La Guitarra Festival in SLO

[MSG]

I just went to this over the weekend in San Luis Obispo. It was a cool classical guitar festival, and it had many big name classical guitarists there: Fabio Zanon, Andrew York, Roland Dyens, Elena Papandreou, Berta Rojas, John Schneider, Scott Tenant (although he didn't play), and some other not well known classical guitarists. There was one guy there, that i've never heard before, but, mark my words, this guy is going to become VERY well known soon enough. His name is Adam del Monte. I would have to say that he is the most talented individual i've ever heard play the nylon guitar. He blows gaskets. He is so supremely in control of the instrument, that not since Paco de Lucia have I been really impressed with a guitarist on the nylon string guitar. John Williams, yawn; Andres Segovia, yawn; Sharon Isbin, Manuel Barrueco, Tanenbaum, Boyd, etc..., double yawn. He was playing flamenco, jazz with his quartet, and classical guitar at the festival. His performance alone more than made up for four boring classical guitarists.

Check the rest of the review of the festival here:

http://www.classicalguitar.nl/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=18304

[ykabban]

I've seen Adam play twice. The last time I saw him I manged to arrange a private lesson with him. I tried to play a bulerias with him but I couldn't keep up. It was a few years ago and I remember thinking how he was able to deliver all that power from his small hands. You're right, he is amazing, and I'm surprised that he is not already very well known.

[rdubb]

help me to understand this MSG,

If you find classical guitar so boring, than why did you go in the first place?

I don't disagree with the fact that certain big name guitarists ARE boring....but you saw the names on flyer so you know what you were in for.

Your comments on the master class participants were totally unnecessary and in poor taste. I like me some sarcasm, but I don't diss students. I do diss professionals, but they're professionals and thus subject to criticism.

[Todd]

help me to understand this MSG,

If you find classical guitar so boring, than why did you go in the first place?

I don't disagree with the fact that certain big name guitarists ARE boring....but you saw the names on flyer so you know what you were in for.

Your comments on the master class participants were totally unnecessary and in poor taste. I like me some sarcasm, but I don't diss students. I do diss professionals, but they're professionals and thus subject to criticism.

He never said classical guitar was boring.
He said certain guitar players were boring.

Adam has been around for a very long time actually.
I bought his instructional video way back in the early
90's. He was already a master back then. LOL

His wife is a great flamenco dancer as well.

Adam is the real deal in flamenco AND classical.
That is EXTREMELY rare.

Its almost always one or the other.

Ever heard Pepe Romero try to play a Soleares?
It aint pretty. :lol:

Dont get me wrong, i love Pepe's playing.
I was just listening to him play Sevilla.
I believe his is my favorite version.
The dynamic range is nothing short
of astounding. Not at all boring.

TK

[NGiorgio]

Adam del Monte is a monster player. It is a shame that does not have more recognition. One of the few who excells at both flamenco and classical. Check out his website www.adamdelmonte.net There are videos with both flamenco and classical performances which are knockouts.

[GSI Fan]

Looks like Adam needs a hair cut!? :twisted:

[Todd]

Looks like Adam needs a hair cut!? :twisted:


Thats an old video. He's cut his hair short since then. :wink:

Hey, GSI Fan, i just bought an Angela, and your testimonial
was the clincher.

Its coming tomorrow hopefully. If not Tuesday.
Im very excited. Its my first "nice" classical.

I have a feeling im going to freakin love it.:)

TK

[GSI Fan]

Oh sweet Angie!!!

She sings like an Angel!!!

Hope you enjoy it Todd...I certainly do.

Btw, did Adam shave too? That beard has to go!!!

[Todd]

Yeah, He's Mr. Clean Shave now.:)

TK

[Beumont_suite]

Gee, SOMEBODY sold their little soul to the devil for total musical awesomeness.

He couldn't have gotten that good though without the upbringing he had.

[ykabban]

I remember him telling me that he spent a few years living in a cave with gitanos, and he credits that experience for much of his musical foundation.

[MSG]

I wonder how old he is. He does have a shorter hair cut, but he looks like a youthful early 30's, maybe even late 20's. He looks young, but seems like he could be 40 something? -- based on what you guys are saying. Adam del Monte, I think, plays flamenco and picado apoyando scales just as good as the established king of flamenco -- Paco de Lucia. He plays jazz unbelievably too, and is an established composer. In my mind, he is the most talented guitarist on nylon strings, and possibly any six string instrument. Another favorite new up and comer guitarist of mine is a young unknown player by the name of Justin King. He is another real deal guitarist in the mold of Preston Reed and Michael Hedges. A fantastic guitarist pushing the envelope of the range of the guitar, and its vocabulary. He's another guy to watch out for.

By the way, rdubb, the students that were in the masters classes were WAY over their heads in that class. I think there should have been some pre-screening done to show these master musicians respect. And in terms of classical guitarist being boring, yes, I do find classical guitar music to be repetitive, at times, and after awhile, boring. I'm not as enthusiastic about solo classical guitar repertoire like I used to be. I still love playing it, though, but I just would rather listen to something else for hours on end. That's why I picked guitar as the instrument of choice. It's why our instrument is the best in the whole world, because it is the most diverse of them all. I can pick up a guitar and play blues, flamenco, classical, rock, jazz, percussion, funk, slap bass, disco, house, and whatever world music you can think of. No other instrument approaches it, and that's why I love the guitar. Because i'd never get bored with it. When I get bored of classical guitar music, I play blues, when I get bored of blues, I play jazz, etc... Well, not much after etc... :) As for the classical guitarist, I find most incredibly boring because of not so much the material they play, but how they play. John Williams is a perfect example. When he was younger, he had a lot of fire in his playing. Especially when he was on his Fleta, I remember hearing him rip through the Ciaccone (only one player played it better, and that is Segovia -- actually, that was the only piece that I ever liked hearing from the maestro), and play Asturias with wild abandon. You listen to him nowadays, on that soul less Smallman guitar, and he sounds so artificial, synthetic, soul less. It's just boring. Who I think is hot? David Russell is hot. Paul Galbraith is on fire. Both of those guys produce unbelievable tone in their playing. I don't know if it's from the venue that they play in, the added chorus, sustain, reverb from it all, but they sound amazing. Phillip Hii and Eliot Fisk, although, not a fan of Eliot Fisk anymore, played with a lot of speed, and intensity. I think that's hot. Hii's Bach transcription and playing, although the tone is weak, is monumental. Anyone that pushes the guitar repertoire like that gets my nod of approval. I've always like Bream too. I just love watching that guy play: his facial emotions, gestures, etc... Gotta love it. His version of Aguado's Rondo in A minor is absolutely on fire. I'm still trying to learn how to play it like he does. I can play it, just not like Bream can. Until I learn to play it like Bream, I will refrain from playing it in public. What I can't stand is watching people for an hour and a half, playing the same tired, monotonous guitar repertoire that every other professional plays. The work horse pieces get tired. I like watching new and exciting guitarists. If you guys can find Justin King play Funkadelic on the Larivee guitars online, you'll see what I mean. His playing, and his composition, is mind blowing.

[MSG]

I've seen Adam play twice. The last time I saw him I manged to arrange a private lesson with him. I tried to play a bulerias with him but I couldn't keep up. It was a few years ago and I remember thinking how he was able to deliver all that power from his small hands. You're right, he is amazing, and I'm surprised that he is not already very well known.

Hey, ykabban, yeah, I noticed the same thing! His hands are very similiar to mine (although, I wouldn't call our hands SMALL, probably average), with the same shorter pinky in contrast to the ring finger. I always thought I had shitty sized hands, but after seeing him play, he made me want to try even more. That's another reason why I like this guy so much, because physically, he's not gifted. John Williams has got large hands, and all his fingers are long, including his pinky. His pinky comes right up close to his ring finger. If I had a pinky like his, I would be playing all of the great pieces by now. Ah well.

[rdubb]

My respose there was basically just throwing out the gauntlet.

I agree with with most of what MSG says about the boring-ness that exists in classical guitar these days.

I think i'm really getting into these terse one line statements that subtly imply that what i'm saying is the 'final word'. :wink: