|
Ricardo -> RE: New favorite player (Jan. 5 2025 18:16:31)
|
quote:
Diego happy to stay as accompanist? Antonio international soloist?
Antonio was an accompanist. One of the best I have seen for dance etc. He was pushed to do his first solo album by Nuñez, who also at the same time featured Diego and others on "nueva escuela". This was because he recognized that the great accompanists were working and evolving the music of flamenco guitar, behind the scenes so to speak. I did not like Antonio's first album. Neither did he apparently... he said he did not have much to record and had to throw it together. Soon after, maybe 2007, I saw him with Tuto Fernandez accompany Farruco family (both brothers), and have to say he was far and away a better player than any I had seen, which did not project on his album at all. I had also seen Diego accompany in Spain and it was "weird" and perhaps ahead of his time in 1999 or 2000, can't remember. I was engaged with his playing as accompanist, but understand it was NOT like Antonio Rey who was massively on the game. Like the better guys Cepero, Manolo Franco, etc., that understand how to accompany. But he was with Farucos so you know, very aggressing things happen with the baile. Tuto as well (he had short lived fame with that one buleria as well).
I am not ever seeing Diego in that category since then. I loved his style at one point, as I said, around the time he played of recordings for Nina Pastori (which is border line pop music), and of course his best work was with Potito (camaronero but still great). Then finally his solo album came out, and was basically a rehash of everything he had already recorded. That Rondeña -ish tuned soleá was nice but it does not project as it should when he accompanied Montse in the movie...and as the piece that is the recreation of the Fernanda/Paco del Gastor piece, it was weak (it was important to make strong lasting statement here IMO). Meanwhile Antonio was doing more solo stuff and still accompanying Faruquito etc. His next two solo albums were really head and shoulders above his peers in his generation. Only perhaps Tomatito was making music that good (and by sticking to his normal formula, talking about soy flamenco).
When Moraito died and they had that homenaje, the accompaniment style of all the participants was weak. Well there was the one guy with the Conde that was good, forgot his name already. Diego played for Torta and it was so poor, that Torta just started singing over his falsetas. I was like "come on that was his dad man!!!". But if you guys think his playing has changed since then, I have missed out on it. I will check the Isreal thing (I pretty much know what to expect but maybe they have changed the style a bit?). hopefully someone can link me to the BEST of their performances?
I get that Antonio has put out weaker solo guitar stuff in past years, and there was that pandemic money grab where people thought he was playing a new concert and it was his DVD push play give me $25 type scam. [:D] But, I have not ever seen Diego play as well as what is in that DVD anyway. And those two twins that sing in unison was very good (his sister not good). Anyway maybe for everybody it is just taste. As I said, I was really into Diego at one time.
|
|
|
|
