So this morning I was in beautiful Newark NJ. Last night we went to a fund-raiser for Team Willpower, a night of bowling. It was the first time I bowled in many years. It took several throws to even be respectable, and for me the 110 I bowled was not even that! But it was for a good cause and we had a good time!
One of the artists that I’ve been listening to over the last few days has been Lawson Rollins I listened to his fine guitar playing a while ago as part of the duo Young and Rollins,.and really liked their sound. This week I’ve been listening to Lawson’s latest album Full Circle. On his website, Lawson says this about the album:
“’Full Circle’ is somewhat of a return to my roots in a sense, with the focus shifting to a sound that is more centered and grounded in the instrument I know best – the nylon string Spanish guitar. I was determined and indeed excited to create a cohesive, guitar-focused album. ‘Full Circle’ is perhaps the most accurate, pointed expression of my guitar style and approach to melody and songcraft to date.”
Guitar Player Magazine Editor-in-Chief Michael Molenda has posted this about Rollins….
Rollins seduces in so many ways that it’s almost unfair. His classical tone is gorgeous, his technique is impeccable, his subtle genre blending is compelling, and the cat can play melodies with jaw-dropping, near-demonic speed.
So while I have listened to a little of his music,i.e. Full Circle and Espirito, I do know I like his style, I need some of this background from Wikipedia to know what to check out next…..
Lawson Rollins is an American guitarist and composer from North Carolina[1] noted for his virtuoso fingerstyle technique and melodic compositional skills featured in his recordings.[2] His music spans a wide range of genres but is generally classed as Latin Jazz and World Music, with elements of Samba, Bossanova, Middle Eastern music, Classical guitar, Flamenco and Shred guitar added to the mix. He often employs extremely fast minor scales and diminished scale solo runs to his compositions which are diligently executed in the flamenco picado style, often blazing arpeggios across the fretboard using his fingers, a technically highly difficult feat for most guitarists.
He is best known for his compositions The Fire Cadenza, Santa Ana Wind, Daybreak, Infinita, and Moonlight Samba and his albums Infinita, Espirito, and Elevation, which were all critically acclaimed by the jazz and guitar communities. Read More
So let’s check out the Official Video for “Santa Ana Wind” – Well, my reaction is Whoa! What’s Yours??