Hurricane Sandy and Me

It is Monday and we are opening our arms to hurricane SANDY at this time of 6:46pm. I mean,with my dear wife being pounded on the TV with weather updates, I decided that I would try to catch up on my ton of posts while we still have electricity here. I am supposed to perform a special Halloween performance concert in two days but that looks like that may not happen thanks to this gift of mother nature. Just think of those situations in which you have concerts scheduled after meticulously planning months in advance and then the last draw is forced on you by something out of your control! Such is life! As I sit here next to the window listening to the whirlwind blowing, it is a little scary but it will happen no matter what so the question is what to do to calm me down so here I am.

My young charge CELIL just competed in the CONCERT ARTISTS COMPETITION a week ago but unfortunately did not make the cut in spite of his superlative performance. There was a kid that gave an incredible performance of theme and variations by LISZT that just KILLED US !!!! It was as though LISZT himself cam down and performed for us!! More on that when I write the report but since it was opened to the public I was there bright and ready at 8:45 am. CELIL would perform around noon.I had to see what he was up against and it was a day of so many excellent performances.

I attended the Upstate New York Classical Guitar Society Fall Festival in Oneonta, New York at the State University and what a treat to have my dear colleague and masterful musician DAVID STAROBIN headline the Festival! What a treat and I had a ball performing in the Members Concert Saturday.I was smart enough to get lodging on campus and must state that my accommodations were top notch and the kids were so gracious in anything I needed! THANK YOU SUNY!!!  More in my report.

My dear buddy and Master quadruple talent ( Virtuoso Guitarist, Composer, Teacher, superb human being ) DAVID LEISNER opened the International Guitar Series sponsored by the New York Classical Guitar Society and gave us his usual  superlative performance and patted our Society President on the back from the stage for bringing the Classical Guitar Society to new Heights over his tenure! I second the motion! JOHN OLSEN has worked hard to gain further respect for our great Instrument here in the BIG APPLE in spite of this economy! I go way back with DAVID LEISNER and will detail that in my review of his great concert.

This past Saturday, I had a chance to attend a gig by one of my great teachers - RICK STONE - Virtuoso Jazz Guitarist in a great small venue in Greenwich Village and will report on that great gig! Check out Rick on  You Tube and you will taste one of the great unsung masters of the Jazz Guitar. You can also check out his website that has a treasure trove of lessons and info on the Great Vibrant New York Jazz Guitar scene!

It is 7:18 and that wind is picking up steam but I will try to get more little tidbits in! My wife just rang the dinner bell so I will get back to ya after dinner!

Donnie Guitar

CELIL RAFIK KAYA - front and center at Merkin Hall

I must shout to the highest the appearance of that young Turkish Virtuoso Guitarist CELIL RAFIK KAYA this Wednesday at Merkin Concert  Hall ( 129 West 67th street ). He will be competing at the CONCERT ARTIST GUILD COMPETITION and is scheduled to play a 20 minute set at noon! The admission for this is F R E E !!!! The competition is from 9 am  to 5 pm and involves all types of instrumentalist, so if you love music, come by and witness one of the great young Classical Guitar stars of our era! I have spoken about CELIL many times because he is so great for such a young artist. He is a child prodigy who has continually matured into a really great artist and he is a C O M P E T I T I O N  ANIMAL!!!!! He loves to compete and win but he deserves to win because he has it all together!!! You know, the level of the kids performing today is really "OUT OF THIS WORLD FANTASTIC". I am so proud of these young men and woman who make our instrument smile! In my opinion, we are living in GUITAR HEAVEN. I just came back from a weekend in ONEONTA, New York for the annual FALL GUITAR FESTIVAL sponsored by the Classical Guitar Society of Upstate New York and what a treasure trove of great performances and interesting compositions. It is worth the 5 hour bus ride once a year. Look for my report on this great event! I am sure that around the world there are pockets of deep love for our great instrument and in the Upstate New York area, so many nice and loving people have continually worked tirelessly  to promote our great instrument and I must and will reserve a separate post for them this week! I am still beaming from this weekend guitar party.

Getting back to the main focus of this blog, YOU MUST SEE AND HEAR CELIL RAFIK KAYA!!!! The kids today are at the highest level of Guitar mastery in history and there are so many of them. Every time you turn around, you find another whiz kid kicking serious guitar butt!!! I am so happy to be able to shout out on this blog about so many people you should know about in the Guitar world. In particular I hope to be a valid sounding post for all these great young masters as I bump into them  so please get to Merkin Hall this Wednesday October 17 to witness Classical Guitar greatness in our mist! CELIL RAFIK-KAYA MUST NOT BE MISSED.I do surely hope that CELIL wins because I get tired and pissed at all of the other instrumentalists who try to look down their noses on our great instrument. It is just plain ignorance out there so we continually have to cope with that fact and SHOW THEM THEY ARE WRONG!!!

Look for my coverage of the Upstate New York Fall Guitar Festival bit by bit.I can't promise you that I can get a blog up every day, but I will try because on the way back, I listed 12 topics this weekend yielded and really want to pass them along to you who love the Guitar and its' many jewels! Hope this post makes sense as I am still a little sleepy from the weekend of pure Guitar Joy!

Crazy Guitar Donnie

SO MUCH TO REPORT- SO LITTLE TIME

I am swamped with so much going on in the great New York City. I have fingers all over the musical pies. I expect to be in Oneonta Upstate New York this weekend for a Guitar Festival and in a couple of weeks, Woodstock has a two day Luthier Festival I hope to attend and just recently I attend and played at a Brazilian Guitar Workshop which I want to report on. As a member of the New York City Classical Guitar Society , We had a chance to experience the Genius of Luthier GARRETT LEE give a totally lucid demonstration on how the Guitar Works. I had to pass up performances by some of my teachers: PAT MARTINO at the IRIDIUM, RONI BEN HUR CD release, BUCKY PIZZARELLI  and HOWARD ALDEN! Just too much happening !! Of course I am terrible in keeping the blood flowing in this blog. At the recent Guitar Society meeting ( every 1st Thursday of the Month) I met an excellent Guitarist who years ago I promised to write up a review of his CD and somehow I didn't. This was something typical because a day or two before the meeting, I as looking at some of my Cd's and looked directly at his in one stack and I mentioned to him that I wondered how he was and lo and behold there he shows up at the meeting! I can only say to those of you I owe, I am still trying to deliver on my promises! I wish I could be more than one person because I have so much to offer before I leave this world of ours. In between trying to report on our great instrument, I am continually honing my guitar technique and styles. I am trying to make a study of the BACH Chacconne , learn Jazz Standards and Techniques, work on some Latin American Composers and so many other things besides playing in public at least 5 days a week in the MUSIC UNDER NEW YORK program of the New York City Transit Authority. I owe my dear Brazilian Brother MARIO DA SILVA pictures I took of Him during the MANNES GUITAR SEMINAR this past Summer, I owe the brilliant German Virtuoso PIA GAZAREK-OFFERMANN more promo online. CONNIE SHEU and RUPERT BOYD are also on my " TO DO " list. I owe my dear ENGLISH Brother MAURICE SUMMERFIELD ( Classical Guitar Magazine) a write up on the great Brazilian Virtuoso and colleague ROMERO LUBAMBO ( way,way overdue ). The list is daunting to say the least! I have started compiling a list next to this computer and will try my best to get it scratched off. I want to end this post by publicly thanking my dear sweet wife for saving my life over a year ago when I had my quadruple bypass operation ( MARCH 22nd 2011 ). Her dedication to my recovery was awe inspiring .She did not let me give up especially during the most severe bouts of depression. Here I was a super energetic and bold person being stripped of my bold self. Learning to walk just down a flight of stairs or around the block was so humbling and embarrassing. I have been so fortunate to have married such a special person who continues to do great things for me. I continue to tell her I don't deserve her. THANK YOU HONEY!!!  May you all be so lucky to have such a special person to share your life! Hope to post some more today and this week. Gotta get that early morning workout in !

Celil Refik - Kaya At Mannes College Tonight

It is 3:40 am  Tuesday Morning and I am watching that super Funny Stand up comedian Lisa Lampanelli spew her funny digs at the audience and something said to check my messages so I got out my IPhone and lo and behold, I get an e-mail from the great Guitar Duo Michael Newman and Laura Oltman posted at 1:35 am that tonight at THE  MANNES COLLEGE OF MUSIC ( 150 West 85th Street ), the great young phenomenally gifted CELIL REFIK-KAYA will be giving his Master of Music Graduation Recital at 8pm. It is now 5:25 am and I had to jump on this blog and shout to the highest level that you MUST ATTEND GREATNESS!!!!! The concert is free and you will get a chance to witness one of the finest Musicians of our time!!! He is a child prodigy who has grown up to dazzle and amaze all who are smart enough to attend his performances. He has it all - Musicianship,Technique, easy platform manner and sweet disposition! This kid is truly an outstanding young artist who kicks serious Guitar BUTT!!! There are several You Tube videos available so you can see that I know my guitar gems and I love this kid dearly. He has made Michael Newman, his main teacher at Mannes so, so proud! I am super happy to be associated with this great young man as he continues to compete in the Major Classical Guitar Competitions around the world and wins just about every single one he competes in. He is also an excellent example of putting in the necessary work to achieve your objectives! Any one of you who think he is an overnight sensation is dead wrong. This great young man has busted his ass from early childhood. I get really pissed at those young kids who think it is so easy to achieve. There are no magic pills in life! You have to pay the price of  W O R K  to get to the mountain top! Whatever you want to achieve, you have to put the time in. Too many kids look for short cuts and magic potions. They don't want to work.Anyway that is enough from me on that. I am just so tickled to be able to post this shout out to my young and dear friend. Everywhere he goes, he continues to cement the word "GREATNESS" to his name. His interpretations, in particular are an admirable achievement in themselves. It is so nice to not have to contend with yet another "FINGER WIZ MACHINE" who knows nothing about making music sing and touch the soul. CELIL will make you love the majesty of the Classical Guitar as he will envelop you in a world of beautifully defined sounds that only our great instrument can pronounce. We are so lucky to have this young master represent our instrument. I will be coming from a three hour gig right before showing up for this delicious treat and he will show me why I play this instrument.
I hope to see a  good crowd there tonight. Hope you can attend folks because he is really someone out of the ordinary! SEE YA ~!!!

JULIA CROWE and MY FIRST GUITAR

Yesterday, I was out looking for a specific Jazz Standards paperback Book at Barnes and Noble and saw a book right up my alley by a colleague and friend JULIA CROWE!!! The book is "MY FIRST GUITAR" and it is another great job by this special Guitarist/Author. You have seen the name of JULIA CROWE in many Guitar Magazines as she is one of the finest writers in the Guitar Reporting field. She writes an excellent monthly column in the English Publication "CLASSICAL GUITAR MAGAZINE" entitled "LETTER FROM NEW YORK". I don't know how she finds the time for all her duties but she surely does an excellent job no matter what she is involved in. This is just a "Get your attention" post as I am trying to deliver all the posts I had promised in my past posts. Just heard from my young virtuoso RUPERT BOYD who is back from an outrageous tour and looking for my promised review of his brilliant concert here in New York a couple of months ago.I just am swamped with a ton of stuff to pass on to you and just popping that extra vitamin "C" and "E" to get my 62 year young body in Posting Mode. Just wanted to pop this out to you all as I pull in my reins to share some great moments. This weekend, I will be taking a Brazilian Guitar Workshop with New York Guitarist Billy Newman and Brazilian Guitarist ROGERIO SOUZA.Hope to be blogging that sometime Sunday or Monday ( my usual gig day off ). A Donnie Shout out goes to my dear colleague "across the pond" FORBES HENDERSON. He and I have hooked up in my quest to seriously consider the greatness of the Bach Chacconne! I would hope to add to the literature on the various concepts of this thoroughly deep work. After checking out the wonderful interpretive ideas shared by Forbes in his transcription posted on you tube,MAN OH MAN! I was blown away by how deep FORBES went into the soul of BACH with his transcription so here I am trying to catch some time to move forward with this project. I also am getting a new 6 movement Suite under my belt that must be ready by the beginning of next month, so I have to eat my WHEATIES!! Forbes was also kind enough to give me some hints about other sources of ideas that propelled him in his transcription so I have to check them out. I also borrowed a book years ago completely discussing various interpretations of famous Violinists on the Chacconne and the treasure trove of info on the web will bury my butt if I let it!! Gotta stay focused like a laser! Well again I am up past my bedtime as I have been checking the web for info about my teacher on Saturday and looking at pertinent videos having to do with our master class topics. I am dead tired but must push on and get this completed. See you at next post.

CONNIE SHEU - WHAT A GREAT TALENT!

I have known the great artist CONNIE SHEU for at least a decade and she has never failed to perform at the highest level of artistry over that time.Tonight will be her second appearance this week in New York as she will give a lecture on the Life and Work of Female Guitarist and composer Emilia Guiliani ( The daughter of Mauro Guiliani ).After I attend tonight's lecture, I will review her concert given two days ago to open the new "SALON CONCERT SERIES" by the New York City Classical Guitar Society in a wonderful Guitar Friendly Concert hall. Let me just say that anyone in the New York City Concert area should check with the New York Classical Guitar Society this year because there are some great young kids out there that will make you love the guitar even more and I will do my best to cover all I can. For now I'm just going to taste Connies' You Tube Videos to re visit this awesome artist and let me say that she is also a sweet and gorgeous woman whose Concert Platform presence is full of elegance and she plays so effortlessly with absolutely beautiful tone and jumps around the fingerboard like a Olympic Gold Medalist! Mark my words! If you see her name in your area, jump and attend a slice of gourmet musical treats. Connie has it all together!!!

Back on the Beat!

I have been off the postings in order to get myself in the mood again. I have been playing around town as usual with my regular gig in "Music Under New York" and have one dedicated student so far. I really don't teach much because my calling since the age of 4 has been that of a Performer of Music. ANYWAY- I have a large back load of topics and reviews to share with you: 1)A look into the Bach Chaconne with the Interpretation of Forbes Henderson and the various interpretations including the heavy duty DAVID LEISNER . 2) The just completed MANNES GUITAR SEMINAR of 2012 which was a lot of fun 3) A lovely Garden Concert by the great young virtuoso RUPERT BOYD held in The Greenwich House School of Music 4) The Yale Guitar Extravaganza 5) An update of one of my favorite young Masters - CELIL RAFIK-KAYA 6) The Fabulous German Virtuoso needing more exposure PIA GAZAREK-OFFERMANN and several reports on the Jazz Guitar Gigs. So much to write about and that is just the tip of the Iceberg! I will be heading Upstate soon to participate in the Upstate New York Guitar Festival with a performance and report of this wonderful two day event which will feature one of the great legends of our time -or any time - DAVID STAROBIN!!! A master of all the periods of Music and super virtuoso of the Music of our time! I will also be at the Woodstock Guitar Invitational the following weekend to check out the wild creations of the Cutting edge Luthiers and grab some great Concerts and Workshop. Before that I will be taking a Brazilian Guitar Workshop here in the City next month to sharpen up my Brazilian Chops. Yeah BABY! AT 62 coming at you!!!!!!! Speak to you later as soon as I get some breakfast in my stomach! I've been up all night and hope my eyes have deleted all the grammar mistakes and hope that I am making decent sense for you so far. I'm a little groggy but after breakfast and a good workout at the gym, I will be ready to cut down the posting tree I have set for myself today! Speak to you later and I hope you all had a great Summer!!!!

Forbes Henderson and The Bach Chaconne -Part 1

As I am about to spend the next couple of months concentrating on the available works of J.S.BACH in arrangement or transcription for Guitar,I decided to work on the Bach Chaconne so hopped on to youtube to dig into the best interpretations of this masterwork and happily stumbled on to the arrangement by my English colleague FORBES HENDERSON and it opened up a vast field of possibilities for me. I have been on the scene here in New York since my 1st Guitar plucking days in 1957 and over the decades I have heard the finest instrumentalists play this deeply moving work and I must state that this version by Forbes Henderson digs new ground in the Chaconne's interpretation.I was floored by the depth of sensitivity given to the variations.I immediately submitted my comment on his performance online and was happy to have him almost immediately send me an e-mail thanking me for my comments. Not only was ideas in certain variations thought provoking his magnificent SIMON AMBRIDGE guitar was very,very impressive in character.I informed Forbes that I would be extending my reaction to his excellent performance in my blogg and here is the 1st part of it.As I am writing this post, I had his performance in the background and am now listening to Heifetz teach it in his masterclass. I have a book of essays on various artists explaining their approach to playing this deep piece. I am working also with the Abel Carlevarro Masterclass Book on the Chaconne. W H E W ! I know I may be too wildly getting into this but it has been a rush for me to use all of these various learning techniques. Anyway, I heartily pat my dear colleague FORBES HENDERSON on the back for opening my ears a little wider to the beauty in the music of the great one and for playing so beautifully on an outstanding instrument. When you check out Forbes' youtube performance,it will be in two installments.Also as a side note, there is a video on youtube of SIMON AMBRIDGE building one of his instruments which may interest you.I am always so darn happy to see names pop back into view that I have known from decades ago and Forbes Henderson was a young performing titan in the 70s/80s and I know in my record collection, there is a recording somewhere.I also believe you can check out a young Forbes Henderson in the series of masterclasses conducted by JULIAN BREAM in the 70/s. That time frame had quite a number of great young players on the English Guitar Scene and I will post that info as I verify my info so you too can mind the gold that is the You Tube Magic.There will be a part two of this post because I want to see if I can buy a copy of Forbes version. Again my deep thanks to Forbes for his kindness in letting me know his appreciation of my comments on his lovely performance!

CELIL REFIK KAYA _ YOUNG LEGEND

The young super virtuoso Classical Guitarist who just won 2nd place in the GFA Competition, CELIL REFIK KAYA, has got to be experienced by anyone who wants to be on the ground floor of witnessing a legend. A child prodigy in Turkey,he continues to astound everyone who hears and sees him! H E IS T O T A L L Y A W E S O M E !!!!!!!His interpretation and technical facility is absolutely mind boggling! At the recently concluded Mannes Guitar Seminar, he played the required set piece for the GFA competition early in the participants Sunday recital and then rushed off to get his plane for the GFA Competition! I dearly love this great young legend and if you jump on youtube, you will see that he has been a Guitar Monster since childhood appearing many times on Turkish Television. He has been a student of MICHAEL NEWMAN at The MANNES COLLEGE of MUSIC ( Where he just completed his undergraduate degree) and he will be going on to the MANHATTAN SCHOOL of MUSIC for his Doctorate. If you have a head on your shoulders remember this name! We are in the audience of one of the greatest musicians in Musical History. The fact that he plays our beloved instrument should make us all so very,very proud! I will be updating you on my dear fantastic friend asap.Let me give that name and website to you once more : CELIL REFIK KAYA I also must mention that he is a COMPETITION ANIMAL having competed in an astounding amount of competitions since childhood! I was surprised when I saw that he was only rewarded with 2nd place at the GFA! This young man is HERCULEAN in ARTISTRY and should receive 1ST place in anything he enters HE IS THAT GREAT!!!!! Congratulations my dear young MAESTRO!!! MAY you continue to grow!

EMMANUEL LABOR DVD

I recently posted comments on the Great Austrailian Guitarist TOMMY EMMANUEL and yesterday picked up a DVD "EMMANUEL LABOR" on which he teaches you pieces from his three major CDS!This great artist is so enthusiastic about playing and sharing his techniques! This Mel Bay Video is a "MUST HAVE" if you want to build super chops. I rushed home,put the video in with guitar in hand and began the 1st few lessons. W H E W . W H A T A R U S H !!!! Tommy stresses that you have got to work hard to play well and I am so happy that he consistently tells you this throughout the lessons. This one on one with this great virtuoso is precious! There is no pdf files to mess around with. It is as thought you were in his house directly taking lessons with him in a very casual manner. I love this video and if you want to hone some serious Guitar chops, this is your video. I also would direct you to YOUTUBE to find a TON of his videos. His Beatles Medley and Chet Atkins Medley are mind blowing examples of his great craft. What I particularly enjoy about him is his constant joy of performing! He has a lot of fun and transmits that joy with every note he plays! Jump on the knowledge band wagon and learn from perhaps the greatest all around guitarist of our time : TOMMY EMMANUEL .

Rupert Boyd in Concert

One of my favorite young Guitar Virtuosos will be performing tonight at the Greenwich House School of Music at 46 Barrow street in Greenwich Village at 7pm. His name is RUPERT BOYD and he is G R E A T !!! For $15 Dollars/ $10 for Students/Seniors, he will floor you with his incredible Musicality and Mastery. I have followed him for several years and he is just top notch. He is Australian living here in New York and I would advise you to check out both YOUTUBE and his Website,rupertboyd.com to bone up on this great talent. I will be coming straight from a gig myself at the Staten Island Ferry so will have my rig with me but I can't miss a chance to experience this young pro do his thing! Hope you will join me as the ticket price includes WINE and CHEESE! W O W ! What a bargain. Be there or be square! See you later and I will be reviewing this super kid display all his guitar charm!

Jason Vieaux at The Mannes Guitar Seminar part # 11

One of our finest talents in the World of the Classical Guitar is JASON VIEAUX and I just came back from another brilliant performance from this totally Fantastic musician at The Mannes 12th Guitar Seminar!! Jason has technique to burn and a particularly deep well of musicianship which keeps him at the top of our field. Tonights' concert was ,from end to end a magnificent display of the highest caliber of musicianship.With an outstanding instrument to ply his trade, Jason showed us what supreme music making was all about.Opening the program with the Grand Overture by Italian composer Mauro Giuliani,we were immediately struck by the flawless phrasing and supreme attention to musical detail.The wonderful changes in tone color and the perfect tempo chosen puts us into the finest seat of music appreciation one could inhabit.Jasons' interpretational skill was always at the perfect service of the music.After a heavenly performance of the Guiliani,we were given a rare treat to hear the music of the greatest composer in history-J.S.Bach in a lute Suite that must have had Bach smiling in his grave because each minute detail of the music was deliciously brought to life by this interpretational genius! I was totally amazed by the manner in which Jason crafted each and every movement.If you go to you tube and check out the "BEHIND THE SCENES" 3 part video,you catch a glimpse at his thought process when he prepared his Bach Recording. His use of tone color and volume brought each and every dance movement to such clear realization. This young genius can do no wrong in my book and I have been around the block a few times and know the best of the best and I would shout to the highest heavens for those of you who get to see his name anywhere in the concert venues in your neck of the woods, JUMP AND CATCH this fantastic artist in concert.This post is just a teaser on Jasons' great concert and mystical powers because he deserves a book load of meaty praise. I must also take time to mention that his first Guitar teacher was on hand to hug his great student- JOEL PERRY.Joel had the pleasure of teaching the 8 year young future great for a year and it has been a shame that he has not been credited with that fact and I am here to correct that. Joel is a great artist in his own right and perhaps some of the Classical pundits try to ignore this fact because JOEL PERRY is known as a Jazz Guitarist.That is a crying shame.Even Bream received the seeds of his great interpretations through the world of Jazz and states that in the documentary on his life.It is so important for a child to have solid beginnings on which to base a successful future in whatever he/she wants to succeed in and JOEL PERRY gave Jason that solid base. I have more details about tonight's performance to enlighten you about in my next installment regarding Jason but will have to hold off and get some sleep as I am attending the Mannes Guitar Seminar and will be reporting on the weeks' Guitar fun. I have to leave the apartment early in order to play at an "open stage", so I had better get my 62 year young/old body into bed. Unlike my usual pad and pen in concert mode tonight, I just enjoyed the great pleasure of having the wonderful JASON VIEAUX show me what great musicianship is all about! H O O R A Y J A S O N!!!

TOMMY EMMANUEL - GOOD FOR YOU

I would implore anyone who loves great guitar masters to check out the Great Australian Virtuoso TOMMY EMMANUEL! Totally out of this world! He has so much torrid electricity and joy in his playing! He just drips with creativity! Jump on to YOUTUBE N O W! There are a ton of videos of his. What a clean and magnificent Artist! Hope I get a chance to see him in the New York area some time soon.

We need more FEMALE GUITAR COVERAGE and other tidbits!

I am one Male who believes that we need more coverage of the great Female Guitarists on the scene - especially those in the Classical Guitar world! I hope to fill some of this void in the coming years.After my quadruple bypass surgery last March 22nd,during recovery I thought about so many things including when I returned to decent health, what I want to spend the rest of my life doing and that coverage of the female Classical Guitarists was one. I want to shout out a few names - and this is not an all inclusive list - as a matter of fact ,I will hold off and get the list ready for you. i would feel terrible if I missed someone so check back with me. I find it a joy to be able to check up on the "YOUNG GUNS" of the Classical Guitar by attending performances at the Major Music Schools and Conservatories here in New York: The Mannes College of Music-The Manhattan School of Music and Julliard. I used to be in every crack and crevice of the Concert scene but now have to slow down just a bit but I suggest that you folks follow my lead by checking with the New York City Classical Guitar Society website and THE CLASSICAL GUITAR BLOG and others. I will round up a group of informational sites for you in a future post. I am not one to be a slave to this blog ( as you can tell) but know I will be a bit more jumping on as I am feeling better these days. I also must hug and thank SUE WALL and Classical/Flamenco Guitar Virtuoso DENNIS KOSTER for checking on me and my progress as I recovered last year from the open heart surgery! My dear colleague and long time buddy Virtuoso Scholar,Guitarist and Teacher JERRY WILLARD - who had a similar health problem in the past must also be HUGGED in public for checking in with me. I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! WORDS CAN'T DO JUSTICE TO YOUR GREAT SUPPORT! In a separate state of grace I must thank my dear wife for saving my life by making sure that I never gave up during recovery! She made fabulous meals and made sure I took my Meds and did my walking.I have been so fortunate to have this great woman in my life and I continue to love her dearly. We have been together for almost 27 years and this year we will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary!!! W O W !!!!!!!!!. She doesn't like me to single her out but I must because she loved me enough to see that each and every day was the most positive it could be and she is always looking out for me even when I don't want her to. H E I D Y W I T T E R I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! THANK YOU FOR BEING IN MY LIFE!!!!! I must also thank MAURICE SUMMERFIELD for his great magazine CLASSICAL GUITAR.CLASSICAL GUITAR MAGAZINE published in England is the finest up to date magazine on the Classical Guitar in Publication and I have no idea how Maurice and his staff does it! When I get my monthly "Classical Guitar FIX", I lick the pages and always find something new to learn about our fantastic instrument and so I owe dear MAURICE an "Over the Pond" Hug - DEEP HUG for respecting and covering out great and noble instrument. I also hope to be alerting you to the great articles in this fabulous magazine starting with the June issue soon to come my way. Coming up in a couple of weeks will be the MANNES GUITAR SEMINAR and I will be there as a full student and look for my "TEASER" treatment this week by covering one of the past Seminars I attended at Mannes when I was a Full Participant. Hopefully the above entries make sense because I was up all night watching a couple of musicals with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers and taking in the first of 6 lectures - BERNSTEIN AT HARVARD-THE NORTON LECTURES plus checking out some advanced Classical Guitar lessons on youtube then jumping on to my blog!! WHEW. I made a fast check on the above and believe that I made decent sense! My wife just came in to give me a good morning Kiss - YUMMIE!!!!!

Check out the Sharon Isbin Interview

I have been spending a lot of time on YOUTUBE checking out the great performances and lessons ang must let you know that the great Sharon Isbin has a very fine Interview in which she shares several topics that should be excellent food for thought for those who want to sharpen up your playing. I have known Sharon since 1975 and most recently sat next to her at the Barbosa Lima Concert.I met her in Toronto in 1975 when she came into the Leo Brouwer masterclass I attended all week and she carried the composition he wrote for her "El Decammeron Negro". Sharon was a little on the chubby side quite young but a blazing player-in fact winning the Toronto International Guitar Competition that year. I hope nothing is wrong with her physically at this time because over the last few years, she has been awefully thin and fragile looking.I, in the past, discounted her as not a "Concert" performer because on the stage, she didn't have the volume to reach out in a hall so I stopped attending her concerts. She sounded great on recordings but when it came to concerts, you could hardly hear her. She then developed an amplification system that made her concert worthy and I started to attend her in various genre concerts. She had done quite a bit to "beef up" the Classical Guitar Repertoire, i WAS AT HER GUITAR STREAM CONCERTS held at Carnegie Recital Hall and the Great Trio Concerts she had with my dear Friend and Mentor LAURINDO ALMEIDA and Larry Coryell ( Guitarjam ). Her recent "Guitar Passions" CD once again is a triumphant display of good Guitar Wits. Of course she has added to the Classical Guitar Concerto Repertoire by leaps and bounds and finally this year she will have a documentary released on her life with the Guitar. I,for one,will "eat that baby up" when it is released because this great artist deserves all the respect we can muster.She has "DONE THE GUITAR PROUD"! Now getting back to the excellent interview on YOUTUBE,Check it out NOW.She talks about several important topics including Vibrato,Baroque Interpretation and several useful topics so I hope after reading this little post you investigate her. When her documentary hits the market and I get a copy, I will post my reaction to it.I can't leave this post without stating again that the most glowing performance of the Concerto De Aranjuez was performed by Sharon at the 2004 1st Guitar Congress. I have heard every major Classical Guitarist of our times perform this most popular Concerto and Sharons' Performance in 2004, brought tears to my eyes and moved my heart deeply! Before that performance, my most beloved and moving Aranjuez was in the 70's performed by the great Mexican Virtuoso ALFONSO MORENO! I don't know if any of you know this "Blast from the past Virtuoso, but I do believe he has a few videos on YOUTUBE. His performance, in my opinion was far above any other performance up to then for a very raw energy and deep "DUENDE" feeling.Sharon's performance was imbued with exceptionally wonderful phrasing and nuances so poetic and arching! Her body gestures also transmitted the soul of this overplayed and most popular Guitar Concerto. I wish I had a video of that performance because it was AWE INSPIRING in every way. The tone,The Phrasing The fingerings did everything to give the Rodrigo Gem the most beautiful Performance I have ever heard. Somehow on her documented CD of the same Concerto, I was less impressed as I felt it was to "Cold" a performance. The CD sounded too "clinical" for my taste. I remember sitting and listening at the former "TOWER RECORDS" at Lincoln Center when it firts came out Several times. I also read the brilliant review by my dear Colleague JULIA CROWE in a Guitar Publication in which Julia went into intimate details of the Aranjuez Recording session from Mic choice to the position of the instruments. Anyway- that is not to diminish the greatness of Sharon's artistry in any way. That 2004 Guitar Congress concert was also subtly amplified perfectly.After the concert,when Sharon was signing her CDS, I gave her glowing praise in person and she was very keen on finding out where I sat in the concert hall and how the balance was between her and the Orchestra. At the time I wrote a few words about that wonderful performance,I was also having a tussle with one of our great scholars who asked me point blank what I thought about her performance ( He knew it was a Fantastic performance and knew if I said anything to the contrary I was full of crap!) I told him it was the finest performance I ever heard! That Scholar was Mantanya Ophee - perhaps our most important Classical Guitar Scholar. Also sitting behind me was my dear,dear Friend the owner of the most inclusive Classical Guitar Publication "Classical Guitar Magazine" - MAURICE SUMMEREFIELD - He also agreed that Sharon's performance was a gem! Well, I have gone on longer than I thought I would but remembering this special moment in my life is so precious. I'm glad I had the smarts to be there! I am such a lucky sucker to have been at so many "right places at the right time". I am still having a great time playing and learning about the Guitar! Hope you enjoy my little tidbits on my experiences. Speak to you soon about the great Concert my friend DAVID LEISNER gave in DUO with the BRILLIANT TENOR WILLIAM FERGUSON one week ago at the Rubin Museum here in New York. I was deeply moved and counted me and those in attendance, to have had one of the most poetic afternoons of great music making shared with us by these two fantastic greats! W O W !!!!!!!

Tornado From Brazil-YAMANDU COSTA- Intro

I recently sat through two TOTALLY OUTRAGIOUS performances by the fantastic Brazilian Guitarist YAMANDU COSTA and MAN OH MAN WHAT AN INCREDIBLE GUITAR MONSTER!!!!!! His first concert was sold out long ago, so the Classical Guitar Society of New York added a second performance. I went to the box office early hoping that the DONNIE LUCK would be in favor of getting a "sold out" ticket and I was rewarded for my patience and also bought a ticket for the second concert.I direct your sights to YOUTUBE and check out the great videos of this "FORCE OF NATURE" and you will agree with me that THIS IS SOME HEAVY DUDE!!!!! I need to get my notes from that great night,but jump on youtube and you will blow your mind! He is not only a man who plays at supersonic speed, his sweet and gentle side is also exposed beautifully in a gentle piece written for his son! He played on a NEW 7-string Guitar Made in Canada that he "Loved". I would hazard a guess thta it may be a DARYL PERRY , but could not get close to Yamandu as people were all over him. I first checked him out a few years ago at the 92nd Street "Y" Brazilian Guitar Marathon where no one wanted to play after him! HE WAS THAT CRAZY PHENOMINAL!!!!!I started checking into him on you tube and saw that he has an enormous amount of videos available. He is my type of player- BOLD AND MIND NUMBING GOOD!He has already established himself as a "Guitar God" as far as I am concerned. Part two of this report will be coming today. Got my notes on the table and need to take a deep breath before I divulge them to you because I am already excited about sharing my thoughts about this fantastic artist so stay tuned !I want to check and see if I can find out who the Luthier of his fabulous Guitar is.

Pia Gazarek Offermann - To Be Continued

I will be working hard on alerting you of an great artist who is not getting enough mention in the Classical Guitar World- PIA GAZAREK-OFFERMANN. This woman deserves to be engaged by all who treasure a truly great artist.I have known her for several years now and she really is a "great" waiting to be acknowledged. Just check out her website. PIAOFFERMANN.COM

Sharon Isbin -Classical Guitar Blog

Check out the Classical Guitar Blog for an excellent Interview with the great Sharon Isbin. She has some great information on several topics that really hits the mark. She also mentioned that she will be releasing a Documentary on her life work this year which should be another great moment in the career of this special artist! I was just with Sharon at the Society of The Americas when our colleague and friend Carlos Barbosa-Lima performed this past Wednesday. More on Sharon to come from me.

TOO much Guitar Stuff!!!!

Here I am at 2:19 am on Tuesday Morning trying to get back to sharing So much with you.The Guitar scene here in New York is crazy busy and I have been trying to catch as much as I can!Carlos Barbosa-Lima,Yamandu Costa,Mannes College wiz kids And so much more to hand over to you.I'm trying to get it together before I explode here at the screen so will check my notes and get right back in an hour or so!

Donnie in Concert This Saturday! Woodlawn Heights

April 14, 2012
Don Witter, Jr

Don Witter, Jr Plays the World of The Classical Guitar

Saturday, April 14, 2 PM Woodlawn Heights Library
Program: World of Classical Guitar 4355 Katonah Avenue (at E. 239th St.)
Bronx, NY 10470
(718) 519-9627

Phone for more information: (718) 519-9627

Website: donsguitarsite.com

Donnie turned 62 April 6th

This past Friday, I said hello to my 63rd year and good bye to 62 years here on planet earth. I'm doing well after my bypass operation a year ago and my playing is razor sharp due to gigging at least 5 days a week! I had a great Birthday with some sweet people calling to wish me their best for me! My great wife surprised me with some great gifts and a fantastic Birthday Dinner at RED ROOSTER in Harlem! Marcus Samuelson is the fantastic owner and what a great place! I sat facing the kitchen and had a first glance at how this great restaurant was run with precision and tact! the food and service was excellent! I can't crow enough about this place. If you are in New York, Get off at 125Th street in the 2/3 train line and you are right there!

Time for me to get back to some blogging!My head has been spinning as I have attended so many concerts over the past month and had no time to report on them. My legendary teacher PAT MARTINO had an organ trio at Birdland and I caught that blistering Trio plus I attended the YALE GUITAR EXTRAVAGANZA and popped into the RON CARTER TRIO that was just about one of the greatest concerts I ever heard in my life! I have an overflowing plate to dish out to you and hope I can get my act together for that ! Coming at you kiddies!

A great Joy to discover my colleagues!

I am slowly going through the JOHN GILBERT Documentary on YOUTUBE and having a great time listening to a great LARRY FERRARA- a local West coast player. He reminds me of how many great local players there are all over the world who we don't get a chance to know about!This is the great plus of YOUTUBE being able to visit with other great players around the world!

JOHN GILBERT- GREAT~~_

Go online to YOUTUBE and check out the 5 part documentary on Luthier JOHN GILBERT! What a great piece of work checking out several Gilberts with the Luthier!Great lesson in Guitar Comparisons! Pay attention to all the great comments!

1 year ago! / Ben Verdery and Guitar Extravaganza/Jerry Williard and Things!

Yesterday the 22ND of March, I celebrated my one year anniversary of quadruple bypass surgery and am really happy to have been given an opportunity to carry on my playing and learning! I again must thank my dear sweet wife for pulling me through and my friends and families who checked up on me during the months of recovery.I have been off my Blog simply due to taking on a bit too many projects,but am getting my act together. Today,Friday I am on the judging panel for the Music Under New York Transit Program then I train myself to Yale for tomorrows' Guitar Extravaganza all day Festival run by my great colleague BENJAMIN VERDERY! This kid has SUPERMAN BLOOD! He is an incredible human being who,single handily is the best supporter of our Great instrument in so many ways as Performing Artist,Teacher,Composer,Presenter WWWWWWHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEWWWWWWW!!!!! I don't know how Ben does it all! I first attended this Festival in 2006 when my "TWIN BROTHER" Hubert Kappell (GERMAN VIRTUOSO) was there and a group of us hung out like long lost brothers at a local Restaurant. I then have to get back for my regular gig at the Staten Island Ferry on Sunday so you can see that I am trying do get my stuff going. The only thing I regret is that I have to miss the Concert of my buddy JERRY WILLARD who will give a fabulous performance at Christ and St Stephens Church at 69Th Street off of Broadway in Manhattan. I have known JERRY since 1973 when I attended the "GUITAR WORKSHOP". It was that year the great BRITISH Guitarist/Composer JACK DUARTE gave his first Master Class in the United States. Jerry was way ahead of the Concert Guitarists at that time. He played his transcription of MANUEL DE FALLAS' Ritual Fire Dance which was TOTALLY AWESOME!I had just attended a performance of ARTUR RUBINSTEIN in which the Fire Dance was one of his encores! Still remember how that great Showman Raised his hands far above the piano to ring out the repeated Chords.JERRYS' interpretation was just as electrifying!These are the times I wish I had a clone to help me out!

In a couple of weeks,I will turn 62 and am playing Better then ever!I am also learning a heap from YOU TUBE and other media.I always have something to read on my way to gigs.Gotta take advantage of the time I have left here on earth.

My great teacher,the legendary Jazz Great PAT MARTINO,was just in town and I caught him at BIRDLAND this past Saturday. I will be posting my observation of this MONSTER ARTIST as soon as I can catch my breath! I know there are a couple of people awaiting my little review as they asked my "what I was writing".I actually glanced at another one of my notebooks and bumped into my last visit at Birdland when Pat was in town! I love this man dearly because he has been a special part of my life since I studied with him in the 70's.I suggest you run out and get his autobiography "HERE AND NOW" and you will be stunned at the life this man has lived! I saw a copy at my neighborhood library and this is one of the greatest gifts one could have because he has opened his life to you which shows a Kid who relentlessly pursued the study of the guitar as a young man on the road with various great groups.Honing his craft as an exceptional Guitarist and Composer and having to undergo illness of great stature and had come out on the other side of such impossible circumstances.He ends his book by showing Guitarists who to approach the Mystical world of the Guitar Fretboard in the most basic terms! I tell you that this book if a treasure trove of great information about overcoming so many things as a warm human being!

I have also to report on the last couple of months of performances by my colleagues and yet have to bring you up to speed on the great PIA GAZAREK-OFFERMANN, the great German Virtuoso who needs to have people know about her great artistry! I have not forgotten you PIA! So many things to do and so little time.On top of it all, I am crazy to be here at 4:39 am on a day in which I will be judging performances from about 9am to 3pm - non-stop then pop into Yale! Yes I am crazy,crazy,crazy!

I give a hug to all my friends out there in the Guitar world and once again encourage you to study,study,learn and learn from all the resources available especially YOU TUBE!!

This week here in New York, Thursday the great DAVID LEISNER will be performing at SYMPHONY SPACE-some works for Guitar and Piano and on Saturday at the 92ND Street "Y", we have the honor of experiencing the legendary PEPE ROMERO in concert. I yet have to post the fabulous Masterclass PEPE gave at the Manhattan School of Music as few months ago! I also just missed another great concert at the MANNES SCHOOL of MUSIC! Too much for DONNIE! I have gotta pace myself!

I will be posting my upcoming Library Concerts. I have two Next month on back to back Saturdays and one in May!I also just accepted a gig to play for IMMIGRANT HERITAGE WEEK next month at the St GEORGE Public Library in Staten Island which I am looking forward to. I love going around the city bringing the Classical Guitar to people who have no idea of how powerful this great instrument is! I have spent my life doing this and feel it is my "niche". I could have done the regular Concert Artist route and Jumped into the heavy duty repertoire with gusto, but I want to get people excited about playing.

I am stunned that I am wide awake as a few hours ago I was looking at a documentary on both MICHAEL JACKSON and STEVE JOBS -both playing at the same time and yet trying to also jump into a documentary on THE AMAZON! Life is a crazy puzzle.So many things are happening. The world is the worst I have seen in my life and I cry a lot for what is going on. Sometimes it is tough for me to yet go to another gig but when I get those first few "Thank You for Playing that tune", it know that I did something good. In my small way I try to make this volatile and cruel world a little bit less abrasive. Let me get ready for today. HAPPY SPRING! KEEP PLUCKING!

OH! I forgot to add that another one of my great teachers-JIM HALL-has recently had back surgery and in recovery himself.I saw a clip of him at a gig last year and cried as he had to slowly walk on stage bent over with a Cain.There was a special tribute concert I attended a couple of months ago for Jim and it was announced that he was "sorry he could not make it". Many of the greats who received their "WHEATIES" from Jim were on hand to play an incredible evening of wonderful Jazz Guitar! JIM WE LOVE YOU DEARLY AND HOPE YOU GET BETTER"!!

p.s. Hope I didn't make too many grammitical errors above.Getting a bit sleepy even though I checked the above post! - DONNIE

The Concerto de Aranjuez - Who has the best Performance

I am up here at 2am in the morning on YouTube checking out the performance of Narciso Yepes playing the Aranjuez Concerto and just wondered who pleased Rodrigo the most with his/her performance! I have heard it played by all the greats in my lifetime and before and including PACO DE LUCIA with Rodrigo on site. Another great performance is of course the DVD of PEPE ROMERO, who personally knew Rodrigo! I must say that the most impressive performance I witnessed was in 2004 when SHARON ISBIN played the Aranjuez at the 1st World Guitar Congress in Maryland! BOY she had it all together! Her phrasing was pin perfect and her on stage gestures perfectly complemented the phrasing. She was amplified which was not part of the original makeup of the Concerto but in Sharons' case,it was a perfect balance achieved. I also must point out the great job my friend and colleague DENNIS KOSTER did several years ago when he performed the Concerto Without AMPLIFICATION conducted by Scott Jackson-Wiley. It was prefaced by an evening spent by the New York Classical Guitar Society in which Dennis and Scott traveled through the Concerto point by point with Dennis detailed what fingerings he used and how he approached some of the phrasing. That was a great night and there should be a symposium with the great minds of the Guitar world putting in their personal comments of the same. After all this is THE MOST POPULAR Classical Guitar Concerto in the World and it is unfortunate that so many other worthy Concertos don't get a chance to live.The Mexican Guitarist Alfonso Moreno over 30 years ago impressed the hell out of me when I heard him perform it! It was gutsy and full of spunk! I LOVED IT!!! His attack was bold and the middle movement was sweet. You should look at the wonderful job GRAHAM WADE did when he published his extremely well done book in the Concerto.The best job point by point in print! Well let me get back to this piece of meat (the Yepes Rehearsal)on You Tube. I see that I'm all stoked about this and will seek out other performances on You Tube. In my gigs around town, I usually paraphrase that gorgeous 2nd movement and do an improvised Jazz version. People love it. I hope to set aside time to learn all three movements and perhaps eventually arrange the complete concerto ( Just before I pop into my grave probably!). Anyway,food for thought! Sorry for delaying several posts but I have been scattered in my efforts these days as I gig like crazy around town and try to catch concerts and gigs of friends plus handle a few projects that have me trying to tread water here! I may have taken on a bit much,but I know that I am ALIVE!!!Next month I will be 62 and feel like a 20 year young punk! Trying to get back to working out and eating right so I can have another 62 years! I refuse to have a future walking around with a Cain or walking apparatus. I will play the guitar until my last breath and love my dear and special wife forever! There is no amount of payback that will equal what my wife has done for me. I constantly tell her I don't deserve it.This year marks our 25th anniversary in July and we have been together 27 years! W O W ! What a record!!! Speak to you soon!

Hello again from DONNIE BUSY LAND!!!- PAT MARTINO

MAN OH MAN!! It has been a really neck snapping month for me between gigs and attending concerts. I thought I would get a chance to breathe and post some tidbits, but it seems that I will have to get my butt in this computer in spite of a hectic schedule.
I am in heaven this week because my dear teacher Jazz Legend will be at BIRDLAND starting this Tuesday - PAT MARTINO! You must go out and buy his magnificent auto biography - "HERE AND NOW". Not only will you find out about and extraordinary artist who started "on the road" at 15, you will be amazed at the life he has led and the great obsticales he has had to overcome. You will alos get a great Masterclass in how to look at the Guitar in the most efficient and clear way.This book is already available at some library branches. It was at my local library and I am so happy about that because his life has been lived at least 3 times and NO ONE ON EARTH PLAYS LIKE PAT MARTINO!! He is also a very caring and loving person and I feel so honored that he has graced my life as my dear teacher and friend.I love this man dearly as he has helped me through some of my tough times with illness over the last ten years! Hope you can catch him folks this week at BIRDLAND 315 West 44th street-

The INCREDIBLE YAMANDU COSTA-POWERHOUSE

Next month, an already sold out concert will be given by that "MONSTER" Guitarist YAMANDU COSTA at Baruch College. He first "WOWED" us at the BRAZILIAN GUITAR MARATHON held a few years ago at the 92nd street "Y" and continues to be one of the most sought after young Virtuosos of our great Instrument! I suggest you jump on to YOU TUBE right now and get a taste of this fantastic musician!His hands are totally powerful and at the same time delicate! They look like they "PUMP IRON".He reminds me a lot of two super Brazilians who also have a "MONSTER ATTACK"- BADEN POWELL and RAPHAEL RABELLO! YAMANDU really "TEARS UP THE FRETBOARD and I am spending some quality time taking pointers of his technique.I suggest you do the same.This young man has already established himself quite substantially on the International scene and I wish him all the success he can achieve! HE IS MY TYPE OF GUITAR PLAYER! A TRUE DYNAMIC MACHINE!!!

Donnie in Concert This Saturday at Aguilar Public Library 2pm

I will be giving a Latin American Guitar Recital this Saturday at 2pm at the Aguilar Public Library in Manhattan. 174 East 110Th Street (Between Lexington and 3rd avenue) Phone=212-534-2930.Admission is free and it will last at least an hour.Works by Riera,Cardoso,Yupanqui,Morel and others. Since this is Black History month, I will end with some Jazz Standards. Hope to see you there.In my next post, I will list my upcoming Public Library Concerts over the next few months.Stay Tuned to the Donnie Channel.

Another fantastic Artist-ANNA LIKHACHEVA

JUMP on YOU TUBE and witness another unbelievable talent. You can see videos of her when she is a little kid playing.You have gotta check out ANNA LIKHACHEVA!!!!

W H E W !

MARCH 15TH AT WEILL RECITAL-TWO MORE SUPER YOUNG ARTISTS

D'ADDARIO WILL PRESENT ANOTHER CONCERT OF TWO MORE INTERNATIONAL GUITAR COMPETITION WINNERS - EDEL MUNOZ FROM CUBA AND ROVSHAN MAMEDKULIEV FROM RUSSIA AT WEILL RECITAL ON MARCH 15TH. IT'S 1:26AM MONDAY MORNING AND I AM PRESENTLY VIEWING AND LISTENING TO THE COMPETITION VIDEO OF MR.MUNOZ-Beautiful playing!Clean and musical.Next I will check out Mr. Mamedkuliev.Just checked him out and he is also worth the trip to the box office. Boy- I tell you there are so many of these kids all over the world who have it all together.Technique and musicianship. The Conservatories are doing one hell of a great job.There are so many!! Well, I will continue to report on what I see and hear. Here in New York, the students at The Manhattan School of Music and Mannes School of Music have some really superb young kids just getting ready to strut their stuff. I will get a list and tell you about them in the future ok!

If there is a video of them performing,why show up to the concert hall? Because we should support our young artists in their performance environment. We get a feel for them as breathing human beings transmitting music directly to us. Pus we may have some nice surprises.Maybe we can get a few pointers either on repertoire or technical tidbits.It is also fun to discuss the program with fellow audience members. Maybe a new piece will catch our eyes and minds or an interpretation may shed light on a familiar piece causing us to say HHMMM!That's' interesting! Also we must not forget that the live concert is something that is really special and must be experienced in itself.

A dream Concert by Two Great young kids !

Weill Recital Hall,at Carnegie Hall,hosted two exceptional Prize Winning Classical Guitarists this past Thursday evening and for those of you who missed it,you missed one of the finest displays of great musicianship and virtuosity I have seen in my lifetime. Both young winners had their own individual stamp and their chosen instruments really suited their different characters. The wonderful Swedish Guitarist,JOHANNES MOLLER performed on a 2 week young CHRISTOPHER DEAN Spruce top that did everything JOHANNES requested of it! From my seat in front row balcony,the sound was crystal clear.I did not catch the make of the other young master, Mexican Virtuoso CECILIO PERERA, who played a Cedar top instrument that perfectly attacked the air with a vibrant tone,boldly articulating the powerful program presented.
I actually found out about the concert while attending the Masterclasses at The Manhattan School of Music, of legendary PEPE ROMERO. In the lobby, I saw the poster for the concert and wrote it down in my notebook.

TALE OF TWO VERY DIFFERENT APPROACHES

I thoroughly enjoyed both the programs presented by these two young Masters. CECILIO PERERA,started off the first half with a totally outrageously brilliant performance of the Leo Brouwer Sonata that KICKED SERIOUS GUITAR BUTT!! I heard the 3rd movement the day before at a special presentation at the Mannes School of Music and just about fell off my chair - his interpretation was like a savage beast clawing into the room with SO MUCH ENERGY AND ELECTRICITY!!W H E W !!!This Sonata was written for one of my greatest loved Guitarists-JULIAN BREAM-and I must admit that this kid had an attack and ferociousness that kicked my man JULIAN a little to the curb. He then followed that up with a totally NON BREAMIAN interpretation of the 5 Bagatelles of William Walton- again reaching into the well known JULIAN BREAM BAG of goodies but CECILIOS' interpretation was no slave to the BREAMIAN MANTLE! I loved each and every Bagatelle as CECILIO gave each it's own space and had such exquisite phrasing and tonal ideas that showed we had an intelligent interpreter at work.How many times have people copied Breams interpretation instead of imbuing their own intelligent thoughts about the works!CECILIO ended this triumphant first half of the program with an heroic and bold interpretation of the great Sonata op. 47 of ALBERTO GINASTERA! I have worked a little on this monster when it first came out through the hands of my former coach Carlos Barbosa Lima and attended a Masterclass in which he taught the piece.The GUITAR REVIEW also printed Carlos' Masterclass on the Sonata many years ago.This work is a tough baby to crack! It opens up with some juicy 6 string slow arpeggios and trills to slowly get into a mystical mood with each movement leading to that BOMBASTIC FINALE that calls on only the BRAVE AT HEART to attack as Ginastera pulls no punches in bringing up every conceivable Rhythm from the Argentine Pampas that rips your nails and just about breaks your wrist.We even get a little play of strings behind the nut of the guitar plus some body blows.Technically and interpretively there is a lot going on in these four movements.
CECILIO played the killer last movement like he was going for a little stroll in the park-such is his supreme technical equipment!! For his one encore, he stated that he was going to play play "Another piece by Brouwer-but unlike the previous composition". He then melted the audience with a sublime and deeply moving interpretation of the popular "A Day in November". This Brouwer piece is like a movie theme and so many rush to play it. This performance of it was the best I have heard - PERIOD! The use of vibrato and Rubato showed the audience that not only could he boldly scare the crap out of you with his demonic like attack when needed, it was as though he said - CHECK THIS OUT! YES! I can caress your heart and make you say OOOOHHHHHHHH MMMYYYYY!! This is the sign of a great artist who lives the music and can thoroughly transmit the essence of each work he touches. BRAVO YOUNG MAESTRO. If you want to melt your aural heart and grasp the power of attack, just check out this great young man on YOU TUBE!

Poetry and a Suave Swedish Master!

As mentioned,this concert presented two totally different approaches to our great and noble instrument and this young Swedish Champion dazzled the audience with a totally different stay on the concert platform as his half concentrated on several of his own compositions which was MYSTICAL and OTHER WORLDLY! Again, I thoroughly enjoyed everything JOHANNES performed as he brought absolutely gorgeous sounds from his two week young CHRISTOPHER DEAN SPRUCE TOP!He has his own compositional voice that sometimes concentrated on brushing across 6 string arpeggios against a repeated base but also had him magically interspersing harmonics both natural and artificial at appropriate points in his thematic development.His compositions have you expanding your aural senses to include the Universe as a fit place for the music to land!The program presented three of his compositions plus LAMENTO-SCHERZO by Canadian Composer DENIS GOUGEON, which was the commissioned competition piece for the 2010 GFA Competition won by JOHANNES.As his bow to a 'familiar' piece,he performed an exquisite interpretation of UN SUENO EN LA FLORESTA by Paraguyan Virtuoso/Composer AUGUSTINE BARRIOS MANGORE. This piece is a gem when the performer has total command of that elusive guitar technique- The Tremolo! JOHANNES has one of the most beautiful tremolos I have ever heard. Varying intensities and at times fluttering like the wings of a butterfly! Totally perfect tempo and tender nuance!His encore was his own composition "A Star in the Sky,A Universe within". Before he sat down to perform this lovely piece (also on You Tube),he mentioned that he had a DVD and 2 Cd's Available-Perfect promotion! Again,I refer you to YOU TUBE where you will find several videos of this excellent young artist including some of his original pieces performed as only he can.I spent some time congratulating his father at the reception and thanked his father for nurturing such a special young artist!

You should post these names on your cell phones or computers to know that you must jump to wherever these young vibrant and special artists are playing! DON'T MISS THEM!!!! THEY ARE GREAT!!!

I must also thank The D'Addario foundation for relaunching this series and making it affordable to the public which resulted in almost a full house for these two deserving young greats! I must also thank the following great people who added their great touches in bringing off this wonderful evening of musical joy for my dear noble instrument: MICHAEL NEWMAN & LAURA OLTMAN,LAURIE SHULMAN,MICAELA PITTALUGA,DAN MCDANIEL MANAGEMENT TEAM,LYNN MCGRATH,THOMAS OFFERMANN,BEN VERDERY,THE STAFF OF CARNEGIE AND WEILL HALL,THE D'ADDARIO CONCERT SERIES TEAM.

I must also say that I loved the format of the program.It was very attractive and the notes on the compositions were perfectly welcome. I always read them after the performance of the works so not to be swayed or conscious of what to look for. Music should be experienced and not made to be an intellectual exercise.Also check out the interesting interviews with JOHANNES on You Tube! Hope I have not overstayed my posting visit but I needed to give just due to such wonderful young people who make me proud that I love this great instrument.The future of the Classical Guitar is assured of success when we have these kids leading the way! THANKS CECILIO and JOHANNES. The world is yours!!!

Another great not mentioned - ROBERTO AUSSEL

Since I have been on the Guitar scene so long, I am having a feast on YOU TUBE by being able to visit so many of my Guitar Heros and one of them is the super virtuoso ROBERTO AUSSEL! I am listening to him right now remembering how awesome he is! He is playing is FREIDERICH and as always,sounding great! He is playing a concert of all Atahualpa Yupanqui works. I was just visiting with Yupanqui videos as I will be playing a couple of his works next Saturday in Concert. Back to the great ROBERTO AUSSEL. Get a taste of this great on YOU TUBE!

THE BRAZIL GUITAR DUO = AGAIN

I can't say enough about two outrageously gifted artists - THE BRAZIL GUITAR DUO! When you have a question "Who will follow the ASSAD DUO"? Here they are here- JOAO LUIZ and DOUGLAS LORA.As I write this post, I have them,playing one of their YOU TUBE Videos and their fresh interpretive skills just "BOWL ME OVER"!! I know I have posted about them a while ago but great things have to be reemphasised especially sine I run into Joao at Mannes every time I attend a concert there.Go on YOU TUBE to experience these two great artists in action! You will be mesmerized by their FANTASTIC ARTISTRY!!!!

Don - Still crazy after all these years!!!

Report on Weill Recital Hall coming up!!

Within the next couple of days, I will follow up on that FANTASTIC Weill Recital Hall Concert of those two highly Gifted Young men presented by the D'Daddario Sting Company! I would first love to publically thank D'Daddario for just about filling the hall due to their offering tickets at affordable prices! I will be 62 in April and have been on the Classical and Jazz Guitar Scene since 1962 and have studied with the best of the best and heard the best in the world as they traveled through New York and I feel like a kid in my teens- STILL HUNGRY FOR SOME GREAT GUITAR PLAYING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! I cry when I know a great player is in town and get a piss poor audience!In this case, I was so happy to see and almost sold out house for these two exceptionally gifted young tigers! Of course lucky me caught them twice this week and I will have to publicly thank MARK GREENBERG for telling me about the special Mannes event on Wednesday, THANKS MARK!! This post is just to touch base with you folks as my head is spinning from the amount of Guitar Concerts I have been to over the last two weeks and I believe I will be going tonight to another. I have had to slow down my event hopping a bit but I happy to receive the good feedback from my work. I receive no money for this but feel it important that my life here on the Guitar planet means something. I want only the best for my lovely instrument - the Guitar and hope that you too aspire to do the same. Speak to you soon and keep working on your guitars!!!

Two Young Contest Winners to Play At Weill Recital Hall tomorrow February 2nd

I was fortunate today to be at the MANNES SCHOOL OF MUSIC, where they held a private "for students" presentation of a 20 minute film about the History of The MICHELE PITTALUGA INTERNATIONAL GUITAR COMPETITION and on hand were two superb young virtuosos : CECILIO PERERA ( 2011 Michele Pittaluga Winner) and JOHANNES MOLLER(2010 GFA 1st Prize).Both brilliant young men will be in concert at the Weill Recital Hall tomorrow night Thursday February 2nd at 8pm, presented by The D'addario String Company. While having a little computer snafu delay the proceedings, as usual my buddy Michael Newman, with the help of some computer savvy students sent us on our merry stay in Goldmark Hall as we had a chance to taste the excellent Techniques and musicianship of these two extraordinary young men.I suggest you turn on your YOU TUBE channel and feast on the existing videos exposing the exploita of these seasoned artists! You will find more than enough examples of greatness. For their pre concert visit, they both played two pieces and answered questions about warm up procedures.
CECILIO PERERA played the third movement from Leo Brouwers'Sonata with an absolutely monstrous technical facility that knocked us all out! His second piece was "Son de La Negra by Blas Galindo/ transcribed by Julio Cesar Oliva. You can find a performance of both Cecilio and Julio on You Tube. Cecilio also treated us to his warm up exercises that were very interesting.I'll have to pick my brains for a future detailed report as I did not carry my usual 4 pens and notebook. His articulation was really something to behold! Bold and clean~!!By the way Cecilio is from Mexico.
The young Swedish Virtuoso and 2010 GFA FOUNDATION 1st Prize Winner JOHANNES MOLLER, played an original composition that was "Out of this world" lovely exposing an extremely sensitive and powerful technique which was followed by that beautiful tremolo piece,JULIA FLORIDA by the equally fabulous Guitarist/Composer Augustin Barrios Mangore. That tremolo of Johannes was simply a joy to behold how it fluttered like a butterfly and was so elastic! One of the finest tremolos I have ever heard on our great instrument. Even though I am scheduled for a gig before their concert tomorrow night, I will cut my last hour so I can drop off my rig and get to the hall in time to check out these two wonderful kids in action. I tell you that I fall in love with this instrument every time someone steps up to the performance plate and delivers a musical and or technical "home run" like these two young men did! In the audience,the "CREAM OF THE CROP" of Mannes students were on hand to nourish their thoughts. Johannes had his father with him - who is a flautist. I also had a chance to check out a Greg Byers guitar that Johannes had for sale.Nice Guitar. We must also extend a good hug and thanks to the daughter of Michele Pittaluga for giving us such an excellent lecture about the History of the Guitar and Composition Competition started by her Father. The Composer side is about 10 years old while the initial Guitar Competition is 45 years old- W O W ! In these times of short lived and poorly funded Musical Events, this is surely a miracle whcih can only be achieved by always having only the best minds and passions for our beloved Guitar at work! CONGRATULATIONS to the PITTALUGA FAMILY and Artistic director ALIRIO DIAZ!!!! Check out Aliro Diaz on YOU TUBE! WHAT A GREAT ONE!!!!

PEPE ROMERO TEACHES POETRY - PART 1

A few days have passed since my two days of Masterclasses with that LEGENDARY VIRTUOSO - PEPE ROMERO and I am still so happy to have been there at The Manhattan School of Music for this momentus occasion! I could not make the first Class this past Monday because I was worn out by my own 4 hour gig at the Staten Island Ferry.I was in heaven on Wednesday the last day as Pepe sat next to me while listening to the students, which afforded me a chance to have some private conversation with PEPE. I will tell you that I was stunned at how few people attended the masterclasses the two days I was there-especially Tuesday! I guess my love for this great instrument has always had me wonder why an International and Historically important artist like PEPE ROMERO did not draw a respectable audience! What a shame in this case because the wealth of information that was passed on by this 68 year young Genius was priceless! Each and every student miraculously improved after receiving instructions from the Maestro!I was so proud of these young chargers and see that the future of our great instrument is in very capable hands. This is just an opening post for a more detailed set of posts on this great event. Over the last few days at my gigs, the PEPE ROMERO EFFECT has made me notice that even my playing took another step up in execution and musicality as seen in my tips! I want to share these wonderful jewels of instruction with you in the coming posts,so stay hungry and please forgive the time lapses in between because I am a working musician and am playing several hours almost every day of the week and at my 61 years young, I need some extra vitamin c and e to get some gusto in my walk. I can't believe that in April I will be 62 because I am out there like a 30 year old and am enjoying every minute I can play in public. See you in part two of the PEPE ROMERO CLASS!

SUPER VIRTUOSO WOLFGANG LENDLE/ANIELLO DESIDERIO

If you want to be shocked into the realm of Herculean Classical Guitar prowess, please ruch to you tube and experience the "AWESOME" Guitar work of the great German Virtuoso WOLFGANG LENDLE!! I know I have mentioned him before but he must be recognized as a true "GUITAR MONSTER"! This man just "tears it up"! I have just been listening and watching one of his many videos and let me tell you he is one of our most amazing virtuosos on ANY instrument! What a G I A N T !!!! I met him over a decade ago here in New York at I believe Manhattan School of Music or the Spanish Institute. I was front center and he just tore my head off with the most amazing ROBERT RUCK Cedar Top Guitar and a virtuosity that body slammed my senses~! So clean and pinpointed was his technique and what a superlative musician! What note articulation supremacy! Gorgeous tone and superb phraasing! We are indebted to our internet that allow us to witness such greatness. I could watch him all day and night!

Another Guitar God in the Classical Realm is the magnificent Italian Virtuoso : ANIELLO DESIDERIO! A truly virtuosic giant if there ever was one! So check him out!

Good Guitar Listening. I'm sure I will be letting you know about more greats we get a chance to meet on the net!

MAESTRO PEPE ROMERO AT MSM MON-WED THIS WEEK!!!

I am proud to announce that MAESTRO PEPE ROMERO will be giving 3, 3 hour master classes at the Manhattan School of Music this Monday through Wednesday. Below is all the info. Hope to see you there as I will be coming straight from gigs each day in order to bathe in the Maestros' great teaching! It will be an education par excel lance! Don't miss this rare treat!!

The distinguished Guitarist PEPE ROMERO will be in residence at Manhattan School of Music January 23 – 25. His residency will include master classes that will be given in the School’s Miller Recital Hall – Monday, January 23 at 5:00 p.m.; Tuesday, January 24 at 3:00 p.m. and on Wednesday, January 25 at 5:00 p.m. Mr. Romero’s residency is made possible by The Augustine Foundation. A complete program listing for all three master classes is attached at the end of this press release.

The last time that a series of guitar master classes took place in New York City was in 1987 when Andres Segovia was presented in a series of master classes. In the past, Manhattan School of Music has had an ongoing relationship with the Augustine Foundation presenting a series of guitar concerts showcasing the great guitarists – the series included such guitarists as Julian Bream, the Assad Brothers, David Starobin, Paul O’Dette and David Russell, to name a few.

David Leisner, co-chair of MSM’s Guitar Department says, “Pepe Romero is one of the few living legends of the classical guitar. In addition to his extraordinary guitar playing, he is a master teacher. Pepe offers the kind of technical advice, with shortcuts and tricks of the trade that can only be gleaned from many decades of experience at the top of the field. He is also generous with his immense musical wisdom and profoundly human artistic insights. Here we have the very rare opportunity to witness the maestro work up close, in the intimate Miller Recital Hall, with the very talented guitar students of the Manhattan School of Music, in a rare series of three master classes. We are delighted at the opportunity to present Pepe Romero and are most grateful to the Augustine Foundation for making it possible.”

The master classes with Pepe Romero are open to the public and tickets are not required. For information, contact the MSM Concert Office at 917 493 4428 or visit www.msmnyc.edu. Manhattan School of Music is located on the northwest corner of Broadway and 122nd Street, and is easily accessible by public transportation. Several MTA bus lines stop within two blocks at Broadway and 122nd Street; the subway, No. 1 train, stops at the 116th Street and 125th Street stations.

Pepe Romero is a world-renowned classical and flamenco guitarist. He was born in Málaga, Spain in 1944 and in 1957 with his family, fled Franco’s Spain for the United States. His father, the legendary Celedonio Romero, was his only guitar teacher and his first professional appearance was in a shared concert with his father when he was age seven. He is the second son of “The Royal Family of the Guitar,” The Romeros, and with his father and brothers he helped establish The Romeros quartet as the leading classical guitar ensemble worldwide. As a member of The Romeros, he has performed at the White House for Presidents Carter and Nixon, as well as at the Vatican for Pope John Paul II. His performances have also been heard by His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sophia of Spain, and Queen Beatrice of Holland.

Pepe Romero is particularly known for his outstanding technique and colorful musical interpretations. He is in demand worldwide for his solo recitals and performances with orchestras. Mr. Romero has appeared with orchestras including the Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago, Houston, Pittsburgh, Boston, San Francisco, as well as with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestras, the Boston Pops Orchestra, and the London Symphony. Mr. Romero has been a special guest at the festivals of Salzburg, Israel, Schleswig-Holstein, Menuhin, Osaka, Granada, Istanbul, Ravinia, Hollywood Bowl, Blossom, Wolf Trap and Saratoga. His contributions to the field of classical guitar have inspired numerous distinguished composers to compose works especially for him, including Joaquin Rodrigo, Federic Moreno Torroba, Rev. Francisco de Madina, Lorenzo Palomo and Celedonio Romero. He made his first recording at the age of 15, and has since recorded more than 60 solo albums as well as 30 recordings as part of The Romeros.

His Majesty King Juan Carlos I of Spain knighted Pepe Romero and his brothers, Celin and Angel, into the Order of “Isabel la Catolica.” He serves as Adjunct Professor of Classical Guitar at the University of California’s Thornton School of Music, where he was named “Distinguished Artist in Residence” in 2004.

Pepe Romero Master Classes in MSM’s Miller Recital Hall


Monday, January 23 at 5:00 p.m.

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Sonata Pathétique
Adagio cantabile (arr. Francisco Tárrega)
Isaac Sharp (student of Mark Delpriora)

FEDERICO MORENO-TORROBA (1891-1982)
Sonatina in A major
Allegro
William Cassatt (student of David Leisner)

JOAQUÍN RODRIGO (1901-1999)
Tres Piezas Españolas
Fandango
Joshua Bavaro (student of David Leisner)

JOAQUÍN RODRIGO
Invocación y Danza
Steven Cowan (student of David Leisner)

MAURO GIULIANI (1781 -1829)
Concerto, op. 30
Allegro maestoso
Bradley Colten, Guitar (student of David Starobin)
Katie Leung, Piano


Tuesday, January 24 at 3:00 p.m.

HEITOR VILLA-LOBOS (1887-1959)
Etude no. 8 in C# minor
Max Boras (student of Mark Delpriora)

AGUSTÍN BARRIOS (1885-1944)
Julia Florida
Jacqueline Westerduin (student of Mark Delpriora)

REGINO SAINZ DE LA MAZA (1896-1981)
Zapateado
Robert Adler (student of Mark Delpriora)

HEITOR VILLA-LOBOS (1887-1959)
Mazurka-Chôro
Rianne Mision (student of David Leisner)

MAURO GIULIANI (1781-1829)
Etudes, op. 51
No. 13
No. 14
Kazuki Ueki (student of David Starobin)

MANUEL MARÍA PONCE (1882-1948)
Suite in A minor
Gavota
James Garber (student of Mark Delpriora)


Wednesday, January 25 at 5:00 p.m.

HEITOR VILLA-LOBOS (1887-1959)
Etude no. 11
Shunsuke Fuchioka (student of Mark Delpriora)

MANUEL MARÍA PONCE (1882-1948)
Sonata III
Allegro moderato
Dylan Berman (student of Mark Delpriora)

JOAQUÍN RODRIGO (1901-1999)
Concierto de Aranjuez
Adagio
Vilian Ivantchev, Guitar (student of David Starobin)
Katie Leung, Piano

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)
Lute Suite, BWV 996
Praeludio
Gunnlaugur (Gulli) Björnsson (student of David Leisner)

W H E W !!!! What a lineup of music that will be covered. I'm tired just reading the list! I've got my pens and pads ready to learn all I can! Hope you do the same!

Donnie Guitar!

Caballero

Sorry for the misspelling of Jorge's name. I get too excited when I talk about him because he is so magnificent! Right know I am experiencing Jorge play the Cromatic Fugue and Fantasy by Bach! W H E W - another shock to the system!

JORGE CABALLERO-MAGICAL VIRTUOSO

I am presently up at 4:55 am watching and listening to one of the greatest Classical Guitar Virtuosos in Music History- My friend and dear esteemed colleague JORGE CABALLERO.I have known this fantastic musician since his student days at The Manhattan School of Music. I first heard him at a Master Class in which he played for the equally fantastic ASSAD BROTHERS!! I remember it as though it were yesterday. I was totally bowled over by his Bach playing. His tone was so pure and his performance of ornaments on repeats, were crisp,clear and right on the money!! I wrote down in my notes: There is nothing negative the brothers can say about JORGE! He has it all: technique,musicality and supreme artistry! Odair was the first to comment and pretty much word for word stated the same! His brother Sergio uttered the same and Odair ended the few comments with: "we are proud to have this excellent artist write in his biography that he payed in our master class!".

If you want to find out how incredible our great instrument is, attend a concert by this musical genius- the Peruvian Guitar God JORGE CABALLERRO. You will have to go out and get drunk after you are smacked down by the incredible JORGE! Last year I attended the MANNES GUITAR SEMINAR as a participant and attended his master classes and was intellectually walloped by the genius in this your man! He gave us a excellent lecture on the whole philosophy of playing the guitar that was totally engrossing and detailed.Of course all the players just wanted to get down and strutt their stuff as usual but it was a special treat (for me at least) to listen to such poetical explanations of our craft.I, being an experienced concert artist myself and having been around the block a few times thoroughly enjoyed this master class and hope that the young kids got the point that they were in the room with a true genius. Knowing my dear colleague, he would tell me "Don! Stop that crap! I'm not all that"! Well he is and everyone will also note that he is so kind and gentle. His future in our music world has already been securely established. He is already acknowledged as one of the finest Guitarists in History. Get on You Tube and get your butts scared at his Herculean and other worldly Artistry! I know what I am talking about. I would not stare you wrong! Hope you do! Keep your listening chops up! Check out what Jorge does with Pictures at An Exhibition! W H E W ! ! ! ! !
So beautifully clearly executed both musically and technically as is all he does with every piece he plays!!!
Donnie!

Two Mentors in print! A.C.JOBIM & PAT MARTINO

I am so happy to let you know that two of my great mentors are in print with biographies! I was fortunate to have studied with the legendary PAT MARTINO in the 70's and BACKBEAT BOOKS HAVE ISSUED HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY "HERE AND NOW-THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF PAT MARTINO".It retails for $24.99- a real bargain. I just picked it up yesterday and it is a great read and even has some lesson material to sharpen your playing chops in the appendix! Secondly, my longest love affair is the great genius ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM whom I met finally around a year before he passed away here ion New York through my dear teacher and colleague Antonio Carlos Barbosa Lima. His biography is:"ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM-AN ILLUMINATED MAN" by his poetic sister Helena Jobim. It is published by Hal Leonard books and retails for $27.99. I hope you rush out and buy them both. The Jobim had to be translated from the Portuguese. Just wanted to pass this by you who are hungry for direct information about two legendary men who have shaped our musical sphere greatly. I am so lucky to have had them as a part of my life.I will probably write up a review of both biographies for you soon as both reads look like quick ones! Stay tuned to the DONNIE CHANNEL for more guitar tidbits I recently attended!

Tribute To JIM HALL Sunday January 15th

On and incredibly freezing night of 15 degrees, I stood outside the venue that housed a special tribute to one of my great teachers- THE LEGENDARY JIM HALL!! The cost of the ticket was a mere $20 bucks but I only decided to attend last Sunday. I had already attended 3 concerts / gigs of colleagues and I thought it would be pushing it a bit but thanks to my brilliant wife (who really knows best), I dressed warmly and headed out into a 17 degree evening to the East side just off the Bowery and Houston Street.

Jan. 15 2012 Sunday 8:00 PM | Honoring Jim Hall
Nels Cline, Vic Juris, Mary Halvorsen, Gilad Hekselman, Adam Rogers, Steve Cardenas, David Binney, Joel Harrison String Choir, Scott Colley and Chris Potter

I was a few minutes after the starting time and found out that the gig was sold out!!! You know that lost feeling of not being able to get into what you knew would be a great event. I could see a duo playing through the window and started crying inside. The doorman was a big guy- ANTONIO - who was a great representative of the venue in that he was meticulous with every prospective client checking ids, and politely informing each person that unless they have tickets or was on the guest, he could not allow them access.I would love to have Antonio as my man in front! He did an excellent job.I was not to be denied ( as Walt Frasier Says!). As I patiently waited for some glimmer of hope,One admission freed up and I was allowed in. I stood my space right to the right of the door in a corner next to a small table! The venue
was packed and I had to see the gigging greats over the shoulders of the folks in front of me! No sweat for me since I am a guitarist who doesn't have to check out that fingerboard. VIC JURIS was of interest to me in that I have known him for a couple of decades and recently worked with his excellent DVD - ALL THAT JAZZ!He has chops to burn and I love the way he navigates around the fingerboards usig intervals of the 5th and 4ths, plus how he plays on the "OUTSIDE"! When you get a chance to experience so many great players strutting their stuff, you realize who many ways you can approach the craft of improvising on our wonderful chosen instrument.
The evening was devoted to either original tunes of JIM HALL or tunes he enjoyed playing. DAVID SPELLMAN is my man as far as the producer of this magnificent event and he is great-having produced many Guitar Festivals here and abroad! I believe he is the best there is and once again,he produced a jewel! Unfortunately Jim could not appear due to health concerns. It was announced from the stage that he called in the afternoon and was sad to inform all that he wasn't up to it. Last year, Jim finally had back surgery for a problem that has been nagging him for years and is still in recovery mode. I called him yesterday-Monday to wish him a speedy and thorough recovery and I would hope that all his friends make sure that he knows how much he means to us as a member of our Guitar family and our Human family! If you see him, Make sure you give him the warmest hug you can muster and look into is eyes and tell him how much you love and respect him and his humanity!

This was an evening full of love and respect for one of the finest human beings and greatest musicians in MUSIC HISTORY! The fact that he can transport to heaven on 6 strings of a wooden box has shown us the way for several decades and I am happy that we celebrate this noble and special human being while he is ALIVE!! There was so much LOVE emanating in each and every performance tonight and I was honored to have been a part of this great moment in Musical History.

I must mention - because I promised - a couple of other fine employees of this fine venue: 1) My beautiful and gracious waitress excelled in quietly requesting orders and gently delivering it with virtuosic effectiveness! Lets hear it for ADDY!!!!!!I believe that was her name. 2) The aforementioned ANTONIO made sure that each and every person entering was fit for entrance and I loved the way he handled everyone with courtesy and respect! This evening was part of the NEW YORK GUITAR FESTIVAL which is being held at several venues around the City for the month of January!

THE VENUE WAS = Rockwood Music Hall
196 Allen Street New York, NY 10002
(212) 477-4155
http://www.rockwoodmusichall.com

Time to get busy! / Guitar World/ Buzzing Concerts

It is 5:41 am, Sunday Morning January 15Th and I have a 9 to 12 gig at Penn Station this morning and spent the last few hours checking out great performance videos on You Tube and found a great Classical Guitar Website that I did not know about authored by Mark Antony called : GUITAR WORLD / Classical Guitar Appreciation! Boy it is G R E A T !!!!!. It has been up since 2008 and I have been stunned that I did not know about this site and will be checking into it as the days go by ! G R E A T
W O R K M A R K !!!!

Here in New York this month, we are having a deluge of Guitar Concerts of all Genres! This week alone, I attended a Tuesday Concert for Guitar and Tenor at Weill Recital Hall,an International Guitar Night at a place called the Highline Ballroom , and one of my all time favorite Hangs is at the MANNES COLLEGE OF MUSIC whose Guitar Degree Program is headed by the great MICHAEL NEWMAN and LAURA OLTMAN! I actually passed up another 3 day festival opening night to see and experience Guitar Heaven in the great musical arms of Mike and Laura. Today - or rather tonight I Hope to attend the last night of a three day festival honoring one of my former teachers- legendary JIM HALL as several greats pay tribute to my dear legendary teacher! When I attended the Thursday International Guitar Night, I was hoping to snag an interview with Brazilian Virtuoso Marco Periera but they were on to another City for another International Guitar Night! We have so many Guitar events to start off this year here in New York and I hope to be able to shout them out to you! I will also try to post reviews of all the events I have attended. They may be on the short side but I hope you will enjoy the coverage. I need to get a couple of hours of shut eye before my morning gig and hope to be able to start posting the great events of this week. Hope you folks are having a great New Year this 2012 and keep plucking those Guitar strings!!

Don

Benjamin Verdery Interview

Listen to the BENJAMIN VERDERY INTERVIEW on YOU TUBE downloaded by UCtelevision! BEN IS GREAT. I've known him since the early 70's FANTASTIC Virtuoso player,teacher thinker and human! Lots of food for thought in this almost hour interview with Brain Head! ENJOY! Thanks Ben!

Donnie Guitar

Whoops! Kenny Hill Interview= 5 parts Whew!

A little New Year Slip! The you tube KENNY HILL INTERVIEW has 5 parts not 3! I'm
listening to it as I write this for you! Sorry for the slip up. Glad I caught it!

Don

Kenny Hill Luthier on You Tube

Check out the 3 part interview with the great American Luthier KENNY HILL on You Tube! I hung with Kenny in 2004 at the World Guitar Congress in Maryland. Great insights into the Building Craft! He touches all the bases! What a gem of an interview.

Donnie Guitar

Hello to 2012 /Peter Fletcher this Tuesday!

I want to say hello to all my buddies around the world with a verbal hug to you all. In particular I want to thank my dear buddy MAURICE SUMMERFIELD for the continued excellence of his Great Magazine - CLASSICAL GUITAR MAGAZINE! I look forward to each and every issue. With 2011 in the past and it's tough times for me and my wife, we look forward to better happenings in this year of 2012! I had to step out of the Guitar scene last year and had to stop several projects as I had to secure my health.I'm feeling much better and have been playing gigs since early June of last year.I owe my sweet and dear wife the utmost gratitude for pulling me through my quadruple bypass operation by getting my butt out and walking plus supplying me with
the most incredible culinary miracles!I can never repay her for her great love and caring plus the fact that we lost her father last year after a long illness and the year before we lost her mother! I loved them so much and even now when I think of them, I immediately cry!They were both so sweet and loving. Well let me stop before my tears sprout on to this e-mail. I am hoping to pick up on two outstanding projects that had to be held up - 1) A biog/interview of the Fantastic Brazilian Virtuoso- ROMERO LUBAMBO for Maurice Summerfield and the long overdue interview of the Brilliant German Virtuoso, the Poetic PIA GAZAREK-OFFERMANN. I hope Pia reads this because I returned to her a couple of days ago by closely listening to one of her wonderful recordings of A Fantasy by Sor on the special Torres Copy built by The Fantastic Virtuoso Luthier DARYL PERRY of Canada!Well, I hope that I can get to logging at least a couple of posts a week in 2012. I am out performing almost every day of the week and had to take it easy on checking out my colleagues. In a few months - April 6th - I will turn 62 and am playing better than every as I hunt down lessons on YOU TUBE and my awesome library! Right now I'm checking out various Rock,Metal,Grunge and other wild Guitar styles all in an effort to add some interesting tidbits of different techniques to my arsenal of musical profiles. I will list what I have found to be very useful in this current pursuit and I hope to return to the Guitar scene starting this Tuesday at PETER FLETCHERS Concert at Weill Recital Hall. I will be there to review what looks like a very interesting concert! Peter met me a week ago at one of my gigs at the STATEN ISLAND FERRY. What a wonderful surprise that was! Peter has an awesome talent and works extremely hard at his craft especially on the publicity side. Hope to see some of my buddies there Tuesday. Let me Whet your appetite with a sampling of the program:

AMERICAN TENOR AND CLASSICAL GUITARIST PREMIER NEW WORKS AT WEILL RECITAL HALL AT CARNEGIE HALL JANUARY 10, 2012, 8 pm



Program features New York premier of a major work by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco and commission of composer Clarice Assad



The American tenor David Michael Schuster and classical guitarist Peter Fletcher will perform a varied program featuring music for guitar and voice, in both original and transcription versions on Tuesday evening at Weill Recital Hall, 154 West 57th Street. The complete program is as follows:



Praetorius – Courante, Ballet, Volte (from Terpischore)

Mompou -- Damunt de tu només les flors (from Combat Del Somni)

Ponce – Preludio (in the style of Weiss) and Preambulo (in the style of A. Scarlatti)

Clarice Assad -- Enquanto a noite durar (world premier)

Schubert --- Ständchen; Der Leiermann and Die Post (from Winterreise)



- INTERMISSION –



Tedesco – The Divan of Moses-IBN-Ezra (1055-1155) op 207



Tickets are $35- $45 and may be obtained at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, from Carnegie Charge at 212-247-7362, or online at www.carnegiehall.org.







Italian Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco composed The Divan of Moses ibn-Ezra, Op. 207, in 1966. It is a cycle based on the 12th century writings of Spanish poet/philosopher/rabbi Moses- ibn-Ezra and performed in English. Divided into five sections, the music leads the listener on the poet’s journey, and perhaps the composer’s as well, through the songs of wandering, friendship, wine and the beauty of country life to the evils of the world and eventually, to the grave.



This performance of the Tedesco will be a Carnegie Hall debut and the first time The Divan has ever been performed in its entirety with a male voice. The entire cycle has been given, at last count, 7 times, with its world premiere given in 1973 in Copenhagen and has only been recorded twice with the soprano voice. Through extensive research and through Mr. Schuster’s acquaintance with the composer’s daughter in-law, Lisbeth and granddaughter, Diana, much was learned about the history of the cycle, and information was garnered from other guitarists as well as from some of the most respected music historians around the world.







Artists:



Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Grammy Award-nominated Clarice Assad is making her mark in the music world as a versatile artist of musical depth and sophistication. A pianist, arranger, vocalist and composer, her works have been performed world wide. Her music— sought out by musicians both in the classical and the jazz realms—has been performed and recorded by many of today’s top artists, including the Philadelphia Orchestra and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. As a performer, Clarice Assad has received high acclaim for performances of her original compositions and standards in jazz and Brazilian music. Assad has been described as a “charismatic singer” (New York Times) and as “a fine classical and jazz pianist, composer and jazz-infused pop stylist” (JAZZ Times).

www.clariceassad.com





Tenor David Michael Schuster has a career which spans 30 years and is well known to opera and concertgoers throughout Europe. From his debut with the Albany Symphony Orchestra and recital debut at Carnegie Recital Hall in 1981, to the stages of Spoleto, Italy and the Bavarian State Theater in Munich, Germany, where he was a leading tenor from 1989-1995. Stated The New York Times: “[He] shows a tenor voice not only unusually rich and full in the lower register, but unforced and brilliant in the upper register as well.” Mr. Schuster also appeared as tenor soloist with the RTSI Orchestra in Lugano, Switzerland, where he performed many operatic roles as well as many oratorios and toured throughout Europe appearing as Manrico (Il Trovatore) and Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) and Raoul (Les Huguenots).



A versatile and in-demand artist, Peter Fletcher performs over 100 concerts every year under the auspices of Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists. Proclaimed Peter Burwasser of Fanfare Magazine: “Fletcher plays it all with a gracious virtuosity that makes for a very pleasing hour plus of unaffected musical poetry.” In addition to playing standard works for classical guitar, Mr. Fletcher believes in expanding the repertoire by transcribing works from other instruments and programming new works. His current project with Centaur Records is a all-Grieg album for which he himself is writing the transcriptions. Scheduled release date is September 2012. www.peterfletcher.com



This concert is presented by www.amocanti.org .


HAPPY NEW YEAR FOLKS AND MAY YOU HAVE A LONG VISIT FROM THE GOOD HEALTH DOCTOR!

DONNIE "GUITAR" Witter,Jr.





For more information, or to schedule an interview, please contact Antonia Thornton, 212-749-5420 or pf.guitarist@gmail.com