David Serva and Bill Burgess playing solo

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estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

David Serva and Bill Burgess playing...

I set this up so my guitars could be shown, but I also wanted to make a document with good sound of two friends I have not been able to spend enough time time with.

David comes to California every summer from Madrid to visit his family and teach. I used to take summer lessons with David and I sent a good deal of time with him in Spain too. Bill is a also a very accomplished guitarist and a long time student of David's. Bill also studied for a coupe years with Parilla. He plays in cuadro frequently around the Bay Area with the top dancers and singers.

My friend Jeff Kao is a film maker and he was kind enough to go over to David's house and make a recording of Bill and David for me to hear how they are playing, get some good feedback on how my instruments are doing, and have a nice piece of history of my biddies to keep me company whilst in Japan until next summer when I can get back for a few weeks. Davis is playing a guitar I built in 2014, originally not for him, but he grabbed it and plays it all the time. Coming from a guy with Faustino's, Arcangel's and Gerundino's I am pretty happy that he genuinely loves that guitar. Bill owns the 2016 Spruce. The Cedar top is on the market.

So I hope you enjoy this and see it as a music experience. It's obviously in my best interest to include my own instruments, but David and Bill are sharing here for free so enjoy.

Foro member 'Juan the Bomb', Juan Carlos Moreno did the honors on editing and titles. Big round of applause for the group effort.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 25 2017 4:01:56

Morante

Posts: 2179
Joined: Nov. 21 2010

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

David is a fenomono. I remember a little juerga where he played for José Millán for 2 hours, although they had never met before.

When it ended, David said, you are an encyclopedia de cante. José reponded, you are the first tocaor who knew how to accompany all of my cante.

Pity that this kind of reunion in Cádiz is only for the memory; flamenco de verdad is dying.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 25 2017 16:11:53

Stu

Posts: 2526
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

Cool, unfortunately I'm at work. So cannot watch that right now as I may disrupt filming. I'll check it on my way home. Thanks for sharing.
I hung out with David Serva one night Jerez, staggering from bar to bar with him and Norman Kliman and Henry from the foro. Memorable night, good stories. Lovely chap.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 25 2017 16:14:15

Leñador

Posts: 5237
Joined: Jun. 8 2012
From: Los Angeles

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

Very cool! Nearly missed this in the fog of banned books thread.
I love Davids toque!

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\m/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 25 2017 16:48:55

Ricardo

Posts: 14801
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

Very nice! I want to point out the second piece is not granaina...it is at best a Minera, but functions better as a sort of free style intro for Alegrias or something in E major.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 26 2017 0:08:46

FredGuitarraOle

Posts: 898
Joined: Dec. 6 2012
From: Lisboa, Portugal

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

The guitars sound great Stephen! I'm going to Madrid next week to have lessons with David, can't wait to meet him!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 26 2017 0:57:31

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

Ok thanks. Are you seeing David on my recommendation? Tell him hello for me.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 26 2017 1:38:01

FredGuitarraOle

Posts: 898
Joined: Dec. 6 2012
From: Lisboa, Portugal

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

quote:

Are you seeing David on my recommendation? Tell him hello for me.

Yes I am. Will do.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 26 2017 2:03:12

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

Thanks Ricardo, I was not able to review the raw footage before it was titled. I will make a notation in the YouTube description.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 26 2017 2:23:50

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

This video is a freebie Solea falseta lesson. It's slow enough that many should be able to grab it.

His wife put up a contact page for him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/servaguitarra/?pnref=story

He lives between Madrid and Jerez throughout the year and comes to California for four or five weeks in late summer. He has lots of beautiful music to teach.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 29 2017 8:00:44

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

Here's an old one from Spanish TV when David was Agujetas' accompanist for several years. Just cut in at 2"00 minutes to get to the music.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 29 2017 8:07:31

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

If you are interested in solea accompaniment this is great stuff.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 29 2017 8:18:54

mark indigo

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

thanks for the vids.

just watched through the agujetas vids again. been a while. funny how my perception/appreciation changes over time.

i just posted the solea and bulerias-por-solea as examples of same guitarist and singer interpreting the two forms both por medio in the "what's the difference between solea" thread.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 29 2017 12:12:16

tele

Posts: 1464
Joined: Aug. 17 2012

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

where we can view the full David Serva documentary?
A mesmerizing solea with unique ideas, really great stuff, thanks for posting

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 6 2017 17:53:38

Leñador

Posts: 5237
Joined: Jun. 8 2012
From: Los Angeles

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

You can rent it on youtube.

Used to be on Netflix, that's where I saw it. Good stuff!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 6 2017 21:33:19

mark indigo

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to Leñador)

quote:

You can rent it on youtube. Used to be on Netflix, that's where I saw it. Good stuff!

I just watched the film.

I bought it from Amazon for about £10.

Comes in a case with the DVD and an audio CD of David, some with cante and some solo.

I'm intrigued by the "Rondeña" which sounds like it's played in Eb standard tuning.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 21 2017 18:05:01

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

remind me to tell the story of thar Ebthing when i have time, if I forget.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 21 2017 20:02:07

mark indigo

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

quote:

remind me to tell the story of thar Ebthing when i have time, if I forget.

¡por favour!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 24 2017 17:42:04

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

In 2000 I was at a bar wit David in Sevilla and he was noodling around with that E flat thing while we were having a beer.- Carlos Heredia walk over motioned for David to hand him the guitar and then played a few up to date versions of how that thing goes. Next Carlos handed the guitar and David's ass back to him, with a nod. Then Carlos walked off.

I said by the way what is that palo? He said it's nothing, it not a palo, it's this E flat thing I came up with around 1972 or so and I showed it to all the gypsies in Madrid then. It got passed around and now it's this thing....He was kind of semi miffed and pissy with Carlos but at the same time kind of amused. David often used to play that thing in solo concerts. He has taught it to a few students and others picked it up off the street.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 25 2017 0:43:30

Dudnote

Posts: 1805
Joined: Nov. 13 2007

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

Pretty funny and interesting. I never heard of it, do you know if it ever get recorded (by anyone)?

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tú ahora no me conoces.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 25 2017 6:15:58

Piwin

Posts: 3559
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to Dudnote)

Think El Viejin's SpB "Cano Roto" or Gerardo Nunez's bulerias "Jucal".

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 25 2017 11:02:20

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

There could exist a bootleg of David or maybe someones lesson tape. I've seen him play it in concerts in living rooms, but it's not recorded on his solo CD made on his early 90's solo recoding.

He also used to play a solo Cartegeneras once in a while. I asked him why. He said, "because nobody plays it". It was obviously a dumb question. He's also been know to throw some Bach into his solo program.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 25 2017 14:04:53

Piwin

Posts: 3559
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

Oh so it's an actual piece?
I thought you were saying he came up with the idea of playing in Eflat/Dsharp phr. Pretty common now in Madrid, especially por bulerias.

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"Anything you do can be fixed. What you cannot fix is the perfection of a blank page. What you cannot fix is that pristine, unsullied whiteness of a screen or a page with nothing on it—because there’s nothing there to fix."

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 25 2017 15:18:20

mark indigo

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to estebanana)

quote:

In 2000 I was at a bar wit David in Sevilla and he was noodling around with that E flat thing while we were having a beer.- ......

I said by the way what is that palo? He said it's nothing, it not a palo, it's this E flat thing I came up with around 1972 or so and I showed it to all the gypsies in Madrid then. It got passed around and now it's this thing....

a vague memory is dribbling into my consciousness that someone has posted something about this before.... that David was trying to find a way to play Rondeña (toque) in standard tuning.
And he then showed it to Felipe Maya who showed it to everyone else.... was that you that posted that or someone else or did I imagine it?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 25 2017 16:29:32

mark indigo

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to Dudnote)

quote:

Pretty funny and interesting. I never heard of it, do you know if it ever get recorded (by anyone)?

er.... yes, by David Serva.... it's called "Rondeña.... and it's on the audio CD that comes with the DVD of the "Gypsy Davy" film.... that I bought recently from Amazon for about a tenner....

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 25 2017 16:35:19

mark indigo

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to Piwin)

quote:

Oh so it's an actual piece? I thought you were saying he came up with the idea of playing in Eflat/Dsharp phr.

yeah, I think both!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 25 2017 16:39:16

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to mark indigo)

quote:

a vague memory is dribbling into my consciousness that someone has posted something about this before.... that David was trying to find a way to play Rondeña (toque) in standard tuning.
And he then showed it to Felipe Maya who showed it to everyone else.... was that you that posted that or someone else or did I imagine it?

If it was me then I had forgotten it. He showed a lot of things to Felipe- The played togehter at la Corral for along time and they played Davids Alegria silencio. David talked to him several years after he left and Felipe said they still played it.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 25 2017 22:50:02

Ricardo

Posts: 14801
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to mark indigo)

This is the earliest recorded example I know of, but not sure the exact date here. I say late 70's early 80's. If Serva had his in 72, then we have to take his word for it. I have a recording of Serva's piece I will try to upload it (I would call it Rondeña libre). Was thinking it was recorded in the 80's as well however(never mind it was recorded in 2002!!!)

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CD's and transcriptions available here:
www.ricardomarlow.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 26 2017 18:17:37

mark indigo

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to Ricardo)

quote:

I have a recording of Serva's piece I will try to upload it (I would call it Rondeña libre). Was thinking it was recorded in the 80's as well however(never mind it was recorded in 2002!!!)

I wonder if it's the same as the one I have on the CD that came with the DVD....?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 26 2017 19:52:26

Ricardo

Posts: 14801
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: David Serva and Bill Burgess pla... (in reply to mark indigo)

Here it is....

If somebody (estebanana?) can get a title for this I will edit the video title to reflect the composition name.

Interesting to note he goes into 3/4 at the end similar to Paco de Lucia's Rondeñas from the 70's.

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CD's and transcriptions available here:
www.ricardomarlow.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 26 2017 21:32:32