Donovan - Celeste

here is me playing and singing one of my favorite songs ever.

Papaye - La Chaleur

 2011; 12 tracks French instrumental math rock trio who clearly have a lot of fun making nonsensical noise with their guitars.

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Vinicius Cantuária & Bill Frisell - Lágrimas Mexicanas

2011; 10 tracks

Bill Frisell and Vinicius Cantuária's Lágrimas Mexicanas epitomizes the junction of extraordinary musicians. Though the music of both artists have clear and distinct origins, their styles are complelementary. Through the combination of emotive rhythms and harmonies, and the mixture of classical and experimental sounds, the two artists have found the perfect mix of classical, jazz, and experimentalism.

As a guitarist, composer, and bandleader Bill Frisell is a recognized visionary talent in American music, best known for his innovative and improvisational guitar playing. The singer, guitarist and percussionist Vinicius Cantuária flawlessly merges the sounds of bossa nova with contemporary music, creating distinctive compositions and arrangements.

Having played together on many occasions during the past 25 years, Lágrimas Mexicanas is an opportunity to work together in a complete project.

When he came to New York from his home in Brazil, Cantuária discovered an amalgam of sounds from the streets of the city. What influenced him, particularly, was Hispanic diversity. Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Mexicans and many others were a rich multi-cultural collage. When these sounds filled the hearts and minds of Vinicius, he began writing Lágrimas Mexicanas in his apartment in Brooklyn.

Similar to the bossa nova movement of the 50s and 60s, Cantuária and Frisell's collaborative album merged Mexican traditional Latin rhythms with jazz improvisation methods. Bill understood the vision of Vinicius, and spontaneity inspired musical orchestration. While Vinicius wrote the lyrics in Portuguese, Spanish and English, both musicians went into the rhythm and together wrote the arrangements. At the heart of this album, Frisell and Cantuária demonstrate their ability: Frisell experimenting with arrangements and poetic lyrics whil Cantuária weaves the rhythms into motion. Together, these two great guitarists create a sublime, beautiful and accessible musical universe, one that will communicate a passionate sense of optimism, opportunity and hope.

Also, the title track fucking owns. I KNOW I've heard it in a movie at some point in time, but I have no idea which one! :(

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The Magic of the Guitar

 1993; 18 tracks
Turíbio Santos, guitarist  Here is a collection of various guitar pieces, some arranged for the guitar and some composed specifically for the instrument. I posted some of Villa-Lobos' guitar music a little while back (link here), but most of the composers on this release were unknown to me. There is quite a mix of styles here - some are Bach-like in textures and progressions, while others are gentle and sweeping (especially the Granados piece, which was originally written for piano and is incredibly lovely), and still others exude the sensual, dance-like rhythm of Spanish orient. It is very easy, enjoyable listening. A little more information on the performer...

"One of the most important Brazilian classical guitar performers, Turíbio Santos has recorded over 40 LP's, deserving a special mention his efforts to bring popular music, and specifically the choros by João Pernambuco, to the realm of classical execution. Son of an amateur guitarist, Santos started at the guitar at three, and, after he was ten, he took as his mentor Oscar Cáceres. Debuting in 1962 in a concert in São Luís (Maranhão), he performed in Rio de Janeiro in the same year, meeting Arminda Villa-Lobos (Heitor Villa-Lobos' second wife), by whose request he recorded Villa-Lobos' 12 studies for guitar. In the next year Santos realized the world debut of Villa-Lobos' Sexteto Místico."

01 Isaac Albéniz - Cantos de España, Op. 232, No. 1, Preludio (Asturias, Op. 47 No. 5)
02 Heitor Villa-Lobos - Chôros No. 1 for Guitar
03 Heitor Villa-Lobos - 12 Etudes for Guitar, W 235: No. 1 in E minor
04 Antonio Lauro - Valses venezolanos for Guitar, No. 3, Natalia/Criolla
05 Guido Santorsola - Suite all'antica: Prelude No. 1
06 Fernando Sor - Leçons progressives, Op. 31, No. 5 in B minor, Andantino
07 Fernando Sor - Etudes for Guitar, Op. 6, No. 12 in A major - Andante
08 Fernando Sor - Etudes for Guitar, Op. 6, No. 17 in E major
09 Fernando Sor - Etudes for Guitar, Op. 6, No. 9 in A minor - Andante allegro
10 Heitor Villa-Lobos - 12 Etudes for Guitar, W 235: No. 11 in E minor
11 Heitor Villa-Lobos - Suite populaire brésilienne, W 20: No. 3, Waltz Chôro
12 Agustín Barrios Mangoré - Prelude for Guitar in G minor, Op. 5, No. 1
13 Joaquin Rodrigo - Piezas españolas for Guitar, No. 3, Zapateado
14 Joaquin Rodrigo - Piezas españolas for Guitar: No. 1, Fandango
15 Isaac Albéniz - Recuerdos de Viaje, Op. 71, No. 8, Rumores de la caleta
16 Isaac Albéniz - Barcarola for Piano, Op. 202 "Mallorca"
17 Enrique Granados - Danzas españolas for Piano, Op. 37, No. 5, Andaluza
18 Manuel de Falla - Homenaje "Le tombeau de Claude Debussy"

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Heitor Villa-Lobos - The Complete Solo Guitar Music

2003; 23 tracks
Fabio Zanon, guitar

Heitor Villa-Lobos was Brazilian composer of modern classical music, as well as a leading composer of Latin American music. His style is derived from Brazilian folk traditions, as well as the classical European sounds of early 20th century classical music. After Villa-Lobos met with Darius Milhaud in 1917, a French composer who experimented with polytonality and jazz, the two influenced each other greatly. Milhaud gave to Villa-Lobos the a spectrum of new possibilities in the music of Debussy and Satie, and to Milhaud Villa-Lobos showed Brazilian folk and street music. Perhaps this is what prompted Milhaud to create his amazing Saudades do Brazil for piano.

This recording includes his Suite Populaire Bresilienne, Five Preludes, and Twelve Etudes.

Villa-Lobos' guitar music flourishes with colorful chords and tones, but it also is quiet - meditatively so. It is constantly changing, transmogrifying into new shapes and sounds as the landscape changes as well. From verdant hillsides to lulling cities above the clouds, I can actually feel myself melting away as I listen. In these pieces by Villa-Lobos, beauty is given a whole new meaning.

My favorite piece is the third of the Five Preludes, in A minor.

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