Solo Guitarra José Luis Montón

• 1 Rota 05:52
• 2 Española 05:07
• 3 Son & Kete 03:53
• 4 Air 03:30
• 5 Altolaguirre 02:50
• 6 Con permiso 04:51
• 7 Al oído 04:39
• 8 Conclusión 05:49
• 9 Detallitos 04:58
• 10 Hontanar 05:21
• 11 Tarareando 05:57
• 12 Piel suave 04:52
• 13 Te he de querer mientras viva 01:28
• Total Runtime 59:07

Info for Solo Guitarra

“As the title says, there is nothing but guitar”, José Luis Montón remarks in a brief and self-effacing liner note. Just an acoustic guitar, and an astonishing guitarist. Over the years at ECM it has often been the case that one record production has opened a door into another, and when Manfred Eicher heard José Luis Montón’s creative and sensitive playing at the session for singer Amina Alaoui’s Pan-Iberian “Arco Iris” project, the potential of a solo disc from Montón was apparent at once. Like “Arco Iris”, “Solo Guitarra” was recorded at the Auditorium RSI Lugano in Switzerland. The session took place in April 2011, exactly one year after the Alaoui date.

In the solo pieces heard here the resourceful Montón builds upon the template, energy and emotional intensity of flamenco in the creation of his own pieces, rooted in the tradition and at the same time reaching toward new destinations: “Flamenco is very beautiful in itself and I am deeply grateful for the inspiration it has given me throughout my career and my personal struggle to find myself through music. I owe a special debt of gratitude to all the great masters of flamenco guitar that have enriched so much its language, introducing new characters in the alphabet of flamenco.” The flow of ideas in Montón’s pieces can be breathtaking, as melodic lines splinter into flurries of notes or dance elegantly through stacked rhythms, virtuosity always harnessed to thoroughly musical ends. The music also draws from other resources including classical music, Baroque music being specifically acknowledged with the J.S. Bach-inspired “Air”, which references the “Air” from Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068.

'After hearing José Luis Montón play so dazzlingly in Amina Alaoui’s Arco Iris, one of ECM’s finest records of this or any year, producer Manfred Eicher invited the Barcelona-born guitarist back twelve moons later for a solo session. The result: Solo Guitarra. Paying homage to the flamenco music that continues to challenge and inspire him, Montón took this opportunity, as he did with Alaoui, not to build on or recreate some monolithic tradition but rather to use his instrument as the starting point for independent compositions through which a mythic past flows unimpeded.'

'As with the implied figures of the Max Franosch cover photo, there is nothing “solo” about this guitarra, for the architecture of its player’s technical and idiomatic acuity has many chambers. The farruca, a (possibly) Galician strand similar to Portuguese fado, is referenced in the two opening pieces. This light and airy style is most evident in the understated virtuosity of “Rota,” but also shows a darker side in “Española.” Already we have witnessed the depths of Montón’s abilities, turning six strings into a choir just yearning to proclaim and meditate in turn. The acrobatics of the bulería come out through “Son & Kete,” a spiraling and almost tense flurry of activity. “Altolaguirre” and “Hontanar” give us the chameleonic tango. On the surface fragile as rose petals yet thorny as the supporting stem, it lives as it sings: without the need for words, and in service of that one moment when all is cast away. Next is an enraptured tarantella. “Con permiso” turns said folk dance into a diary of consummated love. There is the unsure touch, the cheek quivering at first caress, the pile of shed inhibitions cushioning every pinpoint of oneness. The relatively unornamented shapes of the Andalusian cantiñas and soleá roll like children down a hill through “Al oído” and “Conclusión,” respectively. Theatrical use of slaps and rasgueado (those distinct hummingbird strums) speaks to Montón’s experience as a composer of incidental music. The seguirilla, one of flamenco’s most expressive and formidable variations, shows him at his spirited best in “Detallitos.” The inventiveness of his mid-range melodies is second only to his intuitiveness of rhythmic control. “Tarareando” is without citation. As a result, its wide steps bolster the innocent joy of “Piel suave,” a rustic Cuban guajira that turns like a Rubik’s Cube, the solution of which glows flush in an endearing rendition of “Te he de querer mientras viva.” Nestled in the heart of all this is the Bach-inspired “Air,” which gives respect to the famous movement of the Orchestral Suite No. 3. It is an enlightening reminder of the many paths we travel to find the sound that best expresses us, only to discover that those paths all lead to a shared origin.'

“In this music I have tried to translate all the sincerity and love of art that I appreciate so much when I encounter it.” (José Luis Montón)

José Luis Montón, guitar
Recorded April 2011, Auditorio Radiotelevisione svizzera, Lugano
Engineer: Stefano Amerio
Produced by Manfred Eicher

Born in Barcelona in 1962 José Luis Montón made his debut as a concert artist there in 1989. His recordings as a leader include "Flamenco entre amigos" (1996), “Aroma” (Auvidis, 1997), “Sin querer” (2000), “De la felicidad” (2005), “Flamenco Arabe 2” (2006), “Flamenco Kids” (2010) and “Flamenco Etxea” (2011). One of the characteristics of his work has been a willingness to search for points of contact with other disciplines and cultures. Amongst many examples are his “Flamenco Arabe” project with Egyptian percussionist Hossam Ramzy and collaborations with Lebanese classical violinist Ara Malikian. Montón has also explored the common ground between flamenco and music of the Basque region in work with accordionist Gorka Hermosa, played with singers of flamenco and fado traditions including Misia, Carmen París, María Berasarte, Mayte Martín, composed music for dance and theatre and much more...

For Montòn there is a common denominator running through such projects. “When I faced the challenge of doing this solo album, I wondered what it was that touched me the most in an artist’s work and concluded that it was the quality of sincerity. In this music I have tried to translate that sincerity and love of art which I appreciate so much when I encounter it.”

Montón’s current projects-in-progress include “Clavileño”, described as “a new way of feeling Spanish Baroque music”, tracing rhythmic dances of the Baroque back to Arab origins. He is also presenting a show based upon Bach and flamenco rhythms in Seville in April 2013, and collaborating on a programme of Spanish Songs of the 19th Century with classical guitarist David González and singer Clara Montes.

Booklet for Solo Guitarra