Guitar Journeys

Quite a few guitar albums make it to World Music Central’s inbox. I need to begin with one of the most pleasant guitar surprises I’ve had this past year. Sundad is a group led by two guitarists, who are father and son,  from Ossining, New York. John Eurell plays acoustic and electric guitars. His son, John Eurell Jr. plays acoustic guitars. The third man in the band is percussionist Chet Soares.

For the recording of Sundad’s latest recording, The Journey Continues, they are joined by bassist Eddie Denise, drummer Abe Speller and violinist Dave Kline. The musical style can be described as contemporary instrumental, with elements of acoustic rock and folk weaved with bits of jazz, Flamenco and global sounds. The pieces are inspired and there is a captivating interaction between the two guitarists. For more information you can go to http://www.sundadrecords.com.

From Serbia comes Branco Stoysin. He is now based in the United Kingdom and has been touring extensively, bringing stimulating folk melodies performed on the guitar to British audiences. His material includes his own compositions and traditional pieces as well as works by other composers. His CD Heart Is the Bridge is available in North America.

Virtuoso classical guitarist Kuefei Yang has become one of the most important guitarists within the classical genre in recent years. On 40 Degrees North she performs by pieces by some of the finest Spanish composers of the 20th century, Albéniz, Tárrega and Granados.  But she also pays tribute to Chinese folk music. There is also a suite by Stephen Goss titled The Chinese Garden, which is inspired by Chinese motifs.

Guitarist Leni Stern turns to the traditions of West Africa for her latest recording, Africa. Stern’s guitar style comes from the jazz tradition, but on Africa she immerses herself in what many call African blues, the music of Mali. Most of the album was recorded in Bamako, the capital of Mali and Stern invited some of the finest instrumentalists and singers in the area.

Jim Stubblefield blends guitar with other instruments such as viola, venturing into Flamenco, Latin music and classical. On his latest CD, Guitarra Exotica his sound is clearly influenced by the Latin guitar style of Strunz and Farah.

Singaporese guitarist Konstatine Anderson plays short melodic pieces on Guitar Masterpieces – Solo Instrumental. The gentle songs range from classical to folk melodies with an Asian flavor.