Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors Magazine

(will run in the August 2014 issue)

Review by Wayne Goins

Emotion

“The packaging of this album is just beautiful, with silky blood-red shadow images of a tango couple against stark black backdrop — it’s fabulous and perfectively captures the mood of the music. It feels like Argentina . . . “Empanadas,” a tune that captures one of the best guitar tones of Stein on any album I have heard of his. The single lines sound so round and robust that it almost matches the darkness of the accordion tones, while his accompaniment is sparse-­yet-­thick, like that of Jim Hall . . . A bubbling burst of bebop guitar solo from Stein, followed by a flying flute solo from Rebecca. Harlan on accordion and Mingo’s tom-­driven drum solo complete the cycle . . . A rich tradition of fusing jazz and Latin styles to create a product that is, almost always, greater than the sum of its parts.”

Just Jazz Guitar Magazine, May 2014

Review by Brandon Bernstein

Emotion

“John Stein’s newest release CD Emotion is one of the most intriguing and unique jazz guitar albums I have heard in a long time. The album is a collaboration with the Mingotan Project, featuring Matias Mingote German on drums, Rebecca Kleinmann on flutes, Evan Harlan on accordion, and John Lockwood on bass. Although a true jazz album at its core, the recording is a fusion of traditional jazz with the Afro-Argentinian tango styles . . . Those of us who are familiar with John’s playing know him to have exquisite tone, great time, tasteful lines, and to be a superb composer.  Like a fine wine, John just keeps getting better and better with age. Throughout Emotion John displays great sound, feel, and thoughtfulness as a player and as a composer . . . with each successive recording you constantly hear the evolution of a great jazz guitarist. The melodies and vibe throughout the album bring to mind Miles’ “Sketches of Spain,” and/or the music of Astor Piazzolla . . . Emotion is a beautiful album that will not disappoint any fan of great jazz.” 

For more information, please also visit the personal websites forJohn Stein and Matias Mingote German

The Boston Globe, Jan 23, 20014

 Review by Jon Garelick 

Boston audiences have long known guitarist John Stein for his beautiful touch and tone, his harmonic inventiveness, and his infallible swing. He also has knack for changing up his projects and collaborators for each album, whether it’s an organ trio or a set of Brazilian music . . . Though billed as a tango project, “Emotion” moves through many moods, Afro-Latin rhythms, and jazz swing, mixing standards with originals by German and Stein. Some, like Stein’s “Julieta” and the standard “Have You Met Miss Jones” ride hard on the grooves of German’s colorful cross-rhythms, exploiting his beautifully tuned drum heads. But what stands out overall is the set’s profound lyricism . . . In this group’s hands, tango great Astor Piazzola’s haunting, evocative “Oblivion” shows just how all-encompassing tango can be.

For more information, please also visit the personal websites for

John Stein and Matias Mingote German

John Thomas, author of Kalamazoo Gals, A Story of Extraordinary Women & Gibson’s “Banner” Guitars of WWII, and the Field Editor for Fretboard Journal, wrote the liner notes for the Emotion CD.

John has posted the liners in his blog on the Fretboard Journal website: John Stein & the Mingotan Project

For more information, please also visit the personal websites for

John Stein and Matias Mingote German

Welcome to the website for John Stein & the Mingotan Project!

The new cd, Emotion, on the Whaling City Sound record label, will be released in January, 2014.

For more information, please also visit the personal websites for

John Stein and Matias Mingote German