This album is sophisticated urban pop played with a combination of acoustic instruments usually found in bluegrass bands. Any further references to blugrass is hard to find on the album.
Radim Zenkl, the Czech-born, California-based magician of the mandolin has been on the road and onstage since he arrived in the USA more than twenty years ago. He recently swung through my hometown of Portland, Oregon and performed his eclectic solo show to a packed house of enthusiastic fans.
Rio Con Brio started out to make one CD. As they recorded tracks, they realized they had two albums on their hands. One is their third choro album, the other is the debut of fado singer Alexandra Coutinho.
Luckily, Alexandra Coutinho and Rio Con Brio decided to make this a stand alone album. The plan was to feature Alexandra Coutinho on some tracks of Rio Con Brio's Caprice.
Caprice is an album by a guitar and mandolin duo playing mostly choro standards. It could be a challenge to make this fly. Rio Con Brio have pulled it off.
If you were there, you’ll agree that the Baltimore host team put on an excellent convention for our quarter-century landmark. With so many people attending, the energy level was high. If you weren’t there, you want to know what you missed. Here are some highlights.
James "Yank" Rachell was the primary exponent of blues mandolin, although he also played guitar, violin, harp and sang expertly well.
To create a violin with the same characteristics as the 1704 instrument known as "Betts," Dr. Sirr worked with professional violin makers John Waddle and Steve Rossow of St. Paul, Minn. They used a CT scanner and a CNC router. Here are a few photos.
Recently, Cheryl Watson released a CD called Watertown. She unplugged her Fender Tele and turned to acoustic guitars. She traded a guitar for her first mandolin. Chloe, her cat, listen with the eyes closed when Cheryl plays the mandolin.
Watertown is an honest low cost production. All tracks but one are signed songwriter Cheryl J. Watson. Fellow musicians helped her by contributing takes from their home studios.
News
Brasilianos 3 - Free Download
The Hamilton de Holanda Quintet were nominated to Latin Grammys for the two previous albums. Now, the third album is released. For a limited time, you may download the album for free.
By Reidar Falch
Hamilton de Holanda is busy travelling the world. Here are a few words from him, received by mail, about the new album.
Hamilton de Holanda - Photo by Reidar Falch
"This album could be called 'New CHORO'. Or maybe 'poetry of the sound', even 'Cinematograph'. The songs tell stories that do not need words to be spoken and lived. When the compositions are made, sometimes the scenario is the reason. At other times, melodies, rhythms and harmonies together are the simple reason to be transform into a new song. Like friends that bump in each other along the way," Hamilton says.
He continues, "Music is also image, smells, and memories. Saudade. Joy, sadness. Love. It can be improvised, can be serious, if it is funny it`s also well worth it, after all humor is good for health. Another thing that also does well is play with friends, and that's good!"
"The titles give an idea of inspiration. At the same time, if I close my eyes and I forget what it is, a new image is projected. Who listens, creates its own history with the nuances of dynamics, timbre, rhythm, like life itself is. And the references, ah, they are always around us. Choro, samba, jazz, classical music. Tom Jobim, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Pixinguinha. Hermeto Pascoal, Egberto Gismonti. Carlos Drummond de Andrade. Oscar Niemeyer, Lucio Costa and Candido Portinari. Milton Nascimento, who gave an appearance in a magical way and definitive in 'War and Peace I', "Hamilton explains.
"Music can be sophisticated and accessible at the same time. For that, needs to keep it simple in its essence. It must be as simple as a hug," Hamilton concludes.
Brasilianos 3 cover
The Hamilton de Holanda Quintet are: Hamilton de Holanda (10 strings mandolin and tenor guitar), André Vasconcellos (acoustic bass), Gabriel Grossi (harmonica), Marcio Bahia(drums), Daniel Santiago (guitar). The sixth man is executive producer and manager Marcos Portinari.
Finnders & Youngberg, Colorado’s premier Americana quintet, will add yet another honor to their impressive resume: they’ve been chosen as an official showcase act for the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass conference in Nashville, Tenn., this fall. They are one of just 13 acts invited to perform during the bluegrass industry’s biggest and most important week.
Festival Mozaic has announced its 2012 summer season, which will take place July 12-22 in the most charismatic spaces across California's Central Coast including Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, Chapel Hill in wine country, Hearst Castle overlooking the sparkling Pacific Ocean, and Mission San Miguel . The theme, "In The Footsteps of Giants," will showcase a lineage of masterworks which inspired – and were inspired by – phenomenal composers over the ages.
The San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra with singers Susan Gundunas and Twila Ehmcke will be performing one of the gems of the Baroque music era, Stabat Mater, written in 1736 by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi.
The Newport Festivals Foundation has announced the lineup for the 2012 Newport Folk Festival set to take place July 28-29 at Fort Adams State Park.
A neurological disorder called dystonia is estimated to have ended the careers of at least one member of every major American metropolitan orchestra. Dystonia has claimed the livelihoods of musicians across genres including the acclaimed pianist Leon Fleisher of the Peabody Conservatory of Music, former first oboist of the Chicago Symphony Alex Klein, acoustic guitarist Billy McLaughlin, classical guitarist Liona Boyd, keyboard player Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, and others.