--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, nablusoss1008 <no_reply@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > > He's yer quintessential Dutch musician. He's pretty > > much a master of his self-invented "tapping" tech- > > nique of playing, and makes about half of his living > > teaching this technique to others. The other half he > > makes by playing on the streets of Amsterdam, cycling > > there with his guitar and amp in the back of a baby > > stroller attached to the back of his bike. He stands > > on a street corner and plays like (to steal from Ray- > > mond Chandler) a slumming angel, makes enough money > > from passerby contributions to pay for his and his > > family's life, and then he supplements that income > > by selling his own CDs. > > > > I first was hooked by his sound while walking through > > the streets of Amsterdam. I heard guitar coming from > > somewhere, and a style of guitar I had never fuckin' > > heard before. I found where he was playing, plonked > > my butt down on a bench, and listened to his entire > > set. When he was finished I walked up and bought all > > of his CDs (and in fact several sets of them, because > > I wanted to send them to fellow guitar freaks). When > > I looked at the labels of the CDs, I found that the > > "sidemen" on them included some of the greats of jazz, > > like Stanley Jordan. Clearly they knew who this guy > > was, even if I did not. > > > > I really *admire* his chosen lifestyle. Guy could be > > out there on the concert circuit blowing the socks off > > of Pat Metheny. But he's got a wife and kids and...uh... > > a LIFE, and he prefers spending more time with his life > > than he does being "on the road." So he manages a fine > > lifestyle through busking. I envy it sometimes. > > > > Exactly where I first saw him, playing "Little Wing": > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WILII4fZfDw > > Fine, but he doesn't seem to have much to say.
In these clips, that's true. When you get to sit there and listen to the guy stretch out, he's got a lot to say. > The Master of the tapping guitar, and one who played > this style before the Vamos fellow was even born is > Enver Izmaylov. > If it does'nt hurt your pride to much listen to this: > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bHc_ps9HCU&feature=related That's interesting. Completely different style, but interesting. I like Carlos because he has "touch." So few guitarists -- even famous ones -- do. If you know what I'm talking about, you know what I'm talking about. If you don't, you don't. Notes aren't just notes to someone who has touch. They're a landscape. Thinking that "just playing the notes" is the same as "playing each note and endowing it with magic, as if it were an expansive landscape from 'The Lord Of The Rings' movies" is to deprive oneself of the joy of what the guitar can be. I once got to sit a few feet in front of both Jimi Hendrix and Andres Segovia and watch them play. Dudes had touch, especially while playing slow. I haven't seen that level of touch since, except in Carlos and one other guitarist. YMMV.
