Me and George, Pt. II!

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Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

Me and George, Pt. II!

I played a gig tonight, just a 2 hr in the Royal Palms lounge. Who walked in during the first hour but George Benson. He also had a guy with long hair, who looked like a musician, with him. When Mr. Benson walked by, he smiled and pointed at my new guitar--very perceptive of him to realize it was new.

The last time he was there, I didn't know who he was until after I talked to him. I noticed him because he kept calling out things to me, mostly encouragement, after each song. The second set I had played very self-consciously. This time, I knew starting out! This is the guy who played on "Mundo"! And he has done other things, too.

For some reason, I was not scared at all. What a change...three years ago, I suffered from extreme stage fright even playing a song for one of my wife's friends. Here I was playing in front of George Benson. For some reason, I got very brave...I decided to end my set with Panaderos Flamencos. Now, of course, I don't play it as fast as Grisha--I only play mine about 120 or maybe a bit more live. But it is still my scariest piece, most prone to disaster. Why I decided to do it I have no idea.

I started to play it and took it a little too fast. That's okay... The first run came off fine..I started to feel good. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed George Benson and the other guy watching me! But still I played, and it was going fine! At the end, due to some perverse urge, I sped it up (which I often don't do), and finished with the big run! Mostly I nailed it!

I finished up and went over to talk to them. They were interested in my guitar and I let George play it. As he had before, he started whipping out crazy jazz stuff, on it. Suffice it to say that he is an incredible master. His left hand is crazy good. If he had a pick, I'm sure he would have whipped up a maelstrom. As it was, I thought it sounded great.

The other guy introduced himself as Eddie Benitez, he was also a musician. They were both very complimentary. George Benson said, "You're a very articulate player." Man...can I get that framed and use it like Esteban uses that Segovia crap!? Anyway, we talked a bit more about this and that, Tomatito, etc. You know.

Eddie Benitez and I talked a bit more, he mentioned needing a guitarist for his upcoming tour and told me I was very talented. He asked me if I would be interested! (I know, grain of salt and all. Anyway, the pay would have to be pretty good for my wife to okay that one).

It's always fun to meet George Benson! I told him about my steady gig at Barcelona and he said he'd stop by!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 26 2006 2:16:14

Conrad

Posts: 533
Joined: Jul. 16 2003
From: Toronto, ON, Canada

RE: Me and George, Pt. II! (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

Gnarly, Miguel. And panaderos is tough at any pace. Well done, man! I'd love to hear what Mr. Benson said about Tomate. Any stories?

Rad

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 26 2006 2:25:22

sorin popovici

Posts: 427
Joined: Jan. 7 2005
From: Iasi, Romania

RE: Me and George, Pt. II! (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

man ,good story ...please post an mp3 of your panaderos sometime,will not
compare it to anyones ...if it's good is good.

Very nice complements from this monster player.I think u should take
the job ,I dont know maybe it's nothing to you, but ........

whatever ,do it and ask questions later.

wow,I envy u so much ...cool , maybe in sometime if u keep meeting
u'll become quite a good friend to george benson.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 26 2006 4:02:33

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Me and George, Pt. II! (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

Wow Mike,
Things really happen for you!
Can't do any harm to have friends in high places!
(You should carry a videocamera around with you so you can include all these things in your Bio DVD)

cheers

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 26 2006 8:25:34

Guest

[Deleted] (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 26 2006 15:50:52

Romanza

Posts: 296
Joined: Oct. 24 2005

RE: Me and George, Pt. II! (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

Hi Miguel - could you post a vid of you playing Panaderos Flamencos - I love it. I love the fact it sounds so simple and precise yet I imagine its a bu**er to play!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 26 2006 15:58:49

Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

RE: Me and George, Pt. II! (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

Guys, I suck at Panaderos Flamencos. Maybe the best version ever recorded can be found here on this very website, by our resident virtuoso Grisha. The 2nd best version can be found on Entre Dos Aguas, among other places. If you want to hear one that is slow, with picado that except on a great day is clunky and with missed notes, then come to one of my gigs.

I think it is a hard piece because it tests you in a couple ways. Of course the picado runs are hard and they are quite typical flamenco runs. They cover all six strings. What a great time for Grisha's add-one-note exercise. You also have to switch back from strumming and arpeggios and picado, which as Todd pointed out, is the next frontier once you master the seperate ones. Or you can just forgo mastery and learn it as one of your first flamenco pieces, like me, and spend the next few years struggling with it.

As far as stage fright, it is really all about experience. Just do it. And start small. I think the best way is to get in a group, which alleviates at least 50% of the pressure. You just keep pushing the comfort level gradually. And play for your friends, your wife, your mom, their friends, and keep pushing that circle out, out out. I still don't exactly know where my comfort level is, because I have't really played for a big crowd in a quiet, solo situation. I might just freak if that happened.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 26 2006 17:10:23

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Me and George, Pt. II! (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

quote:

If you want to hear one that is slow, with picado that except on a great day is clunky and with missed notes, then come to one of my gigs.

LOL! Rafael the flamenco guitarist who lives in Oxford now, said to me "Recordings are recordings and live gigs are live gigs..."
So much wisdom in that apparently silly statement!
Live gigs have a different vibe...you listen to the stuff in a very different context from sitting at home playing CD's.
They've each got their different energy IMO.
(And if George Benson thought it was OK...then who's gonna stand up and say it wasn't?

)

cheers

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 26 2006 20:15:34

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Me and George, Pt. II! (in reply to Ron.M)

If I may add to what I've just said..
Someone once said that recordings have got to be edited etc and made as damn near perfect as possible.
Not because the artist wants to appear that he plays like that each morning when he gets out of bed, but because when flubbs are on a CD then everytime the listener plays it, he hears it and gets sensitised to it and it becomes really annoying.
Somebody screwing up in a live situation is just a momentary thing, gone in the past and done with...

cheers

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 26 2006 20:31:55

Gecko

Posts: 218
Joined: Jan. 2 2006
From: New Mexico

RE: Me and George, Pt. II! (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

I wonder if Eddie Benitez is any relation to Maria Benietz who has a rather well know troupe and a school (The Institute for Spanish Arts) here in New Mexico. Son, possibly?

http://www.mariabenitez.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 26 2006 21:56:28

nickeyg

Posts: 56
Joined: Jun. 16 2005

RE: Me and George, Pt. II! (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

That's really cool that you met George Benson and that he liked your playing. George is kindof like Paco in that he was a child prodigy. Listen to "George Benson Cookbook" which he recorded when he was eighteen. Absolutely insane guitar on that record and pre-poppy! It's really good hard-bop. Nick

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 26 2006 22:27:51

Mark2

Posts: 1877
Joined: Jul. 12 2004
From: San Francisco

RE: Me and George, Pt. II! (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

Miguel, That's so wonderful. It's a tribute to your hard work. I bet GB brought that guy around cause he needed a Spanish type player. If the gig is offered, you should do it for sure. Opportunities like that to tour may not come along so often. I was playing in a rock band and got an offer to record and go to Italy. I really liked the rock band, and felt like I was playing with really good players. I asked the drummer's advice, and he said go -this rock gig will be here when you get back. I ended up doing two tours in N. Italy and playing on an lp. I'm so glad I did it. I've never been back there since-and who knows when or if I will be ever able to. Life is short man. And if your wife absolutely won't go for it, send the guy to me. After 20 years of marriage, my wife will be happy to get rid of me for a month or two

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 26 2006 23:40:22

Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

RE: Me and George, Pt. II! (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

Mark,
thanks for the advice. I'll take it into consideration if anything happens. Which I don't think it will, neccesarily. Look, talk is cheap. People have talked about albums and knowing record producers, blah blah for as long as I've been playing guitar. This is not a testament to my guitar playing, but to people's propensity to brag and drop names.

Which is not say I wasn't a mile high walking out of there with nice words from Mr. Benson and Mr. Benitez. It's fun to get good feedback from other musicians, even if they are just being nice.

Eddie Benitez is not to my knowledge related to Maria. I checked out his website (you can google it). Looks like he is more into the Afro-Cuban type of thing, salsa, etc. I was able to find a couple soundclips and he sounds like Santana.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 27 2006 1:32:09