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
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment