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JohnSteinThe Mingotan ProjectEMOTION&&whaling city soundwww.whalingcitysound.comJohnSteinThe Mingotan Project

One of the first things you'll hear will be the space between musical phrases.This is the rare, modern recording where the musicians give each other,and the music, room to breathe. The arrangements allow each instrument'svoice to be heard, which enables the music in all of its subtlety to be bothunderstood and felt.Despite its sophistication, intricacy, and nuance, at root, this is danceablemusic. Set against nimble, multifaceted drumming, the lines played by theother musicians weave, bob, spin, dart in and out, embrace on occasion, and,well, Tango. They should. Drummer Matias Mingote German, who firstconceived of this project, hails from Argentina, the birthplace of the Tango,and now lives in Spain. He’s made a career of fusing musical and culturalideas, though never leaving his beloved Tango far behind. His nickname,Mingo, combined with his favorite musical form, the Tango, gives hisproject its moniker: Mingotan.Ah, but how did Mingo, a Tango-obsessed Argentinian Spaniard, find theperfect musical soul mate and project leader in John Stein, a gifted guitaristand composer hailing from Berklee College of Music in Boston? ThroughFacebook, of course! Seeking the ideal collaborator to bring his conceptionof the Mingotan Project to life and not wishing to be limited by earthlyboundaries, Mingo began scouring Cyberspace. He chanced upon Stein’smusic, an astonishing catalog of eleven sterling previous CD releases as aleader, and collaborations with a who’s who of jazz musicians. Sensing theideal partner, Mingo contacted Stein; the pair spoke virtually for a while,detected the makings of some artful chemistry, and began plotting thisproject.Now, pick up that virtual needle again and drop it at the beginning of theCD’s opener, Julieta. Again, listen. Really listen. But this time try to isolate asingle dancer from the deliciously spare mix, John Stein. After the count inJohnSteinThe Mingotan ProjectGo ahead; drop your virtual needle anywhere on this CD. Then listen.Really listen.&JohnSteinThe Mingotan Project&J.S. is a Beguiling Guitar PlayerMusiciansJohn Stein guitarThe Mingotan ProjectMatias Mingote German drumsRebecca Kleinmann flutesEvan Harlan accordionJohn Lockwood bassProducerJohn SteinExecutive ProducerNeal WeissMusical arrangementsJohn Stein and Matias Mingote GermanRecording, mixing, masteringPeter Kontrimas at PBS, Westwood, MAPackage design, cover and inside photo illustrationsDavid Arruda Jr.Liner notesJohn ThomasPhotographyCraig Bailey / Perspective Photogroup, p6/7, Rebecca Kleinmann, p/8, Matias Mingote German, p/9Yusef BitonJohn Stein, p/5Kenny HydeEvan Harlan, p/8, John Lockwood, p/9Matias Mingote German thanks Soultone Cymbals, Colombo Percussion,Cympad, Liverpool Sticks, RMV, NovaMusica and P&M EuropeFor more info on this recording, visit http://johnstein.com/MingotanProject

One of the first things you'll hear will be the space between musical phrases.This is the rare, modern recording where the musicians give each other,and the music, room to breathe. The arrangements allow each instrument'svoice to be heard, which enables the music in all of its subtlety to be bothunderstood and felt.Despite its sophistication, intricacy, and nuance, at root, this is danceablemusic. Set against nimble, multifaceted drumming, the lines played by theother musicians weave, bob, spin, dart in and out, embrace on occasion, and,well, Tango. They should. Drummer Matias Mingote German, who firstconceived of this project, hails from Argentina, the birthplace of the Tango,and now lives in Spain. He’s made a career of fusing musical and culturalideas, though never leaving his beloved Tango far behind. His nickname,Mingo, combined with his favorite musical form, the Tango, gives hisproject its moniker: Mingotan.Ah, but how did Mingo, a Tango-obsessed Argentinian Spaniard, find theperfect musical soul mate and project leader in John Stein, a gifted guitaristand composer hailing from Berklee College of Music in Boston? ThroughFacebook, of course! Seeking the ideal collaborator to bring his conceptionof the Mingotan Project to life and not wishing to be limited by earthlyboundaries, Mingo began scouring Cyberspace. He chanced upon Stein’smusic, an astonishing catalog of eleven sterling previous CD releases as aleader, and collaborations with a who’s who of jazz musicians. Sensing theideal partner, Mingo contacted Stein; the pair spoke virtually for a while,detected the makings of some artful chemistry, and began plotting thisproject.Now, pick up that virtual needle again and drop it at the beginning of theCD’s opener, Julieta. Again, listen. Really listen. But this time try to isolate asingle dancer from the deliciously spare mix, John Stein. After the count inJohnSteinThe Mingotan ProjectGo ahead; drop your virtual needle anywhere on this CD. Then listen.Really listen.&JohnSteinThe Mingotan Project&J.S. is a Beguiling Guitar PlayerMusiciansJohn Stein guitarThe Mingotan ProjectMatias Mingote German drumsRebecca Kleinmann flutesEvan Harlan accordionJohn Lockwood bassProducerJohn SteinExecutive ProducerNeal WeissMusical arrangementsJohn Stein and Matias Mingote GermanRecording, mixing, masteringPeter Kontrimas at PBS, Westwood, MAPackage design, cover and inside photo illustrationsDavid Arruda Jr.Liner notesJohn ThomasPhotographyCraig Bailey / Perspective Photogroup, p6/7, Rebecca Kleinmann, p/8, Matias Mingote German, p/9Yusef BitonJohn Stein, p/5Kenny HydeEvan Harlan, p/8, John Lockwood, p/9Matias Mingote German thanks Soultone Cymbals, Colombo Percussion,Cympad, Liverpool Sticks, RMV, NovaMusica and P&M EuropeFor more info on this recording, visit http://johnstein.com/MingotanProject

5:03John Stein, JS Jazz, BMI Empanadas4:33John Stein, JS Jazz, BMI I Thought About You6:29Mercer, Van Heusen, Jerry Leiber Music, Range Road Music Inc,Silver Seahorse Music Llc, WB Music Corp., ASCAP Recoleta6:54John Stein, JS Jazz, BMI Le Causse du Quercyand the multi-instrumental opening figure, Stein plays the theme withextraordinary beauty, delicacy, and in guitar player’s language, touch.Listen also to the gently and perfectly picked arpeggios that follow singlenotes at the end of the melody phrases in the next selection, Empanadas.And listen to Stein’s comping. As with his soloing, he plays only what’sneeded, exactly where it’s needed, and exactly how it’s needed.In some ways Stein’s playing reminds me of the work of the great JimHall. It’s a style marked by understatement, elegance, and grace. But Steinadds another dimension. I recall the title to one of the first jazz guitaralbums I ever bought, Howard Roberts’ “H.R. Is a Dirty Guitar Player.”Well, J.S. is a beguiling guitar player. He lures you into his music, thenotes begin to slip under your skin, grow there, and leave a lastingimpression. It’s not simply that days later you’ll find yourself hummingsome phrases that you heard; you’ll find yourself feeling them. You’ll notbe the same music listener after hearing John Stein.5:17John Stein, JS Jazz, BMI BieiJohnSteinThe Mingotan Project Julieta&JohnSteinThe Mingotan Project&Tunes and Composers5:39Matias Mingote German, SGAE Have You Met Miss Jones4:05Stein can burn, too. Listen, for example to his solos on Le Causse duQuercy and Stepping Stones, the fifth and ninth cuts here. If you findyourself thinking, “This is a guitar player who understands music, whodoesn’t have to think, who has transcended his instrument,” you’d beright. Stein has taught music theory at Berklee for over two decades, allthe while gigging and recording. Stein not only knows this stuff calledmusic, he lives and breathes it.Rogers & Hart, Chappell Co. Inc, Williamson Music Co., ASCAP Ira’s Tango4:20John Stein, JS Jazz, BMI Stepping Stones6:27John Stein, JS Jazz, BMI Oblivion4:22Astor Piazzola, SACEM, Edward Kassner Music Co Inc., ASCAPIt’s no accident that I’ve asked you to listen to these particular tracks. Notonly are they among my favorites on the CD, they and two others – fullysix of these ten offerings – are John Stein compositions. Like Stein’s guitarplaying, his compositions embody the essence of elegance and grace whileoffering beguiling twists and turns. There’s such depth, range, andthoughtfulness to these compositions that no matter how many times youhear them, each listen will yield a new discovery. You’ll not be the samemusic listener after hearing a John Stein composition.Of course, the compositions without execution wouldn’t produce such

5:03John Stein, JS Jazz, BMI Empanadas4:33John Stein, JS Jazz, BMI I Thought About You6:29Mercer, Van Heusen, Jerry Leiber Music, Range Road Music Inc,Silver Seahorse Music Llc, WB Music Corp., ASCAP Recoleta6:54John Stein, JS Jazz, BMI Le Causse du Quercyand the multi-instrumental opening figure, Stein plays the theme withextraordinary beauty, delicacy, and in guitar player’s language, touch.Listen also to the gently and perfectly picked arpeggios that follow singlenotes at the end of the melody phrases in the next selection, Empanadas.And listen to Stein’s comping. As with his soloing, he plays only what’sneeded, exactly where it’s needed, and exactly how it’s needed.In some ways Stein’s playing reminds me of the work of the great JimHall. It’s a style marked by understatement, elegance, and grace. But Steinadds another dimension. I recall the title to one of the first jazz guitaralbums I ever bought, Howard Roberts’ “H.R. Is a Dirty Guitar Player.”Well, J.S. is a beguiling guitar player. He lures you into his music, thenotes begin to slip under your skin, grow there, and leave a lastingimpression. It’s not simply that days later you’ll find yourself hummingsome phrases that you heard; you’ll find yourself feeling them. You’ll notbe the same music listener after hearing John Stein.5:17John Stein, JS Jazz, BMI BieiJohnSteinThe Mingotan Project Julieta&JohnSteinThe Mingotan Project&Tunes and Composers5:39Matias Mingote German, SGAE Have You Met Miss Jones4:05Stein can burn, too. Listen, for example to his solos on Le Causse duQuercy and Stepping Stones, the fifth and ninth cuts here. If you findyourself thinking, “This is a guitar player who understands music, whodoesn’t have to think, who has transcended his instrument,” you’d beright. Stein has taught music theory at Berklee for over two decades, allthe while gigging and recording. Stein not only knows this stuff calledmusic, he lives and breathes it.Rogers & Hart, Chappell Co. Inc, Williamson Music Co., ASCAP Ira’s Tango4:20John Stein, JS Jazz, BMI Stepping Stones6:27John Stein, JS Jazz, BMI Oblivion4:22Astor Piazzola, SACEM, Edward Kassner Music Co Inc., ASCAPIt’s no accident that I’ve asked you to listen to these particular tracks. Notonly are they among my favorites on the CD, they and two others – fullysix of these ten offerings – are John Stein compositions. Like Stein’s guitarplaying, his compositions embody the essence of elegance and grace whileoffering beguiling twists and turns. There’s such depth, range, andthoughtfulness to these compositions that no matter how many times youhear them, each listen will yield a new discovery. You’ll not be the samemusic listener after hearing a John Stein composition.Of course, the compositions without execution wouldn’t produce such