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What about Gerardo Núñez?
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zata
Posts: 659
Joined: Jul. 17 2003
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 RE: What about Gerardo Núñez? (in reply to Guest)
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Gerardo seems to be the type of artist who inspires diehard fans, and his musicality is impressive. My only complaint is it don’t sound flamenco at all. Nobody told me it was jazz actually...I claim full rights to my own ignorance. I think it was when the bass player did his looooong solo...tum, tum, tumtum...eyes closed, head waving back and forth, while Gerardo smiled broadly at him and played the occasional diminished minor ninth, ever so softly...I think that was when I started feeling transported to 1964, The Village Gate....
He certainly knows his instrument and certainly used to accompany cante like crazy...but I guess he got bored. I’m glad to know others find him less than exciting.
Estela ‘Zata’
quote:
Some people really like him, but I really didn't enjoy his show at all 2 years ago. Tomatito totally put him to shame in my opinion. I wasn't alone, he was so boring that I saw 2 people fall asleep. However, the Nunez diehard fans and classical guitarists in the audience loved it - more scales and arpeggios than a classical guitar etude book - but very little flamenco in my opinion.
But there is nothing jazzy about it. Its purely modern classical guitar influences. People who are telling you that it's jazz don't have the slightest clue about what jazz is, and obviously know as little about modern classical guitar. I think that Nunez has done more to fuse classical guitar technique with flamenco music than anyone since Ramon Montoya - too much for my tastes.
The Cuban modern classical guitar composer Leo Brower lives in Spain now and I hear his influences everywhere being once a classical guitarist myself. He even teaches in Cordoba. All of the parallelisms (moving one chord form stepwise up and down the neck) and chromatic movement ideas come straight from his music and that of the Brazillian modern classical guitar composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. Undeniably.
On the other hand listen to his accompaniment of El Moro (Indeo Gitano) from Nunez' early career. He did an awesome job accompanying the cante back then. One of my favorite cante recordings.
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Date Aug. 25 2003 21:50:57
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Paul Bruhns
Posts: 77
Joined: Jul. 14 2003
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RE: What about Gerardo Núñez? (in reply to zata)
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Zata:
I saw Gerardo Nunez last September at the Teatro De Maistransa with Carmen Linares. When Gerardo was playing solo guitar and being accompanied by his musicians (the bass player is an amazing talent) I did not follow what he was doing. Was it flamenco? Not in my opinion... no, not at all. But then, guitar by itself... IS THAT FLAMENCO?
I agree with whoever said he is flamenco influenced in his art as a solo guitarist, but he is also influenced by jazz, classical, and others styles. He composes and executes in a very unique way that I like alot. IS THAT FLAMENCO?
When Carmen Linares joinded him on stage, he immediately deferred to her, and accompanied her cante beautifully. SOmeone in front of me stood up irately and left the theatre in a huff, he obviously did not think that WAS FLAMENCO.
I gave up trying to make this out to be a truly flamenco performance, and I just sat back and enjoyed it. But I enjoy Carmen Linares very much anyway. I saw her perform a few years ago with Monolo SanLucar, so Carmen seems to be able to manage her way on stage with these Ultra Ego types very well.
I just wish I had gotten to see Fernanda and Diego in my lifetime.
Regards,
Paul
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Date Aug. 26 2003 2:59:11
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Paul Bruhns
Posts: 77
Joined: Jul. 14 2003
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RE: What about Gerardo Núñez? (in reply to zata)
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Anthony:
Maybe that was a strong statement. Yes, as a matter of fact, I have met both of them through mutual friends and only briefly. I should realize that was a privelege!
My teacher has known Manolo for over 25 years, and I have a friend (professional flamenco guitarist) who studies with Gerardo in SanLucar every summer.
and, by the way, I love their music. Still, an ultra ego, in the context that I meant, is not meant to be a slam... just my impression that they do not yield .. they are meistros, and you are going to get what they want you to hear from them, not what you expect to hear necessarily... does that make sense?
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Date Aug. 27 2003 5:28:24
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Paleto
Posts: 243
Joined: Jul. 29 2003
From: San Diego, CA
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RE: What about Gerardo Núñez? (in reply to zata)
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Estela and Paul,
I understand why you might suggest that someone is ego-maniacal for composing music such as his. But as we all know, we all strike out on paths we find worth our while. Obviously, he's found his and he's following his own instincts.
My personal opinion is that in some instances he sounds very flamenco, less so in others. I probably would have agreed with you during moments at the performance if I had been there. Part of the problem here is that...well at least I can say, I don't even have a clear definition of what sounds flamenco, its just kind of this ad-hoc definition oh that sounds flamenco, oh but this does not. I am as guilty as anyone else of this. It seems like some people want flamenco to stay inside this little area or box but I think its futile to maintain that kind of position. People will do what they want, we can comment all we want but it won't make any difference at all.
I took a listen to Trafalgar in response to your article, and yes, Trafalgar is certainly different from anything we'd call traditional flamenco. I think the piece was a forum in which he fleshed out some ideas he had. The result stretches our conception of flamenco. In any case, musically it is interesting. There are some nice phrases in there. I would call it experimental flamenco.
Have you listened to his El Gallo Azul cd? I thought he sounded pretty flamenco on that one.
Yes, there are lots of notes in his playing, but I don't think its all "ego", it's just what works for his style.
Any agreement?
Anthony
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Date Aug. 27 2003 20:22:40
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Ron.M
Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland
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RE: What about Gerardo Núñez? (in reply to Paul Bruhns)
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Paul,
I think at the end of the day, every artist has a desire to do what they feel they must plus combine that with a need to bring in an income for themselves and their family.
If you can be successful with both at the same time, then great, the world is a wonderful place for you.
If you have to compromise, either by doing something that you don't neccessarily like in order to keep the money coming in, then you are not a happy bunny.
If you have to do what's in your mind and heart, but don't earn much money from it, then your partner nags at you about the kids and the domestic situation.
And again, you are not a happy bunny.
I salute artists everywhere, regardless of what they do.
They are driven by a fever that takes them out of comfortable well paid jobs by refusing to listen to common sense dealt out to them by their parents and teachers.
For every Paco de Lucia and Camaron, there are perhaps hundreds of very good performers who are very talented and hard working, but won't ever hope to see the financial rewards gained by these giants.
Getting by on a weekly basis will be their main aim.
It's not an easy life for most, although for their one and a half hours up there on stage they get our adulation and appause as we wish we could quit our jobs and be one of them!
(Sorry for the "Thought for Today" type monologue.) LOL!
Note that I have taken time and effort to edit this post to replace any gender references such as "he" and "his" and replace them with politically correct words such as "they" and "theirs".
I thank you in advance for this, and hope you girls out there appreciate it! LOL!
cheers
Ron
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Date Aug. 27 2003 20:39:15
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Phil
Posts: 382
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Rota, Spain
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RE: What about Gerardo Núñez? (in reply to zata)
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Ron said,quote:
Note that I have taken time and effort to edit this post to replace any gender references such as "he" and "his" and replace them with politically correct words such as "they" and "theirs".
Ron,
The political correctness of your last post serves as stellar example to the rest of us 'machistas". You've raised the bar to a point that few of us can even hope to reach. I, for one, am going to try to stop using the macho-centric and archaic "he" and "his" in favor of "they" and theirs." I may even throw caution to the wind and use "she" and "hers" whenever the whim strikes me. I, however, refuse to use the wimpish "he or she" and "his or hers". Call me what you may, but I just won't stoop to that level.
Thanks again for raising the awareness of all forum members and helping to make this, not only the best Flamenco forum on the internet, but also the most politically correct.
Phil
P.S. Now if you can just get these sexist male chauvinists like Merle to stop referring to their guitars as women ... 
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Date Aug. 27 2003 21:04:45
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