Posted April 23, 2012 at 4:41 pm | No comments
Composer Eduardo Morales-Caso is a rare artist of exceptional talent who for the past decade has been making a significant contribution to the classical guitar with many attractive works for solo guitar, flute and guitar, and voice and guitar among others. Morales-Caso also has an extensive catalog of compositions which include works for solo piano as well as orchestral and chamber music which has helped bring a great depth to his guitar compositions. There has been a growing demand for his music since his piece “El Jardin de Lindaraja” won first prize in the XIV Andres Segovia international composition competition for classical guitar in 2003.
Posted in: Classical Reviews, Guitar News, Reviews
Posted February 27, 2012 at 11:06 am | No comments
Petar Jankovic has had a very successful career as a solo classical guitarist, though in recent years he has been pushing the boundaries of what the guitar can in an ensemble setting. The resulting group, the Petar Jankovic Ensemble, is a string quartet led by the talented guitarist. Over the years, there have been many successful guitar duos, trios, quartets, and others; but rarely does this music capture and combine the essence of the classical guitar with the European tradition of the string quartet. The PJE has to be one of the best, and most convincing, chamber ensembles that feature a guitar in recent years.
Posted in: Classical Reviews, Reviews
Posted February 25, 2012 at 7:11 am | One comment
When I was first turned on to South African guitarist Derek Gripper, to be honest I didn’t know what to expect. Was the music going to be African in nature, or featured a more American background? I had read that Gripper studied in India, so was his music going to follow the Raga and Indian classical music tradition? He has acknowledged the influence of Brazilian composers and performers such as Villa-Lobos and Egberto Gismonti, and so would these influences come out in Gripper’s writing? The answer to all of these questions, as I was to find out, was yes.
Posted in: Classical Reviews, Reviews
Posted December 29, 2011 at 8:29 pm | 5 comments
Director and co-producer Steven Spielberg was so moved by War Horse’s timeless anti-war story that he expounded, “From the moment I read [Michael] Morpurgo’s novel, War Horse, I knew this was a film I wanted DreamWorks® to make. Its heart and its message provide a story that can be felt in every country.”
Posted in: Classical Reviews, Guitar News, Reviews
Posted August 30, 2011 at 8:58 am | No comments
Arizona classical guitarist Brad Richter just released American Landscapes a week or two ago, and it is already one of my favorite collections of mood setting songs. These pieces, which are mostly meditations on outdoor landscapes that speak to Brad, are perfect for that; they are incredibly detailed and meticulous in their composition and adventurous in their use of new and interesting techniques, so seriously music-minded people have a lot to chew on and digest. If heard just in passing by the casual music fan, however, they just sound incredibly pleasing to the ear.
Posted in: Classical Reviews, Guitar News, Reviews
Posted August 13, 2011 at 11:31 am | No comments
We now give you my long, overdue review of Middle Tennessee State University’s Tennessee Guitar Festival 2011, hosted by Dr. William Yelverton on June 1st-4th, 2011. I know these things are supposed to come out right after the event happens, so my apologies for that. The only excuse I have is that I’ve been on two continents, 13 different states (11 U.S. and two Brazilian), and have traveled almost the distance of the circumference of our planet since then. I won’t apologize for that, though. I had a blast!
Posted in: Classical Reviews, Jazz Reviews, Reviews
Posted August 10, 2011 at 2:33 pm | No comments
Matt Palmer’s The Virtuoso Guitarist Volume 1: A New Approach to Fast Scales just came out a few months ago and it’s already on its 2nd printing! I’ve had the great opportunity to preview it and give feedback, and review it and do the same.
Matt does an excellent job of explaining his technique throughout the book, first giving a brief history of how he developed his technique, and then a complete run down between the approaches to both hands.
Posted in: Classical Reviews, Reviews
Posted February 18, 2011 at 8:57 am | No comments
Un Tiempo Fue Italica Famosa is the remarkable, debut recording by D.C. based classical-guitarist Matt Palmer. Consisting primarily of music by Spanish composers, such as fan favorites Rodrigo, Turina, and Tarrega, the album also features works by Giuliani, and a virtuosic rendition of the “Sonata Mongoliana” by contemporary composer Stepan Rak, among others. Palmer delivers an absolutely incredible performance on this album. His command of advanced techniques, a refined sound, and a high-level of artistic expression, make Un Tiempo Fue Italica Famosa a classical guitar album of the highest standard.
Posted in: Classical, Classical Reviews, Reviews
Posted February 18, 2011 at 8:50 am | No comments
Brad Richter (guitar) and Viktor Uzur (cello) are musicians of the highest caliber, and on their latest recording, String Theory, these two accomplished performers are at their absolute best, shining throughout. Never before has the guitar and cello duo captured such a wide range of expression, beauty, excitement, and artistry. Each a virtuoso in their own right, when they come together as a duo it’s easy to hear how closely these two are connected. They blend classical music, rock music, and improvisation, all with exquisite original compositions, producing a sound that is all their own.
Posted in: Classical, Classical Reviews, Reviews
Posted February 18, 2011 at 8:42 am | No comments
Petar Jankovic’s Leyenda is an incredible recording that features a mix of standard works by Granados, Villa-Lobos, Albeniz, and Tansman, along with more recent additions to the classical guitar repertoire by Merlin and Dyens. Jankovic is a strong personality on the instrument, who possesses his own unique and distinguished style of playing. As one would expect from such a seasoned performer, his interpretations and performances are solid throughout the album.
Posted in: Classical, Classical Reviews, Reviews
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