two banjo + mando Monroe and Scruggs bluegrass trio.)

[Tom Wright]

I feel this is an important event for Don, and for mandolin. His original tunes have a lot of range, from straight-ahead jam tunes to more experimental offerings like the title cut, (a true bop number). The melodies are compelling and the changes are creative.

He includes a couple of standard songs, and I was moved by both, especially his easy inventiveness on "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea". I was already trying to cop the melody for the opener, "Life Itself", a swinging blues. I also want to learn the gypsy-swing "Donniebrook" but the changes are rich enough I may need to see it in print (if Don releases charts). "Questions and Answers" is lyrical and introspective and "Bix in Rio" is a mando-bossa from the Boss of mando-jazz.

Of course, Don doesn't just play mandolin jazz, he plays Jazz.

[Amy Burcham]

These are just great tunes, that's all there is to it. I've been lucky enough to hear most of them live at the Mandolin Symposium or in Chicago...and here they are done up with all that taste and class. Some new surprises too. A nice tight ensemble feel on every one and that never-ending stream of good thoughts from the Don. Can't stop dancin'...