Jim McAuley
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Pushing Improvisational Limits
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Gongfarmer 18 will twist your brain into knots. It'll deep fry your nervous system, coldclock your preconceptions, and splinter your most hidden fears. Well, maybe not, but the improvisational efforts put forth by acoustic guitarist Jim McAuley on his instrumental CD will have you rethinking your notions about song structure and genre categorization. McAuley used an array of classical, steel-string and 12-string guitars on his improvs, pushing them to the limits in terms of creative sonic output and breadth of aural interest. Will you like it? That is an impossible question to answer - the most open-minded among us will be challenged by McAuley's work, be impressed with his obvious skill, and be taken in by his determination to follow a very personal creative muse.
Jim has had a long and diverse career so far - from studio work in the '70s (including working with Frank Sinatra), to his most recent release with Rod Poole and Wilco guitarist Nels Cline ("Acoustic Guitar Trio" Incus CD46). He has earned an MFA in composition from CalArts, studied improvisation with jazz composer/clarinetist John Carter and recorded classical guitar for Marcel Marceau, always finding time to pursue his own improv muse, albeit in the context of a very underground L.A. scene. His most recent brush with Hollywood was coaching the cast of "A Mighty Wind" (Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, etc.) on the fine points of folk guitar playing.
McAuley's current activities include promoting his new CD, garnering college radio airplay, and organizing a tour in support of Gongfarmer 18. He has also begun work on a duo album, which will feature duets with violinist Leroy Jenkins.
MP3 Songs
Nika's Waltz
Before Thought
Contact Information
Jim McAuley
P.O. Box 66279
Los Angeles, CA 90066
United States
E-mail:
Jim McAuley
Web site:
www.ninewinds.com
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Carlos Barbosa-Lima
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Spearheading Brazilian Form Revival
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Carlos Barbosa-Lima has long spearheaded the revival of the classical Brazilian forms of music, including samba, chorinho and choro, and on his latest CD, Carioca, he arranges thirteen of the eighteen tracks in these characteristic styles. Nearly all instrumental (save three vocal tracks), the album bristles with the familiar, yet awes in the face of Barbosa-Lima's talent and grace on acoustic guitar. One listen to a track such as "Samba De Orfeu", with its unusual percussion backing, melodically evocative guitar and infectious rhythm is enough to convince any jazz fan to keep listening. Another standout, "Um Amor De Valsa" ("A Love Of Waltz"), is a traditional Brazilian Serenade Waltz, composed by Paulo Bellinati, which Barbosa-Lima deftly handles with style and exquisite taste (and provides a great lead in to the energetic "Um A Zero". A must-have for current (and future) lovers of Brazilian jazz.
For almost four decades, Carlos has been regarded as one of the most creative and versatile guitarists on the world stage. Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, he began studying the guitar at the age of seven - among his teachers was the legendary Andre Segovia - and made his concert debut five years later. He began his recording career while still in his teens. Since his US debut in 1967, he has enjoyed a global concert career marked by numerous distinguished recordings on the Concord and ZOHO labels. The breadth of his repertoire and his unique ability to integrate diverse musical styles - from classical to Brazilian and jazz - are strong features of his work. Many important composers have written music for him, and he has premiered such landmark works as Alberto Ginastera's Sonata, opus 47. Barbosa-Lima plays a guitar made by Richard Prenkert (2002).
Thus far Barbosa-Lima's releases have found him exploring the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, George Gershwin, Scott Joplin, Luiz Bonfa, Cole Porter, Leonard Bernstein (songs from "West Side Story") and a variety of lesser-known Brazilian composers.
MP3 Songs
Samba De Orfeu
Um Amor De Valsa
Contact Information
Jim Eigo
Jazz Promo Services
269 S. Route 94
Warwick, NY 10990
United States
E-mail:
Carlos Barbosa-Lima
Web site:
www.carmapro.com/cbl/cblindex.htm
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