Friday, August 30, 2013

Sept/Oct Issue 2013


Greetings

We are overwhelmed with the support we have received for this new band. Thank you all so much for all of the help and for enjoying our music. Currently our Facebook Page has over 900 likes, we have three youtube videos with over 1,000 views, one of which has over 2,000 views. Our CD Release Party went very well. Thanks so much to Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlet for joining us on stage to play Milk Cow Blues. Additionally, we have two festivals coming up, the Walnut Valley Festival in Kansas and the Midwest Gypsy Swing Festival in Minnesota. We look forward to giving you the details of how these gigs went in the next issue.  

In This Issue

-Provide Information About Upcoming Shows
-Provide Links to Our Recent Press
-Give You the Inside Scoop on our Recent Shows at the Jazz Hall of Fame
-Provide New Ways for You to Connect to Mischievous Swing
-Provide Sheet Music to Our Original Tune “Night in Paris”
-Preview The Next Issue


Upcoming Shows






































Recent Publicity

"The Name Game" by John Wooley, Oklahoma Magazine
"More Than the Sum of its Parts" by Brad Morris, Urban Tulsa
"Mischief, Youth, and Near-Nudity" by Brad Morris, Urban Tulsa


Our Recent Shows at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame

We have had the wonderful opportunity to play at the Jazz Hall for the past two months, first opening for Bruce Forman and his band Cowbop and second, our Cd Release party where we were joined on stage by a surprise guest, the Mayor of Tulsa. 



New Social Media

Two exciting new ways to connect to Mischievous Swing, first our Twitter Account, and Second, our bassist has his own Blog


Sheet Music: "Night in Paris"

This is the sheet music to one of Shelby's original tunes on our debut album. If you'd like to hear it, you can check out our youtube video for the track.

Preview of Next Issue

-Give the Inside Scoop on Our Upcoming Festival Shows
-Provide Sheet Music to Another Original Tune 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PskVShRqb8k

Monday, July 1, 2013

July/August 2013 Newsletter


Greetings. We are so thrilled by the outpouring of support we have received over the past 6 months and we have tons of exciting news to report. Our facebook page has 747 likes, our first youtube video has been viewed over 1,700 times, our website has been updated, our debut album is available on itunes and cdbaby. Additionally, we have some special news to convey to all our Tulsa fans as we will be playing the Tulsa Summerstage July 13th and 14th, and will be opening for Cowbop at the Jazz Hall of Fame July 23rd

IN THIS ISSUE
-Provide details on Upcoming Shows at the Jazz Hall of Fame and Tulsa PAC
-Provide the Inside Scoop on first mini-tour
-Interview Nathan, as part of the 2nd  installment of our 4-part series on the members of the band
-Provide Sheet Music for the our intro for "Avalon"

UPCOMING SHOWS 
Summerstage at the Tulsa PAC- July 13th and 14
Jazz Hall of Fame-July 23

TO DJANGOFEST AND BACK
Mischievous Swing's first series of shows outside Oklahoma was a smashing success. We arrived in Indiana on the Thursday, the day before our first show. At the home of Mark K., we  were treated to a wonderful home cooked meal and got to jam with some of the finest acoustic swing players from the area. Friday, we played at the Hedgehog. The venue was wonderful and the people who came out were kind and very receptive to our music. 
After our show Friday night, we backed up the van and drove through the night to get to York, Pennsylvania to play the Django Gypsy Fest. Our show went well, receiving a standing ovation and throughout the day Mischievous Swing band members were asked to join various acts on stage, including Frank Vignola.
INTERVIEW WITH MISCHIEVOUS SWING BASSIST, NATHAN EICHER
We are excited to bring you the second part of our four part series interviewing the band members of Mischievous Swing. 
Mischievous Swing bassist Nathan Eicher brings a unique musical perspective to the role of jazz bass. At age 26, Nathan has a Master's degree in jazz studies and has played music of many varieties, including, classical, bluegrass, funk, country, western swing, jazz, dawg and rock. He has performed with various renowned artists inducing, Whit Smith (Hot Club of Cowtown), Patti Page, Marvin Stamm and Frank Vignola. We are thrilled to sit down and talk with Nathan. 

How long have you been playing bass?
I got my first electric bass when I was 13, my first upright when I was 14 and my first bass bow when I was 15. 

Who have been your major influences?
It is a pretty diverse list. I have been a big fan of the pianist Oscar Peterson since I was very young, and on all of the albums I listened to as a child, Ray Brown was the bassist. Once I took up the bass, I really gravitated towards Ray as my model for what a jazz bassist should sound like. I grew up listening to a lot of acoustic music and there are two bassists from that community of musicians that I really admire. The first is Edgar Meyer. He really clued me into the idea that the bass could be far more than a supporting role, especially when played with a bow. Additionally, he has a fantastic tone, and a virtuosic command of his instrument. Second, there is Barry Bales. He is really on the opposite side of the spectrum from Edgar, in that he never takes a solo or plays anything that could be considered flashy or complicated. However, like Edgar Meyer, he is super solid. Barry, does that job that needs to be done, and it doesn't come with any glory, I feel like bassists need someone like that to look up to, because many times that is your role. 
After bassists, my second biggest influences have been fiddle/violin players. Aubrey Haynie, Stephane Grappelli, Darol Anger and of course my dad were all guys I have emulated over the years. I always took the attitude that, if you take inspiration from people who play a different instrument than you, then you are much more likely to have a unique voice on your instrument. So while Edgar Meyer was the guy who opened me up to the world of acro (bowed) bass, I never wanted to sound like an Edgar clone. I always thought if I could bring fiddle to bass then I would be my own person. 
Finally, there are all the other musicians/bands I grew up listening to and idolized, Chris Thile, David Grisman, The Rosenberg Trio, Joe Pass, Nat King Cole, Take 6, Jerry Douglas, Blue Highway, Ricky Skaggs and Tony Rice. All this stuff influences my playing, I am just not entirely sure how. Moreover, the list keeps getting bigger, like right now I am real big on Horace Silver. 

You have been playing music with your family for many years, what has that been like, and what kind of music have you played? 
I have had the opportunity to play with my family in numerous combinations. First, I played in my dad's bluegrass band, then there was the family band which played a variety of tunes, my Mom's jazz band and then my mom's country bands which included playing with her in the show "Always Patsy Cline". 
In terms of  what that has been like, it has been incredible. In addition to the fact that everyone in my family is a tremendous musician, they have always surrounded themselves with stellar musicians, so it has been the best music education you could ask for. Moreover, whatever the music has been, there is nothing that compares with the special opportunity I have had to make music with my family. I know it has made my family closer, particularly with my brothers. I was 16 when we we started the family band, which meant that my brothers were 14 and 12. I don't know many 16 year olds who spent as much time as I did with my younger brothers, and that time was largely because we could make music together. 

You studied music at the University of Central Oklahoma, where you received your Master's degree in Jazz Studies-Music Production, tell us a little bit about what you gained from the experience.
I was very fortunate to study at the University of Central Oklahoma. My time there really allowed me to hone my jazz bass skills and helped me develop many other musical skills that have made me a more rounded musician. In addition to playing bass in combos and a Big Band I also played cello in a combo, and piano in the Latin band. I arranged a big band chart, recorded, engineered, arranged and produced my own album, and I started getting serious about composition. 
For more information about Nathan, you can check out his website, www.nathaneichermusic.com 

FREE MISCHIEVOUS SWING SHEET MUSIC
This issue's free music comes from the introduction to our last tune on our album. 


Thursday, June 6, 2013

***Special Issue***



Fan Reviews

“Fantastic”
Mandomojo77, Youtube

“Great sound I love the Gypsy JAzz excellent, I hope you don't mind I'm gonna share it on all my music channels”
Faseremo, Youtube

“ivan is one of my favorite guitar players.....”
Gadjoboy, Youtube

“These guys are EXCELLENT musicians!!”
Vicki Veldman, Youtube

“Me Like!”
Jarchitect, Youtube

“really like your mando players playing”
viehmeyerjazz, Youtube

“very nice
flavors of Reinhardt and Grisman in there- with a dash of count Basie”
Timothy Sweeny, Youtube

“Gentlemen.........excellent sound. Great music, production etc. sorta of a jazzy, bluesey, bluegrass sound. I love it, and will be getting your album when it comes out. Best of luck to you and will spead the word about your music.”
BigDennis56, Youtube

“ THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS! The sound is flawless and the playing is simply fantastic! Congratulations and best of luck on your Albums. The music and talent speaks for itself and the Album cover and pictures are exactly 'In Tune' with your music!”
Mslinda freeman, Youtube

“Loved your set at Djangofest York; great playing all around. Especially liked hearing Spain - and great to hear jazz mandolin too.”
David Stevenson, Facebook

“Shelby and his two sons were nothing short of phenominal”
Lou DePietro, Facebook

“Awesome show at the Hedgehog! We can't wait for your return!”
Mark Kurkowski, Facebook

“You Guys were stellar today at the Djangogypsyfest”
Ernie Pugliese, Facebook

“Great show at the Hedgehog guys!”
Daryl Jones, Facebook

“Very Nice!”
Sam Cunningham

“C'est magnifique!”
Jana Joafman Gard, Youtube

“Glad I joined the Mandolin Club, so I could hear music like this!”
Edro, Soundcloud

“Awesome!!!! :)”
Kim Leitner, Facebook

“always a pleasure to hear Ivan Play !!!!”
Scott Bookman, Facebook

“Love this!”
Patty Viers, Facebook

“You Guys are fantastic! Very tight”
Bruce Mateer, Facebook

“Hey Amigos...nice job...you sound great”
Mackie Kathy, Facebook

“love!”
Jeanie Simms York, Facebook

“This sounds gooooood!”
Mike Flood, Facebook

“I really enjoyed this!”
Kristen Bristsch Beal, Facebook

“I can just see a couple of dancers rocking around to this. Very nice.!”
Audrey Murray, Facebook

“great stuff”
Mitch Depew, Facebook

“Loved it”
Julie Sugg Pebbles, Facebook

“Great music!!”
Marshal Allen Bailey, Facebook

“It's amazing how such a small spark can cause a flame. I had never heard of y'all before this morning when I saw a post by Tom Ellis mentioning you. I checked it out and I'm your new biggest fan; just LOVE that music and you guys do it well.”
Time Wells, Facebook

“You guys have an unmistakable sound you should be proud of”
Brent Douglas, Facebook

“Nice job, guys!”
Bill Wagner, Facebook

“Good music.”
Mary Sue Wagner, Facebook

Thursday, May 2, 2013

May/June 2013

Greetings

We would like to take a moment and thank everyone for their support. Our facebook page has 618 fans from over 20 countries. Our First Youtube video has over 1,250 views and we have completed recording our first album (scheduled for release in June). We also have four major shows coming up this year including the Hedgehog in Indiana (May 31), a Djangofest in Pennsylvania (June 1), SummerStage at the Tulsa PAC (July 13-14) and the Walnut Valley Music Festival in Winfield, Kansas (September 19) . Great things are happening for Mischievous Swing, and that has only been made possible by all of the support of our fans. Thank you all so much and help us continue to spread the word. 

In this issue we will: 

-Interview Isaac as part of our 4 part series interviewing each of the band members
-Give you the inside scoop on our recent recording session
-Give Away Sheet Music for the song "Valenciana" from our new album
-Preview the Next Issue

Our Interview With Isaac Eicher (Mischievous Swing's Mandolinist) 

We are excited to bring you the first part of a four part series interviewing the band members of Mischievous Swing. 
Mischievous Swing mandolinist Isaac Eicher is picking up where other mandolinists have left off, is is redefining the mandolin as a full-fledged Jazz instrument. Although he is only 22 years old, Isaac has already made a big impression on the mandolin world. In 2006 he won the Walnut Valley Mandolin Championship. In 2010 he won the Rockygrass mandolin competition and returned the following year to win the flat-picking guitar competition. He won the Oklahoma State Mandolin Championship  5 years in a row and he has performed on stage with acclaimed artists like Frank Vignola, The Greencards and Cowbop. Thrilled to sit down and talk to Isaac about his career. 

How long have you been playing Mandolin?

I started playing mandolin when I was nine, but before that I had played piano for several years and already knew how to read music.

Who have been your major influences?

In the mandolin world Chris Thile has always been a big influence. When I played more bluegrass I also listened to Adam Steffey, Shawn Lane, and Alan Bibey. However, it’s been a while since I really listened to and played bluegrass. These days my main influences aren’t other mandolinists. My inspiration comes from musicians like Biréli Lagrène, Sylvain Luc, Stochelo Rosenburg, Oscar Peterson, George Benson and Martin Taylor, among others.

You started playing mandolin with your family's band. What was it like to play music with your family and what kind of material did you play?

Yeah we had a family band in the early years, and we mainly centered on bluegrass. But given our mom’s jazz repertoire as a singer and the variety of styles our dad plays on the violin, we would often throw in something different. I remember we would play a rumba called “Beautiful Maria of My Soul," the song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me," and once we did a mandolin quartet arrangement of “Linus and Lucy”. So I’ve always been exposed to other musical styles than just bluegrass.

With a background heavily focused on Bluegrass and Fiddle music, how have you made the transition to playing Jazz and do you have any tips for other players to help them make the transition?

First you have to develop a jazz vocabulary. The Bill Monroe licks don’t really jive with any style of jazz. This means learning new chords and licks and how to phrase the ideas. When I was starting out I had the opportunity to play with Andy Leftwich, and when I asked him for some advice he said what I now believe to be one of the most valuable tips. He said, “Man, just learn as many songs as you can.” I  think that is true about any style of music that you are trying to get better at. By learning jazz songs, for example, you are essentially learning the stylistic vocabulary that makes it the style or genre it is.

How has a background playing bluegrass and competing in mandolin competitions effected your playing today?

Bluegrass and fiddle tune music are technically demanding styles, a lot of notes. So I have always worked hard to be able to hang with the technicians in executing fast and precise licks. As far as mandolin contests, I think looking for new contest material has pushed my technique in a good direction. I have always challenged myself to play harder material, and that’s what I continue to do.

Tell us a little bit about what it is like being a part of Mischievous Swing.

Mischievous Swing is exciting because I’m happy to be able to play with my dad Shelby, fiddle monster, my brother Nathan, bass monster, and my good friend Ivan, guitar monster. But apart from the raw talent of everyone in the group, what’s cool is the repertoire around which we have united to form this group. We play fun, interesting, energetic music. We just recorded a hot album of original and classic jazz tunes, now we’re geared up to work on new material, and we are all excited about the new potential tunes.

You recently acquired an Ellis mandolin that you used on this Mischievous Swing recording. How are you liking it? As a Jazz Mandolinist, are there any unique qualities you look for in a mandolin?

Oh, I love my mandolin. It’s a 2006 Ellis F5 Deluxe and it has impeccable tone. It had hardly been played when I got it, so I’m definitely working on breaking it in and opening it up. Well, because of my background as an American mandolinist immersed in a traditional style like bluegrass, I just had a longing for an F5, probably because of the image and the sound. I just love the sound of an F5 with an Adirondack spruce top. Although there are some mandolins with distinctive sounds like Italian mandolins or Brazilian mandolins that really fit their style, I am a modern American mandolinist and that’s really the environment in which my playing has developed. Maybe part of what I want to do with jazz, for now at least, is do it on an F5. A crystal clear, sweet, rich F5 like my Ellis sounds good playing anything, so I’m not limited in any way. Also you have to keep in mind that Lloyd Loar designed the F5 long before bluegrass existed, it was originally a classical instrument.

In addition to being a performer, Isaac is also a composer. His tune “Valenciana” is featured on the band's album and the sheet music to the tune will be included in this newsletter, and the track is available here.

Our Recording Session

Scheduled for release June 2013, on Cider Mill Records, Mischievous Swing's debut album is sure to make a splash in both Jazz and acoustic music circles. Recorded over two days in March at Hall of Fame Studios in Neodesha, Kansas, Mischievous Swing is excited to present a firey album of 10 instrumental tunes. Featuring five original tunes and 5 standards the self-titled album covers a diverse range of Jazz music including: 
Honeysuckle Rose (Fats Waller)
Take Five (Paul Desmond)
Spain (Chick Corea)
Back Home in Indiana (B. MacDonald) 
Avalon (a. Jolson, B. DeSylva, V. Rose) 
Faux Nouveau (Shelby Eicher)
Valenciana (Isaac Eicher)
Night In Paris (Shelby Eicher)
You Know Dat's Right (Shelby Eicher)
Swing Al Fresco (Shelby Eicher)

Engineered and mixed by Larry Brockway, this album has a superb recording quality that helps bring the music to life. For those of you interested in the technical specifications, the project was recorded on Radar on a John Oram board, utilizing Manley, Universal Audio and Focusrite pre-amps. The session also utilized several vintage microphones (and a few modern ones) including: 

Fiddle – 1946 RCA KB-A bantam paintbrush velocity ribbon microphone. 
Mandolin – 1948 RCA KB-C bantam velocity ribbon microphone and a Beyer m160. 
Bass – vintage Neumann U87i, Neumann KM84 and an Audio Technica ATM350 along with a direct pickup into a Fishman Platinum Pro preamp, 
Guitar had two configurations: AKG 414 B-ULS and a Beyer m160; a Neumann m147 and a Beyer m160

Additional Information/Credits
Larry Brockway- Head Engineer
Russell Head- Assistant Engineer
Lee Edward Head-Technical Assistant
Cider Mill Records
Original Material is Ottokee Publishing
Rebecca Mannshrek- Cover Art
Ken Ames-Photography
Lauren Allen of Seehorsedesign-Graphic Art
Additional thanks to Bill Hurtle, Debbie Scroggins and Phil Ward

Mischievous Swing Original Tune


Preview of the July/August issue

-Provide the inside scoop on our Djangofest Gig
-Continue Part 2 of our Band member interviews
-Provide Sheet Music to another Mischievous Swing Original Tune







Thursday, February 28, 2013

March/April 2013

MARCH/APRIL 2013 


Greetings

We would like to take a moment and thank everyone for their support. Our facebook page has 349 fans from 13 countries and 7 states. Our Youtube video has 724 views, and our website is complete with photos, music, a calendar and bios. Moreover, our first show at the TCC International Festival was a smashing success. We appreciate all the support and would like to say thank you to everyone who is helping to spread the word. 

In This Issue

In this issue we will: 
-Provide information for all the ways you can connect to Mischievous Swing online
-Detail upcoming events
-Give Away Sheet Music for the song "Mischievous Swing"
-Preview the Next Issue

Check Us Out

While many of you are aware of some of our web presence, many of you may not be aware of all of our pages . Here is a list of the ways you can connect with the band online:

Upcoming Events


Recording Session-This spring break the band is heading up to Hall of Fame Studios in Kansas to record our first album. Here is a preliminary set list:
Honeysuckle Rose (Fats Waller)
Take Five (Dave Brubeck)
Spain (Chick Corea)
Back Home in Indiana (B. MacDonald) 
Avalon (a. Jolson, B. DeSylva, V. Rose) 
Faux Nouveau (Shelby Eicher)
Valenciana (Isaac Eicher)
Night In Paris (Shelby Eicher)
You Know Dat's Right (Shelby Eicher)
Swing Al Fresco (Shelby Eicher)

A Mischievous Swing Original

Knowing that many musicians follow the band, we thought it would be appropriate for our newsletter to provide sheet music for Mischievous Swing original tunes. For the first issue, the best choice seemed to be our Theme Song.

Preview of the Next Issue

In the next issue we will let you know how the recording session went, alert you to any new gigs, begin a 4 part series on the band members of Mischievous Swing and continue our series providing sheet music to of Mischievous Swing original tunes.