Dave Biller & Jerry Wakefield • The Hot Guitars Of Biller And Wakefield

 

Dirk K • My Romance

Dirk K performs a unique mixture of Jazz, Flamenco and Brazilian style music. He plays a nylon string acoustic guitar. He is able to play solo or with tracks. His repertoire is featuring Jazz Standards such as Fly Me To The Moon, My Funny Valentine to Flamenco Rumba versions of Baboleia (Gypsy Kings) to Barcelona Nights (Otmar Liebert) to Brazilian/ Bossa Nova standards such as The Girl From Ipanema, Desafinado, etc. (Antonio Carlos Jobim)

Dirk K performs in the Las Vegas area for weddings and corporate events in hotels, restaurants such as the Bellagio, the Winn and Encore, Madalay Bay, Treasure Island, Trump Hotel, The J.W. Marriott Las Vegas resort, The M Resort, Cosmopolitan, Palazzo, Paris, Venetian, Four Seasons Resort, etc.

Country Clubs: The Red Rock Country Club, Anthem Country Club, Canyon Country Club, etc.

Dirk K performed the National Anthem for the LA Lakers at the Staples Center and he performed for Shaquille O' Neal and received the Shaq Hero for his contributions to the Shaq Hero Foundation. He performed multiple times for Raiders wide receiver Tim Braun and received a special recognition award.
He performed for Arnold Schwartzenegger Cigar Night in Santa Monica.

As a recording artist, Dirk K, originally from Germany, released 13 CD's on Sony, Bellaphon, Fuzzy Music and on his own independent label DIP Records. In addition, Dirk K released 7 CD's with band projects and produced and recorded over 30 CD's for other artists.

Dirk K performed and recorded with renowned artists such as Randy Brecker, Peter Erskine, Toots Thielemans, Dave Weckl, Brandon Fields, Alan Pasqua, Marc John- son, Terri Lyne Carrington, Gary Meek, Rick Braun, Alan Pasqua and many more. Touring the USA and Europe several times with his band featuring trumpeter Randy Brecker and saxophonist Andy Middleton and pianist Alan Pasqua. In addition he also toured with Das Ueberschall, Quartet Equinox, Joe McBride Band, appearing at Schmidteinander, a show hosted by Harald Schmidt in Germany.

In 1998 Dirk K received his Greencard for extraordinary abilities in the field of music in order to perform and reside in the USA.
https://www.thebash.com/guitar/dirkk

///////

Dirk K interpreta una mezcla única de Jazz, Flamenco y música de estilo brasileño. Toca una guitarra acústica de cuerda de nylon. Es capaz de tocar solo o con pistas. Su repertorio incluye estándares de Jazz como Fly Me To The Moon, My Funny Valentine, versiones de rumba flamenca de Baboleia (Gypsy Kings), Barcelona Nights (Otmar Liebert), estándares brasileños y de bossa nova como The Girl From Ipanema, Desafinado, etc. (Antonio Carlos Jobim)

Dirk K actúa en la zona de Las Vegas para bodas y eventos corporativos en hoteles, restaurantes como el Bellagio, el Winn and Encore, Madalay Bay, Treasure Island, Trump Hotel, The J.W. Marriott Las Vegas resort, The M Resort, Cosmopolitan, Palazzo, Paris, Venetian, Four Seasons Resort, etc.

Clubes de campo: El Red Rock Country Club, Anthem Country Club, Canyon Country Club, etc.

Dirk K interpretó el Himno Nacional para los LA Lakers en el Staples Center y actuó para Shaquille O' Neal y recibió el Héroe Shaq por sus contribuciones a la Fundación del Héroe Shaq. Actuó varias veces para el receptor de los Raiders Tim Braun y recibió un premio de reconocimiento especial.
Actuó para Arnold Schwartzenegger Cigar Night en Santa Mónica.

Como artista de grabación, Dirk K, originario de Alemania, lanzó 13 CD's en Sony, Bellaphon, Fuzzy Music y en su propio sello independiente DIP Records. Además, Dirk K lanzó 7 CDs con proyectos de bandas y produjo y grabó más de 30 CDs para otros artistas.

Dirk K actuó y grabó con artistas de renombre como Randy Brecker, Peter Erskine, Toots Thielemans, Dave Weckl, Brandon Fields, Alan Pasqua, Marc John- son, Terri Lyne Carrington, Gary Meek, Rick Braun, Alan Pasqua y muchos más. Realizó varias giras por EE.UU. y Europa con su banda, con el trompetista Randy Brecker y el saxofonista Andy Middleton y el pianista Alan Pasqua. Además, también realizó una gira con Das Ueberschall, Quartet Equinox, Joe McBride Band, presentándose en Schmidteinander, un espectáculo presentado por Harald Schmidt en Alemania.

En 1998 Dirk K recibió su Greencard por sus extraordinarias habilidades en el campo de la música para poder actuar y residir en los Estados Unidos.

https://www.thebash.com/guitar/dirkk

 

www.dirkk.com ...

 

Tony Rice & John Carlini • River Suite For Two Guitars

  

Tony Rice and John Carlini, friends and colleagues, weave acoustic guitar duet interpretations of standards and original music.

Colaborador / Contributor:  Mich58

Pat Metheny • What's It All About

 

Review
by Thom Jurek
The jazz tradition has long taken pop songs, reimagined and reinvented them harmonically and rhythmically and re-presented them as vehicles for improvisation. Pat Metheny has done something different on What's It All About, his second Nashville-tuned baritone acoustic guitar record (with a handful of other acoustic instruments and no overdubs, but there are edits). Here he performs ten pop songs that have long been part of his personal arcana and recorded them so that we might hear what's inside these songs -- as songs. Recorded on a single day in February of 2011, Metheny interprets well-known songs by Paul Simon, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Lennon & McCartney, Henry Mancini, the Ventures, Burt Bacharach, Paul Williams, Terry Kirkman, Carly Simon, Thom Bell, and others across the pop spectrum. His approach is deliberate; his interest is in the subtlety of melody; its nuance, and mystery; he finds the places he hears inside the music before these songs even begin, or just after they end, through a unique series of tunings he employs between A-flat and C. "The Sound of Silence" opens the set by suggesting the tones of a Japanese koto in its intro (courtesy of his 42-string Pikasso guitar). When the melody commences, its languorous richness and rhythmic balance are so perfect, we hear it not only as the pop song we remember by Simon & Garfunkel, but as a lyric invention that is almost magical in its possibility. The version of Kirkman's "Cherish" (a big hit by the Association), is equally profound. He finds the space where the human voice inserts itself in the harmonic structure and opens it with his guitar. There is slightly more improvisation in "Alfie," but it's open, spacious, and full of hinted-at dimensions in the crafting of the song's parameters. "Girl from Ipanema," played as a skeletal, impressionistic ballad, uncovers suggestions of darker melodies inside. He pulls out both the implied elegance in "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be," and the quietly majestic variety of it in "Rainy Days and Mondays." "Betcha by Golly, Wow" stands as a revelation: its inventive harmonics and syncopations are inherent in the tune's basic architecture. In closer "And I Love Her" are the direct implications of bossa that Lennon and McCartney had no doubt taken note of at the time. Ultimately, What's It All About is an intimate work revealing Metheny's investigation of composition itself. The notion of song is inherent in everything he does, and he reveals that inspiration in spades here.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/whats-it-all-about-mw0002154267

///////

Reseña
por Thom Jurek
La tradición del jazz ha tomado durante mucho tiempo las canciones pop, las ha reinventado y reinventado armónica y rítmicamente y las ha vuelto a presentar como vehículos para la improvisación. Pat Metheny ha hecho algo diferente en What's It All About, su segundo disco de guitarra acústica barítono afinado en Nashville (con un puñado de otros instrumentos acústicos y sin sobregrabaciones, pero hay ediciones). Aquí interpreta diez canciones pop que han sido durante mucho tiempo parte de sus arcanos personales y las grabó para que podamos escuchar lo que hay dentro de estas canciones as como canciones. Grabado en un solo día de febrero de 2011, Metheny interpreta canciones conocidas de Paul Simon, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Lennon & McCartney, Henry Mancini, the Ventures, Burt Bacharach, Paul Williams, Terry Kirkman, Carly Simon, Thom Bell y otros en todo el espectro pop. Su enfoque es deliberado; su interés está en la sutileza de la melodía; su matiz y misterio; encuentra los lugares que escucha dentro de la música antes de que estas canciones comiencen, o justo después de que terminen, a través de una serie única de afinaciones que emplea entre La bemol y el Do. "The Sound of Silence" abre el conjunto sugiriendo los tonos de un koto japonés en su introducción (cortesía de su guitarra Pikasso de 42 cuerdas). Cuando la melodía comienza, su riqueza lánguida y su equilibrio rítmico son tan perfectos que la escuchamos no solo como la canción pop que recordamos de Simon & Garfunkel, sino como una invención lírica que es casi mágica en su posibilidad. La versión de "Cherish" de Kirkman (un gran éxito de la Asociación), es igualmente profunda. Encuentra el espacio donde la voz humana se inserta en la estructura armónica y la abre con su guitarra. Hay un poco más de improvisación en "Alfie", pero es abierto, espacioso y lleno de dimensiones insinuadas en la elaboración de los parámetros de la canción. "Girl from Ipanema", interpretada como una balada esquelética e impresionista, descubre sugerencias de melodías más oscuras en su interior. Saca tanto la elegancia implícita en "Así es como siempre he Escuchado que Debería Ser", como la variedad silenciosamente majestuosa en " Días Lluviosos y lunes."Betcha by Golly, Wow" es una revelación: sus ingeniosos armónicos y síncopas son inherentes a la arquitectura básica de la melodía. En closer "And I Love Her" son las implicaciones directas de bossa de las que Lennon y McCartney sin duda habían tomado nota en ese momento. En última instancia, Se trata de una obra íntima que revela la investigación de Metheny sobre la composición en sí. La noción de canción es inherente a todo lo que hace, y revela esa inspiración a raudales aquí.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/whats-it-all-about-mw0002154267



www.patmetheny.com ...

 

Tommy Tedesco • Alone At Last

 

Larry Coryell, Badi Assad & John Abercrombie • Three Guitars

 

Review
by Ken Dryden
It's rare for three guitarists of this caliber to be assembled for a recording date. John Abercrombie claimed that he hadn't touched his acoustic guitar for three years prior to receiving an invitation to make this recording, though he was obviously ready when the tape rolled. Larry Coryell has made a number of acoustic recordings prior to this disc. Badi Assad's three previous CDs for Chesky have all merited high praise.

Assad contributed five compositions to the session, though the stunning opener, "Seu Jorge e Dona Ica," is hard to beat. She initially accompanies her fellow guitarists on a percussive instrument called a kalimba, which sounds like it originates from Africa. This six-minute work has several distinctive sections, including a bit of her mouth percussion. Her "After the Rain" showcases the intricate interplay between the three guitarists. The moody, march-like "Metamorphosis" also proves compelling, while her switch to copper flute with an interspersing vocal transforms the piece into borderline avant-garde.

Assad's body percussion introduces Abercrombie's challenging "Descending Grace," a piece full of surprising twists. His "Ralph's Piano Waltz" is every bit as difficult, but the players seem to tackle it effortlessly.

Coryell also brought several of his pieces to the sessions. "New Lute Prelude" was inspired by the late Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida, it serves as a brief introduction to the much more laid-back "New Lute Interlude." He also composed two duets to play with Assad. The wild "No Flight Tonight" features her vocals and incredible mouth and body percussion as the sole accompaniment for Coryell. They also walk a musical tightrope together in his "Exercise in Fourths" without any slips. Highly recommended.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/three-guitars-mw0000040676

///////

Reseña
por Ken Dryden
Es raro que tres guitarristas de este calibre se reúnan para una cita de grabación. John Abercrombie afirmó que no había tocado su guitarra acústica durante tres años antes de recibir una invitación para hacer esta grabación, aunque obviamente estaba listo cuando rodó la cinta. Larry Coryell ha realizado varias grabaciones acústicas antes de este disco. Los tres CD anteriores de Badi Assad para Chesky han merecido grandes elogios.

Assad contribuyó con cinco composiciones a la sesión, aunque la impresionante primera, "Seu Jorge e Dona Ica", es difícil de superar. Inicialmente acompaña a sus compañeros guitarristas con un instrumento de percusión llamado kalimba, que suena como originario de África. Esta obra de seis minutos tiene varias secciones distintivas, incluyendo un poco de su percusión bucal. After the Rain" muestra la intrincada interacción entre los tres guitarristas. La "Metamorfosis", de carácter melancólico, también resulta convincente, mientras que su cambio a la flauta de cobre, con una voz intercalada, transforma la pieza y la sitúa al borde de la vanguardia.

La percusión corporal de Assad introduce la desafiante "Descending Grace" de Abercrombie, una pieza llena de giros sorprendentes. Su "Ralph's Piano Waltz" es igual de difícil, pero los músicos parecen abordarla sin esfuerzo.

Coryell también aportó varias de sus piezas a las sesiones. "New Lute Prelude", inspirada en el fallecido guitarrista brasileño Laurindo Almeida, sirve de breve introducción a la mucho más relajada "New Lute Interlude". También compuso dos duetos para tocar con Assad. El salvaje "No Flight Tonight" presenta su voz y una increíble percusión bucal y corporal como único acompañamiento para Coryell. También caminan juntos por la cuerda floja musical en su "Exercise in Fourths" sin ningún desliz. Muy recomendable.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/three-guitars-mw0000040676

David Grisman Quintet • Dawgwood

 

 

David Grisman's self-named "Dawg" music defies traditional categories, as it is such a unique blend of many influences, including bluegrass, jazz, gypsy music, Latin, and so much more. He's joined by flutist Matt Eakle, percussionist and violinist Joe Craven, bassist Jim Kerwin, and guitarist Rick Montgomery. The veteran mandolinist wrote six of the eight songs, starting with the cheerful opener, which features everyone in turn.  ... Full Description The intricate waltz "Dawgmatism" adds an exotic flavor with Craven's violin and Eakle's haunting flute. "Jazzin' (With Joe-Bob)" is a wild masterpiece (later appearing in slightly different form on his compilation DGQ-20 with jazz DJ Al "Jazzbeaux" Collins as "Jazzin' With Jazzbeaux"), with Craven providing percussion on bongos (and vocals with assorted hisses and comments) as well as overdubbing a slashing violin solo. "Steppin' With Stephane" was originally recorded by Grisman with its honoree, jazz violin great Stephane Grappelli. This version is lighter but every bit as swinging. "Bolero de Django," composed by Django Reinhardt, has a definite gypsy air, though Eakle's alto flute gives the piece a more modern flavor. "New Dawg's Rag" is an updated arrangement of an earlier Grisman chart; while the instrumentation has been changed, the impact of this brilliant performance is still pure magic. Throughout this release, Grisman's playing is nothing short of phenomenal. It should come as no surprise that fans of David Grisman should consider this CD an essential purchase. ~ Ken Dryden Live Recording David Grisman Quintet: David Grisman (mandolin); Rick Montgomery (guitar); Joe Craven (violin, percussion); Matt Eakle (flute); Jim Kerwin (bass). Composer: David Grisman. Personnel: David Grisman (mandolin); Rick Montgomery (guitar); Joe Graven, Joe Craven (violin, percussion); Matt Eakle (flute). Audio Mixer: David Grisman. Recording information: Dawg Studios. Photographer: Gary Nichols. Unknown Contributor Role: Steve Gilchrist


“Dawgwood features the David Grisman Quintet with David on mandolin, Jim Kerwin on bass, Matt Eakle on flute, Rick Montgomery on guitar, and Joe Craven on percussion and violin. The breadth and beauty of this collection-from David’s own award-winning dawg music to jazz by Django Reinhardt and Latin by Jacob do Bandolim - make it one of Grisman’s most satisfying yet. Dawgwood captures the personality, talents, and charm of a band that has been captivating audiences for several years. On it you will hear some of the finest acoustic music played by some of the best acoustic musicians of our time.” 
Dawgnet 
“Again, the DGQ has given us a C.D. of “dawg music” that combines the best of jazz, classical, and mountain string music. The entire C.D. can be enjoyed as “background” music, but it is difficult to listen to it without being distracted to it because of all the intricate solos and complicated duets, trios, etc. There is not a “bad” track on the entire C.D. and each song is uplifting to the spirit much as the Dogwood blooming in Spring. 
AMAZON



facebook.com/DavidDawgGrisman ...

Gonzalo Bergara-Jeremy Arranger-Adrien Moignard • Clásico

 

www.gonzalobergara.com ...

Colaborador / Contributor:  Mich58

John Fahey • Requia

 

Review by Brian Olewnick
In his liner notes to this release, John Fahey mentions his desire to have an entire world orchestra in his guitar, Western to Eastern, bagpipes to gamelan. Perhaps it's this mental approach that sets his music so deliciously far apart from other so-called folk guitarists. Requia is essentially in two sections. One is a series of blues-based pieces in line with music he had previously recorded. These include the lovely "Requiem for John Hurt" and a wry "Fight On Christians, Fight On," both of which sound remarkably modern more than three decades after they were recorded. The slightly off-center variations he works on these songs are more vital and gorgeous than any ten of his peers. The second major section here is a four-part suite, "Requiem for Molly," which interpolates tape collages with his guitar playing. These do, in fact, sound a bit dated, largely because his source material ("Deutschland Uber Alles," marching bands, screams, etc.) sounds heavy-handed and trite in retrospect. Still, he anticipates similar usage by Charlie Haden in his Liberation Music Orchestra from the following year, as well as pointing toward wider explorations in that field that Fahey himself would undertake in the future. Requia doesn't rank up with the absolute best of his releases, but contains enough fine and interesting work to recommend it to Fahey fans.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/requia-other-compositions-for-guitar-solo-mw0000234737


Biography by Richie Unterberger
One of acoustic music's true innovators and eccentrics, John Fahey was a crucial figure in expanding the boundaries of the acoustic guitar over the last few decades. His music was so eclectic that it's arguable whether he should be defined as a "folk" artist. In a career that saw him issue several dozen albums, he drew from blues, Native American music, Indian ragas, experimental dissonance, and pop. His good friend Dr. Demento has noted that Fahey "was the first to demonstrate that the finger-picking techniques of traditional country and blues steel-string guitar could be used to express a world of non-traditional musical ideas -- harmonies and melodies you'd associate with Bartok, Charles Ives, or maybe the music of India." The more meditative aspects of his work foreshadowed new age music, yet Fahey played with a fierce imagination and versatility that outshone any of the guitarists in that category. His idiosyncrasy may have limited him to a cult following, but it also ensured that his work continues to sound fresh.

Fahey was a colorful figure from the time he became an accomplished guitarist in his teens. Already a collector of rare early blues and country music, he made his first album in 1959, ascribing part of it to the pseudonymous "Blind Joe Death." Only 95 copies of the LP were pressed, making it a coveted collector's item today. (In the 1960s, Fahey would re-record the material for wider circulation.) In college, he wrote a thesis on Charley Patton (an exotic subject at the time). Yet Fahey did not perform publicly for money until the mid-'60s, after his third album.

Fahey's early albums for Takoma in the mid-'60s laid out much of the territory he would explore. His instrumentals, filtering numerous genres of music into his own style, evoked haunting and open spaces. At times they could be soothing and plaintive; at other times they were disquieting, even dissonant. The more experimental aspects of his material even foreshadowed psychedelia in their lengthy improvisations (some cuts lasted as long as 20 minutes), use of Indian modes, unpredictable stylistic shifts, and overall eerie strangeness. His persona as a weirdo of sorts was amplified by his bizarre and lengthy song titles and liner notes. He also employed odd guitar tunings that continue to exert an overlooked influence on contemporary musicians to this day.

Fahey remained consistently popular on a cult level through the mid-'80s. His most commercially successful efforts, oddly, were probably his Christmas albums, which are among the more interesting holiday records of any genre. For a time he ran the Takoma label, where he was instrumental in starting the career of Leo Kottke (who owes much of his stylistic inspiration to Fahey), as well as promoting lesser-known talents like Robbie Basho. He was a catalyst in other subtle ways, helping to form Canned Heat by introducing Al Wilson (who played on a Fahey album in 1965) to Bob Hite, and rediscovering Delta bluesman Bukka White with his friend Ed Denson.

Fahey sold Takoma to Chrysalis in the mid-'70s, but continued to record regularly, and also tour (though his live performances were erratic). In 1986, he contracted Epstein-Barr syndrome, a long-lasting viral infection that, combined with diabetes and other health problems, sapped his energy and resources. Although the Epstein-Barr virus was finally overcome, the mid-'90s found him living in poverty in Oregon, where he paid his rent by pawning his guitar and reselling rare classical records. The appearance of a major career retrospective on Rhino, Return of the Repressed, in 1994 boosted his profile to its highest level in years. In 1997, he returned to active recording with City of Refuge and was planning a Revenant definitive package of Charley Patton's work when he died following sextuple-bypass surgery at the age of 61. The Fahey discography is dauntingly large and diverse; the neophyte is advised to start with the two-disc Return of the Repressed, but those who wish to dig deeper will be very pleased with Takoma's extensive reissues, which started to appear in the late nineties.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-fahey-mn0000223054#biography

///////

Reseña de Brian Olewnick
En las notas de presentación de este disco, John Fahey menciona su deseo de tener una orquesta mundial entera en su guitarra, del Oeste al Este, de la gaita al gamelán. Quizás sea este enfoque mental lo que diferencia su música de la de otros guitarristas folk. Requia consta esencialmente de dos secciones. Una es una serie de piezas basadas en el blues, en la línea de la música que había grabado anteriormente. Entre ellas se incluyen la encantadora «Requiem for John Hurt» y una irónica «Fight On Christians, Fight On», que suenan notablemente modernas más de tres décadas después de haber sido grabadas. Las variaciones ligeramente descentradas que trabaja en estas canciones son más vitales y hermosas que las de cualquiera de sus colegas. La segunda sección principal es una suite en cuatro partes, «Requiem for Molly», que interpola collages de cintas con su guitarra. De hecho, suenan un poco anticuados, en gran parte porque su material de origen («Deutschland Uber Alles», bandas de música, gritos, etc.) suena pesado y trillado en retrospectiva. Aún así, anticipa un uso similar por parte de Charlie Haden en su Liberation Music Orchestra del año siguiente, además de apuntar hacia exploraciones más amplias en ese campo que el propio Fahey emprendería en el futuro. Requia no está entre sus mejores discos, pero contiene suficiente trabajo bueno e interesante para recomendarlo a los fans de Fahey.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/requia-other-compositions-for-guitar-solo-mw0000234737


Biografía de Richie Unterberger
Uno de los verdaderos innovadores y excéntricos de la música acústica, John Fahey fue una figura crucial en la expansión de los límites de la guitarra acústica en las últimas décadas. Su música era tan ecléctica que es discutible si debería definirse como un artista «folk». En una carrera en la que publicó varias docenas de álbumes, se inspiró en el blues, la música nativa americana, los ragas indios, la disonancia experimental y el pop. Su buen amigo el Dr. Demento ha señalado que Fahey «fue el primero en demostrar que las técnicas de punteo con los dedos de la guitarra de cuerdas de acero tradicional del country y el blues podían utilizarse para expresar un mundo de ideas musicales no tradicionales: armonías y melodías que asociarías con Bartok, Charles Ives o quizá la música de la India». Los aspectos más meditativos de su obra presagiaban la música new age, pero Fahey tocaba con una imaginación feroz y una versatilidad que eclipsaba a cualquiera de los guitarristas de esa categoría. Su idiosincrasia puede haberle limitado a un culto de seguidores, pero también ha garantizado que su obra siga sonando fresca.

Fahey fue una figura pintoresca desde que se convirtió en un guitarrista consumado en su adolescencia. Ya coleccionista de rarezas de la primera época del blues y el country, grabó su primer álbum en 1959, atribuyendo parte del mismo al seudónimo «Blind Joe Death». Sólo se prensaron 95 copias del LP, lo que lo convierte hoy en una codiciada pieza de coleccionista. (En la universidad, escribió una tesis sobre Charley Patton (un tema exótico en aquella época). Sin embargo, Fahey no actuó públicamente por dinero hasta mediados de los 60, después de su tercer álbum.

Los primeros álbumes de Fahey para Takoma, a mediados de los 60, trazaron gran parte del territorio que exploraría más adelante. Sus instrumentales, que filtraban numerosos géneros musicales en su propio estilo, evocaban espacios inquietantes y abiertos. A veces podían ser tranquilizadoras y lastimeras; otras, inquietantes e incluso disonantes. Los aspectos más experimentales de su material presagiaban incluso la psicodelia en sus largas improvisaciones (algunos cortes duraban hasta 20 minutos), el uso de modos indios, los impredecibles cambios estilísticos y la inquietante extrañeza general. Su personalidad de tipo raro se amplificaba con sus extraños y largos títulos de canciones y notas. También empleaba extrañas afinaciones de guitarra que siguen ejerciendo una influencia ignorada en los músicos contemporáneos.

Fahey mantuvo una popularidad de culto constante hasta mediados de los años ochenta. Su mayor éxito comercial, curiosamente, fueron sus álbumes navideños, que se cuentan entre los más interesantes de cualquier género. Durante un tiempo dirigió el sello Takoma, donde desempeñó un papel decisivo en el inicio de la carrera de Leo Kottke (que debe gran parte de su inspiración estilística a Fahey), así como en la promoción de talentos menos conocidos como Robbie Basho. Fue un catalizador de otras maneras sutiles, ayudando a formar Canned Heat al presentar a Al Wilson (que tocó en un álbum de Fahey en 1965) a Bob Hite, y redescubriendo al bluesman del Delta Bukka White con su amigo Ed Denson.

Fahey vendió Takoma a Chrysalis a mediados de los 70, pero siguió grabando con regularidad y también haciendo giras (aunque sus actuaciones en directo eran irregulares). En 1986 contrajo el síndrome de Epstein-Barr, una infección vírica de larga duración que, combinada con la diabetes y otros problemas de salud, minó su energía y sus recursos. Aunque finalmente superó el virus de Epstein-Barr, a mediados de los 90 vivía en la pobreza en Oregón, donde pagaba el alquiler empeñando su guitarra y revendiendo discos clásicos raros. La aparición de una gran retrospectiva de su carrera en Rhino, Return of the Repressed, en 1994, elevó su perfil a su nivel más alto en años. En 1997, volvió a la actividad discográfica con City of Refuge y estaba planeando un paquete definitivo de Revenant con la obra de Charley Patton cuando falleció a los 61 años tras una operación de sextuple bypass. La discografía de Fahey es desalentadoramente extensa y diversa; se aconseja al neófito que empiece con los dos discos Return of the Repressed, pero los que deseen profundizar estarán encantados con las extensas reediciones de Takoma, que empezaron a aparecer a finales de los noventa.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-fahey-mn0000223054#biography

www.johnfahey.com/pages/Salemleaving ...

www.johnfahey.com ...

Dance of Death: The Life of John Fahey, American Guitarist

 

John Fahey hovers ghostlike in the sound of almost every acoustic guitarist who came after him, from Leo Kottke to Jimmy Page. In essence, John Fahey is to the solo acoustic guitar what Jimi Hendrix was to the electric: the man whom all subsequent musicians had to listen to. 

Fahey made more than forty albums between 1959 and his death in 2001, most of them featuring only his solo steel-string guitar. He fused elements of folk, blues, and experimental composition, taking familiar American sounds and recontextualizing them as something entirely new. His artistic voice transformed the cultural landscape of his time—and ours. 

Yet despite his stature as a groundbreaking visionary, Fahey's intentions—as a man and as an artist—remain largely unexamined. His memoir, How Bluegrass Music Destroyed My Life, was largely fiction; his liner notes were full of half-truths. John Fahey's real story has never been told—until now. 

Journalist Steve Lowenthal has spent years researching Fahey's life and music, talking with his producers, his friends, his peers, his wives, his business partners, and many others. He describes how Fahey introduced prewar blues records and the men who made them to a broader public; how his independent label Takoma set new standards; how he battled his demons, including stage fright, alcohol, and prescription pills; how he ended up homeless and mentally unbalanced; and how, despite his troubles, he managed to found a new record label, Revenant, that won Grammys and remains critically revered. 

This portrait of a troubled and troubling man in a constant state of creative flux is the compelling story of a great American outcast. 

 

Steve Lowenthal (Author), David Fricke (Author) 

Pat Metheny • Uppsala Guitar Festival

 

www.patmetheny.com ...

Pat Metheny • Dream Box

 

“Dream Box is an unusual recording for me; a compilation of solo tracks recorded across a few years that I discovered while listening on tour. During the extensive touring period that made up most of 2022 for me, I found a forgotten folder on my drive. I often make quick recordings of things; a new tune, a new (or old) guitar, a standard tune, or just to try something out. I have a spot in my laptop where I stash these things. And truthfully; often never to be heard again.

Usually, the only time I get to listen to my own stuff is while on the road. I often say I live on output, with little or no time for input. That changes on tour, where suddenly there seems to be more free hours in the day, albeit on a bus or in some far-flung hotel room. Occasionally, those moments offer a chance to rummage around in the files to see if anything interesting may lie there.

This past year was a particularly busy travel year for me, with about 160 performances worldwide. In the course of all that travel, I found myself returning to that discovered folder lots of times, genuinely surprised at what I was finding in there.

From those listening sessions, I gradually sifted through everything to find this program emerging as a coherent whole. I found that I had unintentionally gotten to a destination I had not planned for, and I am excited to share what was buried in there.

These nine tracks were my favorites and added up to something unique for me. I never played any of these initial tracks included here more than that once. These are really moments in time, and in fact, I have almost no memory of having recorded most of them. They just kind of showed up.
Every track but one reflects a method of recording that began for me on the piece Unity Village way back on Bright Size Life; an initial harmonic part laid down with the chords followed by a second track of melodic and improvisational material.

The focus here is on electric guitar, but maybe more to the point; quiet electric guitar. It is an area of particular interest for me. A goal has always been to have a touch on the electric that might get me as close to the kind of phrase-by-phrase dynamics that can occur naturally with an acoustic instrument. In fact, using an electric in this way is quite a bit harder than what occurs naturally with an acoustic. There is one more step between the touch of the player and the listener that has to be accounted for.

Ballads. I write one a day it seems - more than I can keep track of, actually. Charlie Haden was the guy who encouraged me to not just write a lead sheet, but to document each thing I write by doing even just a simple recording of it. So, yet again, thanks, Charlie.

Regarding the title, box is musician slang for a hollow-body electric guitar. Using that vernacular, there are some super cool Dream Box instruments represented on this recording, including the prototype of new instrument I have been working with Ibanez on that reflects my interest in pre-war Charlie Christian style pick-ups.

But dreams in their broadest sense make up the vibe with this set. Music exists for me in an elusive state, often at its best when discovered apart from any particular intention.

I hope folks might find some dreams of their own in this music.”
- Pat
https://www.patmetheny.com/news/full_display.cfm?id=152

///////

“Dream Box es una grabación inusual para mí; una compilación de pistas en solitario grabadas a lo largo de algunos años que descubrí mientras escuchaba en la gira. Durante el extenso período de gira que compuso la mayor parte de 2022 para mí, encontré una carpeta olvidada en mi disco. A menudo hago grabaciones rápidas de cosas; una melodía nueva, una guitarra nueva (o antigua), una melodía estándar o simplemente probar algo. Tengo un lugar en mi computadora portátil donde guardo estas cosas. Y en verdad; a menudo para nunca más ser escuchado.

Por lo general, la única vez que escucho mi propio material es mientras estoy de viaje. A menudo digo que vivo de la salida, con poco o ningún tiempo para la entrada. Eso cambia durante la gira, donde de repente parece haber más horas libres en el día, ya sea en un autobús o en alguna habitación de hotel lejana. De vez en cuando, esos momentos ofrecen la oportunidad de hurgar en los archivos para ver si hay algo interesante allí.

El año pasado fue un año de viajes particularmente ocupado para mí, con alrededor de 160 presentaciones en todo el mundo. En el transcurso de todo ese viaje, me encontré regresando a esa carpeta descubierta muchas veces, genuinamente sorprendido por lo que estaba encontrando allí.

A partir de esas sesiones de escucha, revisé gradualmente todo para encontrar que este programa emergía como un todo coherente. Descubrí que sin querer había llegado a un destino que no había planeado y estoy emocionado de compartir lo que estaba enterrado allí.

Estas nueve pistas fueron mis favoritas y se sumaron a algo único para mí. Nunca reproduje ninguna de estas pistas iniciales incluidas aquí más de una vez. Estos son realmente momentos en el tiempo y, de hecho, casi no recuerdo haber grabado la mayoría de ellos. Simplemente aparecieron.
Cada pista menos una refleja un método de grabación que comenzó para mí en la pieza Unity Village allá por Bright Size Life; una parte armónica inicial establecida con los acordes seguida de una segunda pista de material melódico y de improvisación.

El enfoque aquí está en la guitarra eléctrica, pero tal vez más al grano; guitarra eléctrica tranquila. Es un área de especial interés para mí. Un objetivo siempre ha sido tener un toque eléctrico que me acerque lo más posible al tipo de dinámica frase por frase que puede ocurrir naturalmente con un instrumento acústico. De hecho, usar una eléctrica de esta manera es un poco más difícil que lo que ocurre naturalmente con una acústica. Hay un paso más entre el toque del ejecutante y el oyente que debe tenerse en cuenta.

Baladas. Escribo una al día, parece, más de lo que puedo recordar, en realidad. Charlie Haden fue el tipo que me animó a no solo escribir una hoja principal, sino a documentar cada cosa que escribo haciendo incluso una simple grabación. Entonces, una vez más, gracias, Charlie.

Con respecto al título, box es la jerga de músicos para una guitarra eléctrica de cuerpo hueco. Usando esa lengua vernácula, hay algunos instrumentos Dream Box geniales representados en esta grabación, incluido el prototipo de un nuevo instrumento en el que he estado trabajando con Ibanez que refleja mi interés en las pastillas estilo Charlie Christian de antes de la guerra.

Pero los sueños en su sentido más amplio conforman la vibra de este set. La música existe para mí en un estado esquivo, a menudo en su mejor momento cuando se descubre sin ninguna intención particular.

Espero que la gente pueda encontrar sus propios sueños en esta música”.
- Pat
https://www.patmetheny.com/news/full_display.cfm?id=152


www.patmetheny.com ...

 

Pat Metheny • One Quiet Night

 

www.patmetheny.com ...

 

Al Di Meola • Cielo E Terra

aldimeola.com ...

 

Al Di Meola • Soaring Through A Dream

aldimeola.com ...

 

Tommy Emmanuel • It's Never Too Late

The virtuoso fingerstyle guitarist has long been a favorite of ours. It’s Never Too Late is an especially exciting release because it’s Emmanuel’s first completely solo studio recording in 15 years. On it, he covers a range of genres, including blues (“One Mint Julep”), Latin (“El Vaquero”) and folk (“The Duke”), handling it all with aplomb no matter what style he plays in or what technique he uses.

Tommy Emmanuel is not only one of Australia’s most respected musicians; his legendary guitar skills are admired the world over. The remarkable guitarist has been entertaining and mesmerising audiences for over five decades – a prolific career that has produced over 20 albums and two Grammy nominations, and has seen the artist honoured with the very rare title of “Certified Guitar Player”, by the eminent Chet Atkins. A virtuosic performer of his complex fingerstyle technique, Emmanuel has become a household name in Australia, recording an arsenal of solos, duets, ensemble works, covers, and originals on both his electric and acoustic guitars. On It’s Never Too Late, his first completely solo album since 2000, Emmanuel returns to the intricate acoustic mastery that has shaped his career.

His supreme layering ability resonates from the outset in the spirited joviality of Only Elliott, and continues to sing on the starry-eyed It’s Never Too Late, a title inspired by the recent birth of his daughter; and at 60 years old its sentiment could not ring truer. The relentless frenzy and innocent bliss of The Bug perfectly personifies its subject in less than 2 minutes, before Emmanuel effortlessly traverses continents and styles. He blends country and western and Spanish traditions with natural conviction on EL Vaquero, becomes intoxicated with the blues on the lumbering One Mint Julep, floats on dreamy folk in The Duke and One Day, as well as delving into more contemporary pop-oriented tracks.

An undeniable visionary with his instrument, Emmanuel not only explores different styles, but evokes a spectrum of distinctive emotions with visceral rawness. From comforting optimism on Hope Street, the rollicking wonder and joy of Travelling Clothes and T.E. Ranch, to an ethereal stillness that swathes Miyazaki’s Dream, and the wounded, but resolute, Blood Brothers.

When Emmanuel performs completely solo his outstanding, raw expertise is highlighted even more; the man is able to sing, strum, and drum not only with a single instrument, but in a single moment. It’s Never Too Late is not only a solid and brilliant example for any aspiring instrumentalist; studied guitarists and everyday music fans alike will admire and enjoy it.

 

///////

 

El virtuoso guitarrista de dedos ha sido por mucho tiempo uno de nuestros favoritos. Nunca es demasiado tarde es un lanzamiento especialmente excitante porque es la primera grabación de estudio completamente en solitario de Emmanuel en 15 años. En ella, cubre una gama de géneros, incluyendo el blues ("One Mint Julep"), el latín ("El Vaquero") y el folk ("The Duke"), manejándolo todo con aplomo sin importar el estilo que toque o la técnica que utilice.

Tommy Emmanuel no sólo es uno de los músicos más respetados de Australia; sus legendarias habilidades con la guitarra son admiradas en todo el mundo. El notable guitarrista ha entretenido y cautivado al público durante más de cinco décadas - una prolífica carrera que ha producido más de 20 álbumes y dos nominaciones al Grammy, y ha visto al artista honrado con el rarísimo título de "Guitarrista Certificado", por el eminente Chet Atkins. Emmanuel, un virtuoso de su compleja técnica de dedos, se ha convertido en un nombre muy conocido en Australia, grabando un arsenal de solos, duetos, obras de conjuntos, portadas y originales tanto en sus guitarras eléctricas como en las acústicas. En It's Never Too Late, su primer álbum completamente en solitario desde el año 2000, Emmanuel vuelve a la intrincada maestría acústica que ha dado forma a su carrera.

Su suprema capacidad de estratificación resuena desde el principio en la briosa jovialidad de Only Elliott, y continúa cantando en el estrellado It's Never Too Late, un título inspirado en el reciente nacimiento de su hija; y a los 60 años su sentimiento no podría sonar más verdadero. El implacable frenesí y la inocente felicidad de El bicho personifica perfectamente su tema en menos de 2 minutos, antes de que Emmanuel atraviese sin esfuerzo los continentes y los estilos. Mezcla tradiciones campesinas, occidentales y españolas con una convicción natural en EL Vaquero, se embriaga con el blues en el maderero One Mint Julep, flota en el folk de ensueño en The Duke y One Day, así como se adentra en temas más contemporáneos orientados al pop.

Un visionario innegable con su instrumento, Emmanuel no sólo explora diferentes estilos, sino que evoca un espectro de emociones distintivas con una crudeza visceral. Desde el optimismo reconfortante de Hope Street, la maravilla y la alegría de Travelling Clothes y T.E. Ranch, hasta la quietud etérea que envuelve a Miyazaki's Dream, y a los heridos, pero decididos, Blood Brothers.

Cuando Emmanuel actúa completamente en solitario su excepcional y cruda experiencia se destaca aún más; el hombre es capaz de cantar, rasguear y tocar el tambor no sólo con un solo instrumento, sino en un solo momento. It's Never Toote no sólo es un ejemplo sólido y brillante para cualquier aspirante a instrumentista; los guitarristas estudiados y los aficionados a la música de todos los días lo admirarán y disfrutarán por igual.

Al Di Meola • Tirami Su

Review by Scott Yanow

Al di Meola, who in his early days sometimes sacrificed feeling for speed (he always had remarkable technique), grew and developed through the years. His final of three Manhattan releases is his finest, a sextet outing with keyboardist Kei Akagi, electric bassist Anthony Jackson, acoustic bassist Harvie Swartz, drummer Tommy Brechtlein, and his longtime percussionist, Mino Cinelu. Having grown out of his fusion roots, di Meola's interest in world music and folk music from other countries is displayed throughout this colorful set, particularly on such numbers as "Beijing Demons," "Song to the Pharoah Kings," and the exciting "Rhapsody of Fire."

///////

Traducción Automática:

Revisión por Scott Yanow

Al di Meola, quien en sus primeros días a veces sacrificaba la sensibilidad por la velocidad (siempre tenía una técnica notable), creció y se desarrolló a lo largo de los años. Su final de los tres lanzamientos de Manhattan es el mejor, una salida en sexteto con el teclista Kei Akagi, el bajista eléctrico Anthony Jackson, el bajista acústico Harvie Swartz, el baterista Tommy Brechtlein y su percusionista de mucho tiempo, Mino Cinelu. Habiendo crecido fuera de sus raíces de fusión, el interés de Di Meola por la música mundial y la música folklórica de otros países se muestra a lo largo de este colorido conjunto, particularmente en números como "Demonios de Beijing", "Canción para los Reyes Faraón" y la emocionante "Rhapsody de fuego."

aldimeola.com ...

 

Tim Kliphuis-Jimmy Grant • Live At Antonello Hall

 

 

Tim Kliphuis (violin) and Jimmy Grant (guitar) present a selection of Django-related songs. Recorded live in Minneapolis, USA

 

timkliphuis.com
www.jimmygrant.net ...

Pat Metheny • Side Eye NYC V1.IV

 

Playing and working with artists as different as Ornette Coleman, John Zorn, Joni Mitchell and David Bowie takes a fluid musical mind and a technique to match. Pat Metheny, the 67-year-old Missouri-born guitarist and composer, unveiled both back in 1976.

Metheny has long entertained a mainstream audience and often surprised an experimental one, written contemporary classical and movie music, lyrical songs sounding unjazzily like singles, and welcomed the provocations of gifted players much younger than him. From the latter impulse comes Side-Eye – a headlong reinvention of the popular 1960s Hammond organ/guitar/drums trio lineups pioneered by funky organists including Jimmy Smith and Jack McDuff, on a repertoire of new Metheny music and old hits.

The album launches a 100-date world tour (the UK leg is at the Hammersmith Apollo on 12 June 2022). This is a 2019 live New York recording, juggling Metheny’s signature country-lilting lyricism, boppish swing, and some rousing rock-guitar muscle. On keys is the astonishing 26-year-old Houston-born jazz/R&B/hip-hop virtuoso James Francies (whose employers have ranged from saxophonist Chris Potter to Questlove), with the astutely powerful Marcus Gilmore on drums.

Two extended new compositions lay jangling, running-feet electronics under typically sensuous ballad motifs, or trumpet-like synth-guitar arias, bookending Metheny classics such as the dreamy Better Days Ahead (from 1989’s Letter from Home), a stunning Francies organ break of skid-turns, swirls and squeals on the percussively bluesy Timeline, and a shapely makeover of the leader’s 1976 debut tune Bright Size Life. But the most freely spontaneous playing boils up on Ornette Coleman’s irresistibly grooving Turnaround, to the rapturous roars of the New York crowd.
John Fordham
Fri 10 Sep 2021 08.30 BST
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/sep/10/pat-metheny-side-eye-nyc-v1iv-review

///////

Tocar y trabajar con artistas tan diferentes como Ornette Coleman, John Zorn, Joni Mitchell y David Bowie requiere una mente musical fluida y una técnica a la altura. Pat Metheny, guitarrista y compositor nacido en Missouri de 67 años, dio a conocer ambos en 1976.

Metheny ha entretenido durante mucho tiempo a una audiencia convencional y, a menudo, ha sorprendido a una audiencia experimental, ha escrito música clásica y cinematográfica contemporánea, canciones líricas que suenan poco deslumbrantes como sencillos y ha acogido con beneplácito las provocaciones de jugadores talentosos mucho más jóvenes que él. De este último impulso surge Side-Eye – una reinvención descarada de las populares alineaciones de trío de órgano, guitarra y batería Hammond de la década de 1960, iniciadas por organistas funky como Jimmy Smith y Jack McDuff, en un repertorio de nueva música Metheny y viejos éxitos.

El álbum lanza una gira mundial de 100 fechas (la etapa del Reino Unido es en el Hammersmith Apollo el 12 de junio de 2022). Esta es una grabación en vivo de Nueva York de 2019, que hace malabares con el característico lirismo country de Metheny, el swing boppish y un poco de músculo de guitarra rockero. En las teclas está el asombroso virtuoso del jazz/R&B/hip-hop James Francies, de 26 años, nacido en Houston (cuyos empleadores han ido desde el saxofonista Chris Potter hasta Questlove), con el astutamente poderoso Marcus Gilmore a la batería.

Dos nuevas composiciones extendidas presentan una electrónica tintineante y de pies corriendo bajo motivos de baladas típicamente sensuales, o arias de sintetizador de trompeta, clásicos de Metheny como el soñador Better Days Ahead (de Letter from Home de 1989), una impresionante ruptura de órgano de Francia de giros, remolinos y chillidos en la Línea de Tiempo percusivamente blues, y un cambio de imagen bien formado de la melodía debut de Bright Size Life del líder en 1976. Pero la interpretación más espontánea y libre se reduce al irresistible cambio de rumbo de Ornette Coleman, ante los entusiastas rugidos de la multitud de Nueva York.
John Fordham
Vie 10 Sep 2021 08: 30 BST
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/sep/10/pat-metheny-side-eye-nyc-v1iv-review

www.patmetheny.com ...

David Grisman & Tony Rice • Tone Poems

 

Review by Ken Dryden
While mandolin master David Grisman and the equally talented guitarist Tony Rice may be better known in the world of bluegrass, jazz fans need to check out Tone Poems, an excellent collection of mandolin/guitar duets, performed with different vintage instruments on each track. The improvising by both men is never less than brilliant, transforming traditional folk tunes like "Grandfather's Clock" and "I Am a Pilgrim," plus the unlikely "O Solo Mio," into masterpieces. The lone track that's very familiar to jazz listeners is "Swing '42," played very convincingly by two men who are well-versed in jazz even if they don't play it exclusively.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/tone-poems-mw0000115788

///////

Reseña de Ken Dryden
Mientras que el maestro de la mandolina David Grisman y el igualmente talentoso guitarrista Tony Rice pueden ser más conocidos en el mundo del bluegrass, los fanáticos del jazz necesitan ver Tone Poems, una excelente colección de dúos de mandolina y guitarra, interpretados con diferentes instrumentos antiguos en cada pista. La improvisación de ambos hombres nunca es menos que brillante, transformando en obras maestras las melodías folclóricas tradicionales como "Grandfather's Clock" y "I Am a Pilgrim", además de la improbable "O Solo Mio". El único tema que es muy familiar para los oyentes de jazz es "Swing '42", tocado de forma muy convincente por dos hombres muy versados en jazz aunque no lo toquen en exclusiva.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/tone-poems-mw0000115788