Travis Steele Nevels
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Aggressive, Unorthodox Fingerstyle Wins Fans
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Travis Steele Nevels, acoustic guitarist out of Charlotte, North Carolina, plays the guitar on his CD release Freestyleguitar using a combination of banjo rolls, alternate tunings, acoustic slaps, power riffs, and his own patented "fingerstyle-flatpicking". He has dubbed the style "American Freestyle Fingerstyle" and it is certainly some ear catching, dynamic acoustic work. The two opening tracks ("Hammerhead", "The Heat And The Glare") literally grab the listener by the cochlea with aggressive flourishes and rapid rhythmic parts -- foundation shaking acoustic guitar! There isn't a track here that doesn't feature some interesting aspect of Nevels unorthodox style. It's easy to hear why Nevels was the 1998 North Carolina /South Carolina Fingerpicking Guitar Champion -- this guy is talented and has recorded some really fine music here.
Travis has taken a unique approach to the guitar. Always a 'closet musician' he never bothered joining a band or learning note-for-note versions of anyone's songs. Travis picked up his technique of thumb and two fingers from banjo great Earl Scruggs' style, and after many years, his style and approach have set him apart from other modern fingerstyle artists of today. It's a style that forces an audience to watch, as well as listen -- designed to capture the attention of the audience, and then hold it. Travis is a self-described 'street player', catering to a rougher audience than one simply dazzled by finesse.
OK, so maybe he still can't play a song his Dad can recognize. Who cares? This stuff is a lot better.
Contact Information
Travis Steele Nevels
8318 Pineville-Matthews #708-166
Charlotte, NC 28226
United States
E-mail:
Travis Steele Nevels
Web site:
www.freestyleguitar.com
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Radek Chwieralski
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Polish Shredder Continues Development
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Quick! Name the first shredder from Poland that comes to your mind. If twenty-one year old Warsaw based guitarist Radek Chwieralski has his way, you'll be remembering his name as you might recall continental European greats such as Malmsteen, Mitic and Schenker. He submitted a 12 song CD-R of instrumental hard rock and metal tracks that showcase his advanced technical abilities and his songwriting foundation. You'll hear passages that hearken back to Malmsteen ("The Eyes Of The Sphinx") and Schenker/Vai/Van Halen ("Night Drive") so it's no question that Chwieralski knows his way around a fretboard. While the CD-R was clearly recorded to display Chwieralski's impressive soloing talents, it would behoove the young guitarist to work on more challenging arrangements and ambitious compositions in order to set himself apart from the pack.
Radek has been playing guitar since he was 11 years old. He grew up in a musical family, where his grandfather played the violin and his father played guitar in many rock bands in the '60s and '70s. Gifted with a great ear and feel for music, he was initially inspired by his Dad. In 1992 he won a prize as the best guitarist at the "Morda" festival in Warsaw. In 1994 and 1996 he played in the Polish bands The Wonder Years and Metropolis. To date, he has written about 50 original compositions, both instrumental and with vocals.
Chwieralski plans to concentrate on live performances and further development of his musical skills.
Contact Information
Radek Chwieralski
ul. Korczynska 10/116
02-934 Warsaw
Poland
E-mail:
Radek Chwieralski
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