Andy Culpepper flamenco CD review

Okay after a few listens I am ready to let you in on my opinions.

1st song : Sol Y suelo

A very nice modern style tarantas. Very reminiscent of Paco de lucia circa mid 80s. Played with much grace and style.
Clean playing and tremolos, dripping with emotion.

2nd song : November (tango)

Slow style tango, usually played fast for Juergas. This unique tempo gives the real feeling of the Sacromonte caves
where the gypsies live. Nice rasgeados, nice accents, great golpes. Andalucia would be proud.

3rd song : La voz de mi guitarra (solea)

Opening with the solitude which characterizes the thematic style of solea. Moves into furthur introspection, separation
and societal despair. Nice chordal chromatic progression at the end summarizes the fall into hope and loss. Ole'

4th song : Cascadilla (alegrias)

A cheerful rendition of gypsy verve and exploration. Nice minor key passage with purposeful playing. Not at all contrived
as with so many guitar artists. Returns to major key with accelerando with ease. Great triplet rasgueo in this section.
Modern chords at the coda impart a freshness to this ancient form. Nice.

5th song : Sentimentos (tarantas)
A very traditional tarantas. The song of the miners. Gypsies were enslaved and sometimes employed to work in the mines far
from their friends and families. This form is key to understanding the complexity of gypsy life. Andy conveys every desire
and hope, the utter despair of not only being of a race exploited but of those forced from their homeland. Great playing.

6th song : Rusted truck (bulerias)

I love bulerias I must say, my lifeblood comes from bulerias. The complex rhythms found in this style are hauntng. It is a
compound time meter of essentially two measures within a measure repeating throughout the song. Each measure is a different
time meter, kind of like patting your head and rubbing your tummy at the same time then switching to brushing your teeth
and combing your hair. Try it ! The playing here is lively and fresh. Perfect compas like riding in the back of the car on
a long trip when you were a kid watching the telephone poles go by at 55 mph. Beginning has a very juerga feel. Makes you
think Diego del gastor is sipping a bit of "tinto" somewhere close by. Good alzapua in mid section. Nice fadeout with
modern simultaneous alternating thumb and picado patterns. Sabes tocar la bulerias.

7th song : Garcia lorca (sequirias)

For those unacquainted, Federico Garcia Lorca was the father of flamenco poetry. No song could be played without thinking
whether or not he would approve of the intent behind the paying or singing. Similar to the bulerias in rhythm, actually it
is a reverse image. It takes many years to achieve mastery of this style. Golpes tap out the meter and rasgueos accent the
feeling. After the intro very nice alzapuas with clean execution yet able to convey the urgency of this style. Played
somewhat in the style of manolo sanlucar back in the 60s. Most current players bling this style up with garish and useless
frills. Andy is to the point and never strays from the task at hand. Bravo.

8th song : Philadelphia (solea)

This begins with a very modern harmonic use of chromatic octaves. Then there is a more traditional mid section with great
picado and rasgueos. More clean triplet rasqueos in the end. Sweet.

9th song : Two lakes (bulerias)
This starts in solea form then transmutes to the faster bulerias. Killer harmonic octave glissandos take us to a modern
presentation of my fav song form. Poignant pulgar work late mid section before more octave chords. Slight accelerando at
the coda. Played out with modern 7th chordal bridging.

Final track : Painting (granadinas)

Next to bulerias my favorite form is the granadinas. Another song of the miners. Taking deep into the depths of the
mines Andy digs a shaft of graceful hammer-ons and pull-offs. Shimmering notes like gravel that threaten workers fall unto
bottomless pits of human emotion. Really nice tremolo mid section ending with clean picados. We are taken up the mountains
of the Sacromonte in search of new beginnings.

Overall this is a great album worthy of any aficionados collection or even those who are unfamiliar with flamenco will love
it. The recording is very good, the tone of guitar speaks of spain. I highly recommend this CD.


Asta luego,
TJ