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Reviews
Michael Lampert: Blue Gardenia From All About Jazz Magazine, August 2005 "[I]t should be said that Lampert and his quartet play strong, straightforward jazz with the blues an ever-present force. Their take on Fats Domino’s immortal “I’m Walking” is rollicking and infectious, with spry piano work from Vern Waldron and jumping drums from Jeff Fish. Lampert checks in with a brief but insistent solo before yielding to bassist Timothy Emmons. At the other end of the spectrum is the lovely and delicate title track. Waldron and Lampert seem to complete each other’s thoughts, while Emmons stands out by virtue of expertly keeping time and still being delightfully unpredictable and melodic. One of the true joys of jazz is to hear musicians explore their instruments and reveal new possibilities. Blue Gardenia provides the pleasure of hearing the electric mandolin played with imagination and great skill. Even better is the fact that the album is much more than just a technical exercise. It showcases musicians playing with more than enough feeling to match their instrumental prowess." Review by Stephen Latessa Read the full review here ••• From JazzReview.com, Michael Lampert’s case for the electric mandolin taking a prominent place in progressive jazz music is solid. The sound of his instrument can be compared to a high-pitched electric guitar, but it doesn’t steal the spotlight by screeching or screaming. It is pleasantly subtle, yet effective and direct. The sound has an inimitable flair. Lampert’s style, though tight and sometimes cool, is full of vigor. He casually saunters and merrily meanders rather than slamming in, and gives the music just enough of a push to allow it to seep in to the deepest levels. The quartet is seamless together and although this might seem a bit smooth for some, each solo comes on as spontaneously as an evening breeze. ... The fluidity and movement of this music allows room for all in the mix. Straight forward, yet carefree, this disc has endless summer appeal as well as some outstanding arrangements and progressive edge. Read the full review here
From Martin Stillion Blog, Emando Reviews, February 4, 2006 "L.A. electric mandolinist Michael Lampert is back with more of the tasteful, graceful jazz that made his previous solo disc, Jacaranda, such a pleasure to listen to. ... [Lampert] is a trailblazer both among jazz artists and mandolin players. And that's a rare, commendable achievement. If you enjoy jazz and appreciate mandolin playing, then Blue Gardenia belongs in your bouquet." Read the full review here
Michael Lampert: Jacaranda From All About Jazz Magazine, June 2001 "And now for something totally unexpected. Something along the lines of David Grisman or Mike Marshall's bluegrass-jazz might be anticipated from a jazz mandolinist, yes? But Michael Lampert is a master of the four-string electric mandolin, a rare beast indeed. Without the added sonority of the usual double-courses of strings, Lampert's instrument sounds much closer to a high-pitched electric guitar than what is normally expected of a mandolin. That said, the music he creates with such an odd hybrid is utterly magnificent mainstream jazz with a firm grounding in the blues." Reviewed by Todd S. Jenkins Read the full review here ••• From Martin Stillion Blog, Emando Reviews, January 26, 2006 It’s been a while since anyone graced us with a straight-ahead jazz album consisting of all original tunes, played exclusively on electric mandolin. In fact, has anyone ever graced us with a straight-ahead jazz album consisting of all original tunes, played exclusively on electric mandolin? Well, the question’s academic now: Michael Lampert’s Jacaranda is finally here and it’s been worth the wait. For the past few years Lampert, the jazz columnist for Mandolin Quarterly, has labored in relative obscurity with gigs in Los Angeles nightspots. This is his first recording as a bandleader. Steeped in the vocabulary of electric jazz guitar, Lampert is perfectly capable of doing with four strings what it takes most guys six to accomplish. He coaxes some gorgeous licks and sweet, dark tones out of his custom Schwab solidbody. (The instrument itself, with its bookmatched flamed maple top, honey blonde finish, and tortoiseshell binding, is a work of art, and it figures prominently in Nancy Weiss’s stunning booklet and tray card design.) It’s still awfully slim pickings out there for lovers of jazz mandolin, particularly electric jazz mandolin. But thanks to folks like Michael Lampert, the ball is rolling and we should be hearing more of this great music in years to come. Jacaranda is a fine piece of work and deserves to be in your CD player. Read the full review here ••• From Mandolin Magazine, Spring 2002 "If your tastes in music include the smoking electric jazz guitar sounds of players like Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, Herb Ellis and other stylists of the 1950s and '60s, then Michael Lampert's CD should definitely catch your ear. Playing a solid-body, five-stringed electric mandolin from Kevin Schwab and backed by a jazz ensemble that includes bass, drums and guitar, Lampert fiercely swings through nine originals with the skill and originality of a top jazz musician. Generating a lush, rounded tone on his instrument, Lampert plays with style and wit and grace. The tunes here range from smoldering blues jams like Blues for Iain to the darkly mysterious, samba-influenced Nwla to the title cut, Jacaranda, that swings to a strong internal groove. Lampert's work sounds at times like the great Tiny Moore, and his phrasing and technique bear the influence of Jethro Burns at times. But his voice is clearly his own here, as he explores the possibilities of jazz mandolin in a new way. The clever, bouncy Bahiamar blends Afro-Cuban influ-ences with Caribbean rhythms, and Pres-ly sounds like Duke Robillard jamming with Herb Ellis. Jacaranda offers a new vision of mandolin as electric jazz instrument, stripped of its acoustic ring and paired strings, to reveal a sultry voice play-ing jazz as it was meant to be played. Very nice, Michael. Now about that encore ..." Reviewed by David McCarty
All photos by Nancy A. Weiss 
Copyright © 2000-2008, Sojourner Records, Michael Lampert. A notcooldude website.
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