Statman or the Dawg?

[Brad Weiss]

Does anyone have any experience with the Homespun Tapes of either Statman (for Jazz) or Grisman's "Dawg Mandolin"? I'm interested in improving my jazz improv, and improving my playing more generally of course.

Which would you recommend?

Thanks

[JD Cowles]

i had the grisman cd set, and it didn't do too much for my jazz improv skills. it will help you learn to play dawg music tho. i've never seen the statman set, so i can't pass any judgemnent on that one

[mandobob]

I have the Dawg book and CDs and love it. I would hesitate to say that Dawg music is pure/real/standard jazz but it's such fun to play it the Dawgy style
Having made that bad pun, I imagine that Statman teaches mre straight ahead jazz. I haven't tried it, but my first BG book was Statmans and that was terrific (although the solos went by too quick for me).
BTW, within a few days of getting the Dawg book I was putting some of his stuff to use in jams.

[Pete Martin]

My advice is to get a more jazz oriented course not mando specific. Jazz is a music, not specific to one instrument.

There is a GREAT set of 3 books out called "How To Play BeBop". One of the best set of instruction books I've ever seen. You may want to try that first.

[Richard Polf]

Are you refering to the books by David Baker, Pete?

[Joel Glassman]

Try these links---
http://hum.lss.wisc.edu/jazz/the.article.html
http://www.outsideshore.com/primer/primer/
http://www.jazclass.aust.com/im1.htm

[Perry]

I'm still a novice "jazzer" but I agree that the general non-mando books will have the best info. I think these books by Ramon Ricker are great:

http://www.pianoplace.com/IM029.html

I have volumes 1 & 2. They are very well done and are a great starting point.

There's another fantastic series called approaching the standards which is tune specific and has improv ideas, the head, and demo and play-along tracks

http://www.jazzwise.com/shop/en-gb/dept_148.html

Amd of course Jamey Abersold has about 82 books on the subject!

[Klaus Wutscher]

I have both series and they have a very different approach. The dawg teaches his tunes. Andy does not teach a single tune or standard. He starts with a superb analizis of the Monroe style (!) and from that foundation covers blues, swing and more modern styles (Miles, Coltrane). Plenty of information, maybe even too much. The only problem is you have to apply all that into in your playing yourself which can be tricky. It´s just a lot of raw information. I see myself as a advanced but not incredible player (bluegrass) and every so often I get back to that series and after two or three tapes, things start to grow over my head. Does that give you an idea?