This past Saturday evening at the 92nd street "Y", here in New York, we celebrated a totally awesome evening of SEGOVIAN proportion in that several of the worlds' great Classical Guitarist paid tribute to the Greatest Guitarist in history by celebrating the 120th year of his birth. I just wanted to touch base with you as I am preparing a very long report on the whole evening of greatness.I am happy to say that I know each and every great artist on the program; some of whom I really count as friends I have not seen in a few years and some whom I have run into when they were in the New York Guitar concert platform. I am a little swamped with performances over the next 3 days but will inch my way through the gathering of the sights and sounds of this great evening so hold on partners as this report on the Segovia Tribute will give you a juicy treat over the next week.
I will be doing an "up close" report on my favorite magazine CLASSICAL GUITAR MAGAZINE. The October issue has quite a few entries that I was personally involved with and I had to jump for joy at the bounty of goodies in its' pages and am foaming at the mouth to share them with you!!!
How about that JULIAN BREAM turning 80 and ALIRIO DIAZ turning 90!!!! Two of my great heroes!!! BREAM of course, is not on the concert platform but that ALIRIO is still tearing up the fretboard!!!! My other hero at 70 is known to be ready to hang up his performance spurs:JOHN WILLIAMS!! Say it ain't so Johnny!!! A few years ago I gave myself a treat by attending THREE John Williams concerts in a two week period!!!! For one I actually rode the express train with JOHNNY from New York to Boston where he was picked up by MANUEL BARRUECO and his gorgeous wife!! What a lucky guy I have been in my life to have met so many great artists and none of them were ever stuck up!!!! BREAM was a little brittle when he gave his Master Class at the Manhattan School of Music but apologized for his shortness to me the next day. I have always loved Breams' fantastic way with the guitar. In particular his ability to make music colored with excitement in every performance. I will be posting my own tribute to BREAM this month and hope that somehow he gets a chance to read it!
If you love the Classical Guitar, this coming Monday you must attend a special Lecture/ demo by the incredibly fabulous GARRETT LEE at the Mannes College of Music. My fellow Mannes buddy from 1968-9 FREDERIC HAND will be playing a totally awesome Guitar he built for Fred. I have been to several lectures by Garrett over the last couple of years and he is also one of the finest Guitarists you can imagine. At the past MANNES GUITAR Week, he made my Eliot glow with his beautiful playing. What a treat it was for me to be on the "other end" of the guitar as GARRETT had the most "knowing coaxing" of sound!!! He gave me a fantastic lesson in instrument sensitivity awareness! I point you to his website for a mountain of Guitar knowledge this young man has at his fingertips : leeguitarworks.com. This young man is a GENIUS and a glowing example of a fine human being with one of the most beautiful smiles in human kind! I am proud to know him!!!
I have also recently really revisited the HUMAN GUITAR TORNADO by the name of ELIOT FISK!!!!!!! I will be devoting a separate post to this young man I have known since the late 60's W H E W !!! THAT IS A HELL OF A LONG TIME! My wife and I were in a weekend vacation when we saw that Eliot was giving a concert with his wife and daughter at a College in Bethlehem Pa and we missed it because we had a full day at the HARVEST FESTIVAL in town and I was worn out!!! Told Eliot this past Saturday that we were there but had to pass. I have the local paper which laid out the program. This is one of those times when I kicked myself in the butt for missing my man Eliot!! Sorry buddy. ANYWAY you should all be aware of that unique master ELIOT FISK! Check out his you tube performances! Buy and listen to the 24 Caprices of Paganini and turn it up high! IT WILL BLOW YOU A W A Y !!!!! He is the reincarnation of Liszt and Paganini rolled into one great performance machine!!! He may not be every ones' cup of tea being a bit over the top but he is one of History's greatest musical marvels and you should experience at least once in your lifetime.
That is all for now! It's 1:24am Friday Morning and I have to be at an 8am gig so I had better wrap it up for now.Keep strumming your Guitars out there and see next time at the DONNIE CHANNEL!!!!
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
David Leisner and Rufus Muller at Symphony Space- FABULOUS!!!!
On Friday October 18th, I was in the audience of one of the finest performances in my life!. As part of the Symphony Space "In the Salon" series, the "Guitar Plus" portion is in its sixth season of chamber music with the guitar with David Leisner as the Artistic Director. I have had the great joy of knowing this great genius for several decades now. David is a triple musical threat as he is an incredible virtuoso Guitarist, Supremely articulate Composer and outstanding teacher. Tonight was a concert to die for as David and the Marvelous Tenor Rufus Muller weaved a perfect web of superlative musicianship which left the audience completely entranced and thoroughly satisfied! Tenor Rufus Muller was sheer perfection on every possible level. His voice has an incredible facility and beauty. When needed he would open up those pipes and shake the rafters with his power and also hush us with delicate whispers perfectly articulated no matter what the volume. I can really appreciate his mastery as I am both a student of the voice and professional Guitarist. Rufus kept me on the edge of going crazy enjoying the beauty of his instrument and his perfect stage presence which brought the character of each and every song to perfect expression. For some songs he was seated and for others standing and producing both facially and bodily ever single nuance required to tell the story of each song. There I was 2nd row center to experience one of the greatest performances in my life "Up Close".
The program was everything composed by British Composer Benjamin Britten for Tenor and Guitar.These lovely gems were produced during a ten year period, 1953-1963 for Britten's partner Tenor Peter Pears and Legendary Guitarist Julian Bream. I was fortunate to have been able to enjoy that original duo of Julian Bream and Peter Pears a couple of times in the late 60s/early 70s and what magic they produced on stage!!!! That magnificent magic was thoroughly realized this night!!! Always superbly in sync for each and every note, David and Rufus knocked the ball out of the park with each and every song perfectly expressing every nuance and emotion requested. David ! OH MY BUDDY! That kid plays a mean Guitar!!!! He uses a great instrument from one of the giants in the history of Guitar making : JOHN GILBERT. John recently passed away but made his mark in the Classical Guitar world with his "Working Instruments"! I recommend you jump on to you tube and feast on the special documentary on John as he shares his craft with you in an easy and matter of fact style. I actually took a class with John at a GFA Convention held in Akron Ohio a couple of decades ago. It was for "Luthiers only" but I thought it was important to be there to get some knowledge of the craft. John Gilbert was completely down to earth and so easy going.
Coming back to tonight's performance, David was ( as usual ) in total command of our lovely instrument with a supreme palette of diverse articulation that only a Master Musician has at his/her disposal. Britten's accompaniments perfectly molded the thoughts expressed in these moving tone poems. The evening was like having a truly gourmet meal produced by two outstanding chefs! Each and every ingredient perfectly measured and blended!
There was no intermission but Laura Kaminsky, Artistic Director of Symphony Space gave us "A Few Thoughts About Benjamin Britten". We learned about the total power of love and faithfulness between Britten and his partner Peter Pears and this was expressed at quite the right time as we are seeing more laws supporting the natural love between two people no matter what their orientation finally going forward!!.
Getting back to the program, I didn't even mention the works: Folk Song Arrangements ( 1956,1958), The Second Lute Song of the Earl of Essex ( from Gloriana,1953) and the Songs from the Chinese, op. 58 (1957). An added plus to the program was the greatest Guitar Work as touted by Julian Bream, Britten's NOCTURNAL,op 70 ( 1963 ). The Nocturnal is seated right in back of me in my front room as I write this post and is one hell of a great piece of music. It is in the format of a theme and variations - REVERSED. That is to say the Variations come before the main theme. The Nocturnal Musically travels through several states of sleep with such creative ingenuity and David Leisner's performance was masterful and sensitive in each and every dream state. It was never in any way a mirror image of the totally awesome Bream recording. I worked on these variations a couple of decades ago just for fun but never completed a final craft of the piece but was so moved by the creativity of the writing that I had to "TASTE IT"! This is one of the finest pieces in our literature and it was stunning in the way David crafted each variation. Tone quality was so pristine and the Leisner " WAND OF MAGIC " was overflowing. It is such majestic playing that makes me proud that I also enjoy the "Taste of the Plucked Universe of Guitar Strings".
Now for some really crazy moments I had leading up to the concert I must share with you!!!!
I was trying to order a senior discount ticket online as per Davids' instructions but got no where. I had my own gig from 4 to 7 pm and figured that I would come straight from the gig with my equipment. Since it was a gorgeous day I decided that no matter what the cost, I would take the easy trip to the box office. I assumed that the Symphony Space Box office would be opened at noon- WRONG. Got there at 12:40 and guard told me they opened at ONE!! Well, took a slow walk up a couple of blocks and found a "Housing Works" store near the corner of Broadway and 96th street. As usual I make a beeline to the books and as my luck would have it , the recently published book on Benjamin Britten authored by Wilson was right there. It was a preview copy with no pictures or music but I said "Get IT" . The price was $5 and I didn't want to pay that as I could easily get a library copy later. I put the book where I could easily remember if I changed my mind. So I head back to the space to buy my ticket at 1pm and who do I bump into - DAVID and his wonderful partner RALPH! I told David I had a 3 hour gig before his performance but that I would be there. He reminded me that the program will be on the short side so I should try to make it on time or miss some of the performance. After paying for my ticket, I decided it would be a hoot to pick up the Britten Biography and read a few pages in preparation for the evening performance. Lo and Behold the book was not where I left it!!!! I slowly canvassed the whole book section and said to myself : Not for me today! As I took a couple of steps away I said: You really want that book so look in every nook and crannie before leaving! As usual for me, I slowed my search down and found the book tucked away on top of one of the lower shelves!!! YEAH! YIPPEE!! On my way back home I glanced at the introduction in which Wilson states that this will not be a "Musical" biography so there were no examples ( which I really wanted ) . I know that there are a couple of books on the Music of Britten but the prices scared me away for now! So instead of staying at my gig from 4 to 7 , I left around 6 and took my Guitar/Amp/Seat back home, kissed my gorgeous wife and decided to leave my Britten Biography home so my listening pleasure would not be too tainted with too much information. I wanted the music to speak to me sound to heart and it surely did all evening!! I must also comment on the excellent program notes and words to the songs! DAVID - You are a glowing example of what it means to be an excellent and thoughtful musician and human being and I am so happy to have such a sensitive person as a part of my life.
David Leisner only works with the best and I look forward to future great performances of this giant of our craft! I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN YOU RUFUS! I checked out your POSSE of students and fans and it was fun to be encircled with such an outpouring of love for you and your gift! Your singing really,really moved me ( as I told you ).
I know this was a long post but I had so much to share with you and I wanted to get it all in. It is experiences like this that make me feel so "ALIVE". Great Music by and from great Musicians is Priceless and consumes the soul with the deepest of emotions. Damn! It is 2:45 am and I have an early morning gig but it is worth every sleepy moment.I proofed most of this post but hope I got my points clearly across to you. Please forgive me if I goofed. I am dead tired with my eyeballs hanging out their sockets! Later!
The program was everything composed by British Composer Benjamin Britten for Tenor and Guitar.These lovely gems were produced during a ten year period, 1953-1963 for Britten's partner Tenor Peter Pears and Legendary Guitarist Julian Bream. I was fortunate to have been able to enjoy that original duo of Julian Bream and Peter Pears a couple of times in the late 60s/early 70s and what magic they produced on stage!!!! That magnificent magic was thoroughly realized this night!!! Always superbly in sync for each and every note, David and Rufus knocked the ball out of the park with each and every song perfectly expressing every nuance and emotion requested. David ! OH MY BUDDY! That kid plays a mean Guitar!!!! He uses a great instrument from one of the giants in the history of Guitar making : JOHN GILBERT. John recently passed away but made his mark in the Classical Guitar world with his "Working Instruments"! I recommend you jump on to you tube and feast on the special documentary on John as he shares his craft with you in an easy and matter of fact style. I actually took a class with John at a GFA Convention held in Akron Ohio a couple of decades ago. It was for "Luthiers only" but I thought it was important to be there to get some knowledge of the craft. John Gilbert was completely down to earth and so easy going.
Coming back to tonight's performance, David was ( as usual ) in total command of our lovely instrument with a supreme palette of diverse articulation that only a Master Musician has at his/her disposal. Britten's accompaniments perfectly molded the thoughts expressed in these moving tone poems. The evening was like having a truly gourmet meal produced by two outstanding chefs! Each and every ingredient perfectly measured and blended!
There was no intermission but Laura Kaminsky, Artistic Director of Symphony Space gave us "A Few Thoughts About Benjamin Britten". We learned about the total power of love and faithfulness between Britten and his partner Peter Pears and this was expressed at quite the right time as we are seeing more laws supporting the natural love between two people no matter what their orientation finally going forward!!.
Getting back to the program, I didn't even mention the works: Folk Song Arrangements ( 1956,1958), The Second Lute Song of the Earl of Essex ( from Gloriana,1953) and the Songs from the Chinese, op. 58 (1957). An added plus to the program was the greatest Guitar Work as touted by Julian Bream, Britten's NOCTURNAL,op 70 ( 1963 ). The Nocturnal is seated right in back of me in my front room as I write this post and is one hell of a great piece of music. It is in the format of a theme and variations - REVERSED. That is to say the Variations come before the main theme. The Nocturnal Musically travels through several states of sleep with such creative ingenuity and David Leisner's performance was masterful and sensitive in each and every dream state. It was never in any way a mirror image of the totally awesome Bream recording. I worked on these variations a couple of decades ago just for fun but never completed a final craft of the piece but was so moved by the creativity of the writing that I had to "TASTE IT"! This is one of the finest pieces in our literature and it was stunning in the way David crafted each variation. Tone quality was so pristine and the Leisner " WAND OF MAGIC " was overflowing. It is such majestic playing that makes me proud that I also enjoy the "Taste of the Plucked Universe of Guitar Strings".
Now for some really crazy moments I had leading up to the concert I must share with you!!!!
I was trying to order a senior discount ticket online as per Davids' instructions but got no where. I had my own gig from 4 to 7 pm and figured that I would come straight from the gig with my equipment. Since it was a gorgeous day I decided that no matter what the cost, I would take the easy trip to the box office. I assumed that the Symphony Space Box office would be opened at noon- WRONG. Got there at 12:40 and guard told me they opened at ONE!! Well, took a slow walk up a couple of blocks and found a "Housing Works" store near the corner of Broadway and 96th street. As usual I make a beeline to the books and as my luck would have it , the recently published book on Benjamin Britten authored by Wilson was right there. It was a preview copy with no pictures or music but I said "Get IT" . The price was $5 and I didn't want to pay that as I could easily get a library copy later. I put the book where I could easily remember if I changed my mind. So I head back to the space to buy my ticket at 1pm and who do I bump into - DAVID and his wonderful partner RALPH! I told David I had a 3 hour gig before his performance but that I would be there. He reminded me that the program will be on the short side so I should try to make it on time or miss some of the performance. After paying for my ticket, I decided it would be a hoot to pick up the Britten Biography and read a few pages in preparation for the evening performance. Lo and Behold the book was not where I left it!!!! I slowly canvassed the whole book section and said to myself : Not for me today! As I took a couple of steps away I said: You really want that book so look in every nook and crannie before leaving! As usual for me, I slowed my search down and found the book tucked away on top of one of the lower shelves!!! YEAH! YIPPEE!! On my way back home I glanced at the introduction in which Wilson states that this will not be a "Musical" biography so there were no examples ( which I really wanted ) . I know that there are a couple of books on the Music of Britten but the prices scared me away for now! So instead of staying at my gig from 4 to 7 , I left around 6 and took my Guitar/Amp/Seat back home, kissed my gorgeous wife and decided to leave my Britten Biography home so my listening pleasure would not be too tainted with too much information. I wanted the music to speak to me sound to heart and it surely did all evening!! I must also comment on the excellent program notes and words to the songs! DAVID - You are a glowing example of what it means to be an excellent and thoughtful musician and human being and I am so happy to have such a sensitive person as a part of my life.
David Leisner only works with the best and I look forward to future great performances of this giant of our craft! I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN YOU RUFUS! I checked out your POSSE of students and fans and it was fun to be encircled with such an outpouring of love for you and your gift! Your singing really,really moved me ( as I told you ).
I know this was a long post but I had so much to share with you and I wanted to get it all in. It is experiences like this that make me feel so "ALIVE". Great Music by and from great Musicians is Priceless and consumes the soul with the deepest of emotions. Damn! It is 2:45 am and I have an early morning gig but it is worth every sleepy moment.I proofed most of this post but hope I got my points clearly across to you. Please forgive me if I goofed. I am dead tired with my eyeballs hanging out their sockets! Later!
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Took the summer off.
Hi FOLKS! I took the summer off from performing with the exception of an August 15th Library Concert. I have never taken a rest from performing AT ALL since 1955-my first public performance on piano. It was weird not performing some where around town with the Music Under New York program or any other gigs. It was "Free Flow" time and here we are already in the month of October. I started back a couple of weeks ago. I am still passing up attending concerts , workshops etc. This past week the Great Eduardo Fernandez was in town to give a masterclass and concert. I passed on that also. As I may have mentioned in a previous post. I want to devote the next couple of years to me! I have spent my life supporting my colleagues and friends by attending their concerts,workshops etc . I have been known as the black guy in the suit and the guy with the pad and pen. I should have attended the GFA this year because many friends were there and I really wanted to go but changed my mind at the last minute since it was just before the Mannes Guitar Seminar. You can catch an excellent report on the GFA in this month's CLASSICAL GUITAR MAGAZINE by the always brilliant GRAHAM WADE. I particularly enjoyed his description of the super virtuoso players in detail. He is right on the money in all his acute coverage of the event.I will be giving you a glimpse into this wonderful magazine CLASSICAL GUITAR in my next post. The October issue is chuck full of several great articles which I want to talk about as I was involved in a couple.
I must admit that I have withdrawn from both the Jazz and Classical Guitar scene in an effort to make up for my not really honing my craft all these decades. I should have been a prominent name in the Classical and Jazz Guitar worlds but did not really bust my chops at all. I was given a great talent but am so embarrassed that I did not work harder at developing it. I am doing it now and it feels so darn great. I have spent some time listening to several decades of my concerts and whew! I was a young monster! I am particularly
proud of where I am at this point because I can truly enjoy the learning process.
The Internet has so much lesson material it is way too much! I have developed some sizable bags under my eyes thanks to investigating so many lessons and will be sharing with you many of the sites I have found worthy of you time and investigation. For a couple of mentions, Check out the Classical Guitar lessons with JASON VIEAUX and the posts of GOHAR VARDANYAN ( strings by mail , Mel Bay ). I also will be reminiscing on the greats who have passed by me in my guitar life here in New York. I have been very fortunate to have met the legends and cream of the crop of our Classical and Jazz Guitar scene. I was at the right places at the right time and am happy to have had such a wealth of greats in my life!! I was fortunate to have been active in the 60's onward - especially in the 60s/70s in the Greenwich Village Folk Scene at Folk City and Cafe Wha plus a few other folk scenes! I was fortunate to have met Judy Collins who told me she loved my playing and that I would be a welcome member to her group if I were interested. While a student at The High School of Music and Art, many notable artists were in my classes who we knew would make it big in the music world. The memories are pouring out as I write these few words down and I want to share them with you in future posts. I am also cleaning up my writing prowess trying to curtail my usual out of control forward motion as I know I am excitable when I start my gabbing.
I also want to write a special post dedicated to the host of great colleagues/friends/teachers who have graced my life with their love and passion for our great and noble instrument. I will not start listing them now because I have many that have passed on and people have forgotten so I want to start a complete list.
ME AND MUNY
One of the finest things I have done is to be a part of the MUSIC UNDER NEW YORK PROGRAM. The Musicians in and around the New York City Subway System like myself make this world a better place by sharing our Music with any and every one. I have performed in so many special events for the last 17 years and am honored to please people by introducing them to The World of the Classical and Jazz Guitar. Every time I put this instrument in my hands, I soar into the realm of the Gods in an effort to play the most beautiful Music I can muster on these 6 strings. The LAP PIANO( coined by the great legendary 7string master GEORGE VAN EPS ). I have been a judge for several years on the panel and we have a great group of excellent musicians in the program and I will also be posting a blog devoted to this wonderful organization.
THOSE GUITARS!!!!
We are in the golden age of Classical Guitar Construction!!! Traditional fan bracing, Lattice, Double tops and so many other styles of construction! W H E W !!!!!! Another post on some thoughts about this topic to be posted by me.
MORE TO COME KIDDIES!!!
I must admit that I have withdrawn from both the Jazz and Classical Guitar scene in an effort to make up for my not really honing my craft all these decades. I should have been a prominent name in the Classical and Jazz Guitar worlds but did not really bust my chops at all. I was given a great talent but am so embarrassed that I did not work harder at developing it. I am doing it now and it feels so darn great. I have spent some time listening to several decades of my concerts and whew! I was a young monster! I am particularly
proud of where I am at this point because I can truly enjoy the learning process.
The Internet has so much lesson material it is way too much! I have developed some sizable bags under my eyes thanks to investigating so many lessons and will be sharing with you many of the sites I have found worthy of you time and investigation. For a couple of mentions, Check out the Classical Guitar lessons with JASON VIEAUX and the posts of GOHAR VARDANYAN ( strings by mail , Mel Bay ). I also will be reminiscing on the greats who have passed by me in my guitar life here in New York. I have been very fortunate to have met the legends and cream of the crop of our Classical and Jazz Guitar scene. I was at the right places at the right time and am happy to have had such a wealth of greats in my life!! I was fortunate to have been active in the 60's onward - especially in the 60s/70s in the Greenwich Village Folk Scene at Folk City and Cafe Wha plus a few other folk scenes! I was fortunate to have met Judy Collins who told me she loved my playing and that I would be a welcome member to her group if I were interested. While a student at The High School of Music and Art, many notable artists were in my classes who we knew would make it big in the music world. The memories are pouring out as I write these few words down and I want to share them with you in future posts. I am also cleaning up my writing prowess trying to curtail my usual out of control forward motion as I know I am excitable when I start my gabbing.
I also want to write a special post dedicated to the host of great colleagues/friends/teachers who have graced my life with their love and passion for our great and noble instrument. I will not start listing them now because I have many that have passed on and people have forgotten so I want to start a complete list.
ME AND MUNY
One of the finest things I have done is to be a part of the MUSIC UNDER NEW YORK PROGRAM. The Musicians in and around the New York City Subway System like myself make this world a better place by sharing our Music with any and every one. I have performed in so many special events for the last 17 years and am honored to please people by introducing them to The World of the Classical and Jazz Guitar. Every time I put this instrument in my hands, I soar into the realm of the Gods in an effort to play the most beautiful Music I can muster on these 6 strings. The LAP PIANO( coined by the great legendary 7string master GEORGE VAN EPS ). I have been a judge for several years on the panel and we have a great group of excellent musicians in the program and I will also be posting a blog devoted to this wonderful organization.
THOSE GUITARS!!!!
We are in the golden age of Classical Guitar Construction!!! Traditional fan bracing, Lattice, Double tops and so many other styles of construction! W H E W !!!!!! Another post on some thoughts about this topic to be posted by me.
MORE TO COME KIDDIES!!!
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Summer Time off for Donnie!/GFA DECEMBER 2nd 2012 / Tidbits
I decided to take the next couple of years off from the scene here in Concert/ Workshop/ Masterclass ville in the Big Apple. Since 1955 I have performed in public and never taken a hiatus at all! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE performing but I need time to smell the roses and look back on my life. I was hoping that I would get some readers of this blog to my August 15th concert but NOPE! I also posted on the New York Classical Guitar Society Website ( which I that was a slam dunk to attract an audience)-nope! I have spent my whole life supporting my colleagues by showing up at their concerts etc but I see that has not put money in the Donnie bank so life goes on.
I was devastated last December 2nd when I auditioned for the GFA Symposium evening concert and did not make it. I played an excellent medley of Luiz Bonfa and thought I was a shoe in. I have been playing these pieces most of my life and have never had the slightest problem.In the 70's I took a lesson with Maestro Bonfa at Manny's Music store when Luiz was in town to buy some strings. Here I was among all my dear international colleagues: DENNIS KOSTER, ANA MARIA ROSADO and so many great artists who know my playing well. One of the two judges I had a run in with previously because I told him I didn't like how he treated one of my supreme artists. He made a promise to my friend and didn't have the courtesy to say he couldn't deliver on his promise. All it took was a couple of moments to email my friend or take a minute to phone an explanation but nope. It is so hard for young artists to get a break in this rough concert world of ours and we should be kind to each other and respectful for the hardships we, as artists must endure. That is what ticked me off . I will not name him, but I took that exclusion as "Payback" for my just defense of my colleague. When the names were read, I would have bet anything that the last name on the evening Guitar Roster would be mine.I was the last to audition in a room that was terribly stuffy and both of the Jurors Jumped out of that room at my last note like bats out of hell. When my name was not read I immediately when to he men's room and vomited. I was never in my life so hurt by the fraternity I grew up in and loved so dearly. I left for the day holding back tears and several rounds of vomiting. I have written this overview of the incident many times but have not posted it. I will not mention the names of the judges involved but this has stayed in my heart much too long and as I have taken the summer off playing around the city for the 1st time in my life, I have been looking at my Guitar life here in New York and in particular the Classical Guitar Community. This incident was an insult to me and I feel Weird to post this but I must let go the pain and I know I must be crazy to do it on this public forum but I want these two "Judges" to know how deeply their decision cut into my heart and this was the only way to let this terrible pain find peace.
I have made the decision to stay off the scene for the next two years with the exception of my Music Under New York gigs around town.I have been asked why I have not been seen and must say that I need a change and don't need to be a one man support group for the the New York Guitar community. I am a worn out by so many who promise to show up at my gigs and never make it. I play my ass off each and every time I perform and used to be deeply hurt when people ask me "When are you playing"? I really want to hear you" and there is their empty seat staring at me. We in the arts have to prepare for those terrible moments of personal hurt. Even when we are far and above those of whom we must compete for a place in the limelight, we have to learn how to drag our hearts off the floor and carry on. I heard that a decent amount of great young artists I know didn't make it to the finals of the GFA and was stunned because I was going to attend but had to pass due to poor health. I am a member of the GFA and applaud their event and competition and they consistently produce phenomenal winners. It is a monster event and they do a hell of a great job. Competitions are so unfair to the human spirit but I guess it serves a purpose in the careers of the musician. You have got to know how to take it. I almost threw my heat in the ring and actually started to prepare earlier this year but felt with all these great young players around the world, I would get my 63 young ass kicked good and down the block and around the globe! NAW I am no glutton for punishment. I remember a few times in my performing life when I auditioned for an event and stayed beginning to end so I knew who my competition was and saw that I performed an excellent set but was not chosen. In these cases I saw that the judging panel was looking for something else so I was not selected. This happens in all of our fields of endeavors. I love the great book on Competition that was published by one of the greatest exponents of our craft DENIS AZABAGIC. I also enjoy his performance dvd and teaching dvd. DENIS delivers the facts of competition life in minute detail since he has lived it and I must thank him for sharing the truth with us. Well that is enough on that. YEP! GOTTA HAVE THICK SKIN IN ORDER TO CARRY ON!
At this point in my life I still hope to release the queue of posts I have written for you on paper. I have a great report itching to go about the great 2013 MANNES GUITAR SEMINAR! This year's main focus was on Building a Career as a Guitarist and had the best group of people giving the nuts and bolts of this tough life.
Before I jumped on to my blog I decided to check out some you tube videos and as always found another excellent performer on our great instrument: LAURA HUSBANDS who was plying a great piece magnificently "Prelude and Danza by Spanish composer Julian Bautista.I worked on this composition around 30 years ago and loved it so I was interested in seeing and hearing what she did with it and W O W !!! Her playing was FANTASTIC. She has a great attack and her note articulation was so clean. Whatever instrument she used was SUPERLATIVE. She made great use of tone color and her interpretation was supremely "SPANISH"! I loved it and look forward to checking out her other videos.
As you may have observed from my past posts, I love to give a huge amount of credit to our great Female artists because I believe they don't get enough notoriety. No I am not a dirty old man. I just believe that our great women of the guitar deserve much more respect. As a matter of fact I had a very sweet visit with the great Rose Augustine about a week before her death at her factory and one of our points of conversation was should we have a Woman's Concert Series. She felt there should not be unequal bent to the woman as performers even though Rose admitted that the field was dominated by males. If I had the bucks, I would publish a monthly mag just featuring female Classical/Jazz Guitarists! Music is not gender based! A woman can play just as magical and aggressively as a man SO THERE!!
Related to my previous paragraph I must relate a couple of "female" based reviews I have done in a previous discussion group over a decade ago. I love to give an "YOU ARE THERE" feeling to my review of concerts and I comment on several aspects of the performance. I remember all too well well how some reader attacked me with "You don't like female players". That was a lie. It just so happened that I told exactly what I experienced. Both wonderful artists are still magnificently on the concert platform at this time. One artist chose to perform the ARANJUEZ which is the most performed Guitar Concerto in History. She blew a couple of those RODRIGO scale runs and I mentioned it in my review which was 98 percent positive. The power of the internet is all consuming and dangerous because some of her students asked her about that. People are always looking for the negative point of view. Well I met my colleague at a concert at the 96street "Y" and first thing she said was "I have a bone to pick with you"! I knew immediately she was referring to the review because I thought quite heavily when I wrote it if I should mention the slipping of the scale runs. I told her ( and she agreed ) that that review was a glowing positive review and that I only mentioned it because it is the most well known Guitar Concerto and there would be some people in the audience who would be astute enough to say "Hey - she missed a couple of scale runs". This great artist then relayed the reason for the misfires- two of her former teachers were in the audience and made her a little nervous. Of course so many people want to bathe in negative talk and especially with this world wide medium , some of you out there are ready to pounce on anything you want to bend out of context.
My second artist is a phenom who has had a life of excellence and at one point I had to stop attending here concerts because she didn't "reach past the concert stage"! Town Hall is an excellent small concert hall here in New York and my man JULIAN BREAM and JOHN WILLIAMS both played there. I remember as if it were yesterday that I was going to give my lady one more chance with my money because she sounded so great on cd/record but didn't have enough "Guts" in the concert hall to reach into the audience with her personal sound.This concert was marred by a woman in back of me who kept rattling her bracelet throughout the concert. I let that woman have it at intermission. Back to the performance. I was in a 5th,6th row center orchestra seat in town hall but could hardly hear her so I stopped attending her concerts for years until she decided to use some amplification and wow! What a great change.Anyway that is enough of that for now. I only mention these experiences to relate how in the quest for honesty and truth in reporting an event, you really have to make very sensitive choices and pick thoughts that may be the truth but hard to humanly accept. That is when you have the vultures try to kick your butt online and attack you for expressing your opinion!
I see I have been online for the last two hours and still have more thoughts to express. Just in case I somehow loose this post let me send it out to you before that happens.
I was devastated last December 2nd when I auditioned for the GFA Symposium evening concert and did not make it. I played an excellent medley of Luiz Bonfa and thought I was a shoe in. I have been playing these pieces most of my life and have never had the slightest problem.In the 70's I took a lesson with Maestro Bonfa at Manny's Music store when Luiz was in town to buy some strings. Here I was among all my dear international colleagues: DENNIS KOSTER, ANA MARIA ROSADO and so many great artists who know my playing well. One of the two judges I had a run in with previously because I told him I didn't like how he treated one of my supreme artists. He made a promise to my friend and didn't have the courtesy to say he couldn't deliver on his promise. All it took was a couple of moments to email my friend or take a minute to phone an explanation but nope. It is so hard for young artists to get a break in this rough concert world of ours and we should be kind to each other and respectful for the hardships we, as artists must endure. That is what ticked me off . I will not name him, but I took that exclusion as "Payback" for my just defense of my colleague. When the names were read, I would have bet anything that the last name on the evening Guitar Roster would be mine.I was the last to audition in a room that was terribly stuffy and both of the Jurors Jumped out of that room at my last note like bats out of hell. When my name was not read I immediately when to he men's room and vomited. I was never in my life so hurt by the fraternity I grew up in and loved so dearly. I left for the day holding back tears and several rounds of vomiting. I have written this overview of the incident many times but have not posted it. I will not mention the names of the judges involved but this has stayed in my heart much too long and as I have taken the summer off playing around the city for the 1st time in my life, I have been looking at my Guitar life here in New York and in particular the Classical Guitar Community. This incident was an insult to me and I feel Weird to post this but I must let go the pain and I know I must be crazy to do it on this public forum but I want these two "Judges" to know how deeply their decision cut into my heart and this was the only way to let this terrible pain find peace.
I have made the decision to stay off the scene for the next two years with the exception of my Music Under New York gigs around town.I have been asked why I have not been seen and must say that I need a change and don't need to be a one man support group for the the New York Guitar community. I am a worn out by so many who promise to show up at my gigs and never make it. I play my ass off each and every time I perform and used to be deeply hurt when people ask me "When are you playing"? I really want to hear you" and there is their empty seat staring at me. We in the arts have to prepare for those terrible moments of personal hurt. Even when we are far and above those of whom we must compete for a place in the limelight, we have to learn how to drag our hearts off the floor and carry on. I heard that a decent amount of great young artists I know didn't make it to the finals of the GFA and was stunned because I was going to attend but had to pass due to poor health. I am a member of the GFA and applaud their event and competition and they consistently produce phenomenal winners. It is a monster event and they do a hell of a great job. Competitions are so unfair to the human spirit but I guess it serves a purpose in the careers of the musician. You have got to know how to take it. I almost threw my heat in the ring and actually started to prepare earlier this year but felt with all these great young players around the world, I would get my 63 young ass kicked good and down the block and around the globe! NAW I am no glutton for punishment. I remember a few times in my performing life when I auditioned for an event and stayed beginning to end so I knew who my competition was and saw that I performed an excellent set but was not chosen. In these cases I saw that the judging panel was looking for something else so I was not selected. This happens in all of our fields of endeavors. I love the great book on Competition that was published by one of the greatest exponents of our craft DENIS AZABAGIC. I also enjoy his performance dvd and teaching dvd. DENIS delivers the facts of competition life in minute detail since he has lived it and I must thank him for sharing the truth with us. Well that is enough on that. YEP! GOTTA HAVE THICK SKIN IN ORDER TO CARRY ON!
At this point in my life I still hope to release the queue of posts I have written for you on paper. I have a great report itching to go about the great 2013 MANNES GUITAR SEMINAR! This year's main focus was on Building a Career as a Guitarist and had the best group of people giving the nuts and bolts of this tough life.
Before I jumped on to my blog I decided to check out some you tube videos and as always found another excellent performer on our great instrument: LAURA HUSBANDS who was plying a great piece magnificently "Prelude and Danza by Spanish composer Julian Bautista.I worked on this composition around 30 years ago and loved it so I was interested in seeing and hearing what she did with it and W O W !!! Her playing was FANTASTIC. She has a great attack and her note articulation was so clean. Whatever instrument she used was SUPERLATIVE. She made great use of tone color and her interpretation was supremely "SPANISH"! I loved it and look forward to checking out her other videos.
As you may have observed from my past posts, I love to give a huge amount of credit to our great Female artists because I believe they don't get enough notoriety. No I am not a dirty old man. I just believe that our great women of the guitar deserve much more respect. As a matter of fact I had a very sweet visit with the great Rose Augustine about a week before her death at her factory and one of our points of conversation was should we have a Woman's Concert Series. She felt there should not be unequal bent to the woman as performers even though Rose admitted that the field was dominated by males. If I had the bucks, I would publish a monthly mag just featuring female Classical/Jazz Guitarists! Music is not gender based! A woman can play just as magical and aggressively as a man SO THERE!!
Related to my previous paragraph I must relate a couple of "female" based reviews I have done in a previous discussion group over a decade ago. I love to give an "YOU ARE THERE" feeling to my review of concerts and I comment on several aspects of the performance. I remember all too well well how some reader attacked me with "You don't like female players". That was a lie. It just so happened that I told exactly what I experienced. Both wonderful artists are still magnificently on the concert platform at this time. One artist chose to perform the ARANJUEZ which is the most performed Guitar Concerto in History. She blew a couple of those RODRIGO scale runs and I mentioned it in my review which was 98 percent positive. The power of the internet is all consuming and dangerous because some of her students asked her about that. People are always looking for the negative point of view. Well I met my colleague at a concert at the 96street "Y" and first thing she said was "I have a bone to pick with you"! I knew immediately she was referring to the review because I thought quite heavily when I wrote it if I should mention the slipping of the scale runs. I told her ( and she agreed ) that that review was a glowing positive review and that I only mentioned it because it is the most well known Guitar Concerto and there would be some people in the audience who would be astute enough to say "Hey - she missed a couple of scale runs". This great artist then relayed the reason for the misfires- two of her former teachers were in the audience and made her a little nervous. Of course so many people want to bathe in negative talk and especially with this world wide medium , some of you out there are ready to pounce on anything you want to bend out of context.
My second artist is a phenom who has had a life of excellence and at one point I had to stop attending here concerts because she didn't "reach past the concert stage"! Town Hall is an excellent small concert hall here in New York and my man JULIAN BREAM and JOHN WILLIAMS both played there. I remember as if it were yesterday that I was going to give my lady one more chance with my money because she sounded so great on cd/record but didn't have enough "Guts" in the concert hall to reach into the audience with her personal sound.This concert was marred by a woman in back of me who kept rattling her bracelet throughout the concert. I let that woman have it at intermission. Back to the performance. I was in a 5th,6th row center orchestra seat in town hall but could hardly hear her so I stopped attending her concerts for years until she decided to use some amplification and wow! What a great change.Anyway that is enough of that for now. I only mention these experiences to relate how in the quest for honesty and truth in reporting an event, you really have to make very sensitive choices and pick thoughts that may be the truth but hard to humanly accept. That is when you have the vultures try to kick your butt online and attack you for expressing your opinion!
I see I have been online for the last two hours and still have more thoughts to express. Just in case I somehow loose this post let me send it out to you before that happens.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
ROLAND DYENS and GOHAR VARDANYAN - GOOD TOGETHER!
There is a great tie-in of my recent posts on my two dear friends : ROLAND DYENS and GOHAR VARDANYAN. Roland just published a series of 100 pieces for the Guitar which covers various levels of technical and musical topics and the company STRINGS BY MAIL has a wonderful series of GOHAR playing several of these pieces and teaching the fine points covered in these marvelous pieces. You will find that GOHAR is also as brilliant a teacher as she is a guitar virtuoso. I just finished viewing several of the pieces and what a treasure they are! I think you should jump right in there and experience the videos for yourself! ROLAND knows the Guitar inside out and upside down and always gives exact details on how to play his compositions and arrangements. As I mentioned in previous posts, ROLAND DYENS is a giant in the Guitar world!! I mentioned him as a "Bottomless Pit of Creativity" and I firmly stand by that statement. There is only one ROLAND DYENS!!!
DONNIE PLAYS SAINT AGNES LIBRARY AUGUST 15TH 5:30 PM
I will be giving a concert next Thursday August 15th / 5:30 pm at the St. Agnes Branch of the public Library . The branch is located at 444 AMSTERDAM AVENUE in Manhattan at 81st street.I will be presenting a program of SPANISH AND LATIN AMERICAN MUSIC. Juicy tidbits by several outstanding composers and I hope to have a ball. The Library concerts are slim these days due to budget cuts but hopefully there will be more Donnie GIGS in the near future! Hope to see you there as the 63 year Guitar plucker will prove to you that there is indeed life after 30! SEE YA LATER!!!!
Sunday, August 4, 2013
The Bottomless Musical Creations of ROLAND DYENS!!!!!
Go to the YOU TUBE and look for the performance of my dear friend and colleague ROLAND DYENS as he performs "The Delights of Jet lag" on the Acoustic Guitar Magazine collection of Videos! I was surfing to find out some performances of my favorites and noticed this performance and just had to alert you to the greatness that is the awesome artistry of ROLAND DYENS!
Since the early 60s, I have heard the greatest Guitarists in the Classical and Jazz Genres and let me tell you ROLAND DYENS IS THE MOST CONSUMMATE GUITARIST ON THE PLANET!!! I have known my dear friend for several decades and just when I thought he has done it all, he tears me a new learning curve!!!! As a virtuoso Guitarist he just knows all there is about our instrument. He can play in several tunings and calls into service every imaginable guitar technique in his brilliant compositions! He starts off the above work by performing harmonics with his right hand interspersed with " Hammer ons " with his left hand. Of course it would be a bit difficult to carry this work on in any decent size hall because the carrying power of the instrument while performing the legatos/hammer ons, are tough to pull off! I remain a rabid fan of my dear friend forever and when he visits the City, we somehow get a chance to have a meal and talk about all sorts of guitar and non guitar topics. ROLAND really stuns me every time he plays and we are so fortunate to have so many you tube videos available of his fantastic performances and beautifully sculpted compositions. I don't know what type of blood you have ROLAND, but I'd love to have a few drops!!
There is NO ONE LIKE ROLAND DYENS ON PLANET EARTH!!!!!!! Just look at the huge body of work he has put out! STUNNING!!!!!! I must say that as far as I am concerned he walks on water and dwells in the rarified realm of MOUNT OLYMPUS with the GODS. If you EVER get a chance to attend a ROLAND DYENS concert, GET THE BEST TICKET AND PREPARE TO BE AMAZED AT THE WIZARDRY OF OUR MODERN DAY LISZT! I am crazy about great Guitar performances no matter what the genre and ROLAND has them all beat! I know that is quite a statement but his videos should convince any doubting folks out there!!! My Man Roland. PLEASE CONTINUE to SHOW US THE MAGICAL WORLD OF OUR GREAT INSTRUMENT AND THANK YOU!
Since the early 60s, I have heard the greatest Guitarists in the Classical and Jazz Genres and let me tell you ROLAND DYENS IS THE MOST CONSUMMATE GUITARIST ON THE PLANET!!! I have known my dear friend for several decades and just when I thought he has done it all, he tears me a new learning curve!!!! As a virtuoso Guitarist he just knows all there is about our instrument. He can play in several tunings and calls into service every imaginable guitar technique in his brilliant compositions! He starts off the above work by performing harmonics with his right hand interspersed with " Hammer ons " with his left hand. Of course it would be a bit difficult to carry this work on in any decent size hall because the carrying power of the instrument while performing the legatos/hammer ons, are tough to pull off! I remain a rabid fan of my dear friend forever and when he visits the City, we somehow get a chance to have a meal and talk about all sorts of guitar and non guitar topics. ROLAND really stuns me every time he plays and we are so fortunate to have so many you tube videos available of his fantastic performances and beautifully sculpted compositions. I don't know what type of blood you have ROLAND, but I'd love to have a few drops!!
There is NO ONE LIKE ROLAND DYENS ON PLANET EARTH!!!!!!! Just look at the huge body of work he has put out! STUNNING!!!!!! I must say that as far as I am concerned he walks on water and dwells in the rarified realm of MOUNT OLYMPUS with the GODS. If you EVER get a chance to attend a ROLAND DYENS concert, GET THE BEST TICKET AND PREPARE TO BE AMAZED AT THE WIZARDRY OF OUR MODERN DAY LISZT! I am crazy about great Guitar performances no matter what the genre and ROLAND has them all beat! I know that is quite a statement but his videos should convince any doubting folks out there!!! My Man Roland. PLEASE CONTINUE to SHOW US THE MAGICAL WORLD OF OUR GREAT INSTRUMENT AND THANK YOU!
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