Friday, November 4, 2011

THE BRAZIL GUITAR DUO

YOU TUBE AND THE BRAZIL GUITAR DUO! MY BUDDIES ARE FANTASTIC AND WILL BOWL YOU OVER!@

The Magnificent JORGE CABALLERO

JUMP ON TO YOU TUBE AND GET THE GUITAR STUN GUN POINTED AT YOU WITH THE MAGNIFICENT ARTISTRY OF MY DEAR COLLEAGUE JORGE CABALLERO! w h e w ! ! ! ! ! !

Part 2 CELIL REFIK KAYA IN CONCERT AT MANNES - OCTOBER 27TH

CELIL REFIK KAYA,a 20 year young student under the brilliant tutelage of my dear friend,Michael Newman is an International competition winner and just finished a recording of which this Concert was representative of. From the 1st note, I knew I was in for an evening of superior music making.I was familiar with every piece on the program but one small piece by Dilermando Reis (Promessa Waltz). The night was a rainy one and true to form the audience was skimpy and embarrassing with just about 30folks on site to witness someone who will and should ascend the heights of our concert world.Not a word was uttered by this be speckled genius all evening and he had such a gentle and timid bow for the audience but what a mind blowing concert of the highest level on all fronts!

I came in with all my gig gear from a 3 hour gig at the Staten Island Ferry and took my regular seat front row center and was treated to a gourmet musical meal of works by Piazzolla,Reis,Lauro,Ponce,Mangore,Sojo,Brouwer and Morel! Only one encore was offered and I stated from the audience "YOU BETTER GIVE AN ENCORE"!.This young,gentle musical giant reaffirms why I also have spent my life in music since 1954. I was very deeply moved by the total mastery CELIL shared with us.His incredible command of the smallest note articulation was "Breath Taking". His tone was incredibly beautiful and his instrument was a perfect match to his effortless technique. His slightest musical utterance was totally achieved in this wonderful concert. When he attacked the Antonio Lauro Waltzes ( 8 of them ! ),it was as though Alirio Diaz was on stage! I was fortunate to have heard Diaz in concert in 1975 at the Toronto International Guitar Festival! Those of you who have never seen Diaz can catch several of his live performance videos on You Tube and you will witness one of the supreme virtuosos of our time, still active and still kicking monstrous Guitar Butt!. One of the original Guitar "Speed Demons" who simply amazes all who witness his craft. Now getting back to this ferocious TIGER known as CELIL REFIK KAYA,I found every single note of every piece performed to be perfectly weighed and articulated from one of the most fluid technical and musical wonders I have heard on any ANY instrument. The audience contained the cream of the young crop of excellent
MANNES Guitar students in a fine supportive role. I was surprised at all who were NOT in attendance but that was their great loss! This young Artist is in the realm of the "OUT OF SIGHT GENIUS- JORGE CABALLERO". It takes a lot for me to say that because I believe my Sweet Peruvian colleague,JORGE CABALLERO is on another planet of our Classical Guitar World. Again I state that you should break you necks to catch this great young man whenever you can because he is already high in the realm of the "GREAT" performing artists at the tender age of 20!!!!! MARK MY WORDS! THIS KID IS EXCEPTIONALLY SPECIAL!

P.S. He has yet to set up a web site and doesn't have a You Tube Video downloaded but I hope he quickly sets both in motion because he is really someone precious and special. I also appreciated the fact that the audience also knew they were in the concert hall with a GENIUS of great magnitude and kept the hall as quiet as a Church.

Check this Kid out too! CAMILO VERGA 31 Videos

I am listening now to one of the 31 videos of another fine young player - CAMILO VERGA! Of course another one of many fine talents all over the world that vie for our attention.As I find out more about this new find, I will let you know. Checking for a website now....WHEW! check out his site for his lengthy background : CAMILOVERGA.COM.AR . I was going to copy it over to the blogg but it is too much plus you should do some finger walking yourself! Still listening to him playing and it is extremely musical and his tone and technique are top notch.Nicely sensitive playing! I'm listening to the You Tube video of him playing for Angelo Gilardino.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

These Kids Keep Coming/Matt Palmer/GOHAR and Other things!

I am once again proud to let you know about another great young kid who makes us proud to play this great instrument. His name is MATT PALMER and you should
check out You Tube for his great videos! I've got my hand in several pies right now, trying to give you only the best. It is 2:53 am Friday morning and IO am taping a documentary on THE SEX PISTOLS on Ovation so I can learn about this ground breaking group and I am on the you tube channel once again looking for life on 6 strings! I have more excellent news on GOHAR VARDANYAN to Share with you:

If you go to the MEL BAY Guitar SESSIONS, this young virtuoso has several topics online : June 2011 - Even Tremolo,July 2010- The Importance of Sound, Aug 2010- Performance Preparation, Oct 2010-Practicing Scales and Jan 2010-Arpeggios.

When checking out the above mentioned MATT PALMER, I traced an interview with him (on his website) to a site that is new to me : GUITAR INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE and they had an interview with GOHAR~! I didn't read it yet but know that some juicy tidbits will be waiting for me from this brilliant artist. I have to complete part 2 of my review by that young 20 year whipper snapper CELIL REFIK KAYA who sent me to heaven one week ago - October 27th at The Mannes School of Music!Let me try to finish that for you today if I can wisely divide my time between the projects I have going on- Plus I have a concert in a week that I'm sharpening up my tools for in the Bronx next Saturday - DON WITTER,JR - CLASSICAL GUITAR
When Sat, November 12, 2pm – 3pm

Where MELROSE PUBLIC LIBRARY (map)

Description:Melrose Public Library
910 Morris Avenue (at E. 162ND St.), Bronx, NY 10451
Saturday, November 12, 2011
2:00 PM / 718-588-0110
SPANISH AND LATIN AMERICAN GUITAR
GRANADOS,TARREG​A,BONFA,JOBIM,R​IERA.

It feels great to be back in the Guitar world after my operation in March and I had a nice visit to LUTHIER MUSIC CORP (341 west 44Th Street) and my friend TONY ACOSTA! That used to be my great hang out over the decades it has existed. For my visit, I had the place all to myself! If anyone is visiting New York and needs great Guitars,Music,Cd's etc in the Classical,Flamenco and a few other styles- THIS IS THE PLACE! It is a beautiful shop lovingly cared for by Tony and his staff!

I am still working on an all inclusive interview with the fabulous German Virtuoso PIA GAZAREK-OFFERMANN.I have a couple of fine interviews with her but must check my files for some work I did on her when we 1st met over 6 or 7 years ago.When I find it,I will be so happy to complete my work on this very important artist so enough said or now. Hope you check out the above greats and I will keep searching for you all. I'm kind of spread thinly as I still out and about at least 5 days a week performing while trying to keep up on what is happening in the Guitar World. Always taking lessons from several sources and hope you are doing the same! See ya!

Don