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Ricardo -> RE: Gerardo Nuñez - BACK in Business!!! (Jul. 8 2012 14:20:01)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Bulerias2005
Thoughts, two weeks after the release:
The more I listen to the CD (I think my number of playthroughs is in the triple digits now), the more I can hear how specifically Nunez's hand injury has hampered his technical abilities. He uses overdubs and thumb technique in very unique and interesting ways to mask this, and I think he does an absolutely excellent job. Even the best guitarists will be hard-pressed to point out these moments.
Musically, the CD is on par with Nunez's best efforts. My only gripe is the brevity of certain compositions (and the entire CD!), particular "Tio Perico", which is a **1 minute long** solea. The first time I heard it, I was expecting the initial minute to function as some sort of introduction. Another piece, "Tio Pepe", seems unfinished -- the initial 30 or so seconds seem unrelated to the subsequent theme (aside from a passing melodic and harmonic resemblance). I get the feeling that some of the material was recorded before the hand injury (e.g., the rhythmic part of Ithaca) and spliced with newer recordings later (e.g., the opening of Ithaca -- note the weird crossfade between the intro and the actual alegrias).
Overall, I am glad that Nunez found inspiration in **something** (however an unlikely source two Africans seeking asylum might be) and didn't simply call it quits. From what I remember, he was actually working on two or three projects in the year before his hand injury, including a recording of the Aranjuez. I hope that some of that material still exists and will eventually be released.
I concur. Not so much arps and it is really a different style of playing overall. I always loved his thumb work and in an odd way that special sound he gets with pulgar is a sort of "too much of a good thing" on this. I was prepared for worse of course and what is here is very inspiring none the less. THe spliced buleria I agree with, interesting he didn't put palmas to the second half, I think it would have made a nice full sound. Perhaps the idea was to let the melody stand on it's own as per his brief fame for playing solo....meaning there was a buzz about him doing entire concerts several years back with his very modern synchopated playing but no "group" which is pretty standard for soloists since PDL.
THere was an other album called "salome" he did years back that showed a similar composing and recording approach....piecing together little thematic parts and short falsetas rather than full solid palos. The opening piece is neither a minera, nor alegria nor solea por buleria...rather elements of all through together. There was one impressive picado in there, and one not so impressive one. Musically I really like the whole thing, the recording is however a bit over compressed and those loud sustaining bass notes in the free palos are kind of ridiculous to me. The "Jazz group" pieces were recorded quite well though. I am also glad as you said gerardo is still doing his thing, but it really is a different style simply because of the finger issue.
Ricardo
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