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April, 1997
Featured Artist
Carl Volk


"Estrada do Sol"
Carl Volk - Guitar
with Alexander Zonjic - Flute





Estrada do Sol		 Antonio Carlos Jobim (1927-1994) blended Brazilian samba with American cool jazz and French Impressionism to create a unique sound with evocative melodies and syncopated rhythms. Influenced by the great works of Debussy, Satie, Gershwin, Villa-Lobos, Cole Porter and Miles Davis, Jobim became one of the most prolific songwriters of this century, with over 400 songs to his credit, including some of the biggest hits of all time. Two of his most beautiful melodies are presented here with five of the greatest South American compositions ever written: the Villa-Lobos Aria from Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, the theme to the movie Black Orpheus by Luis Bonfá, Morning of the Carnival, and three pieces by the "King of the Tango," Astor Piazzolla. The masterful flute work of Alexander Zonjic also combines with the rich guitar sound of Carl Volk in a sensual performance of Erik Satie's Gymnopédie No. 1, perhaps the most universal of all French Impressionist compositions.

Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1927, Antonio Carlos "Tom" Jobim created a style of music that is, as Stephen Holden of The New York Times stated, "unmatched in its delicate sensuality." His fusion of the popular music of Brazil with cool jazz and French Impressionism created an entire movement - the bossa nova sound was soon heard around the world. Constantly calling for the preservation of the environment, he claimed, "The nature of Rio, I believe, helped me a lot - the sea, the forest, the mountains, the birds, the lagoon. They had an effect. I am a son of mother nature." Fellow Brazilian and guitar great Carlos Barbosa-Lima worked with Jobim in transcribing many of his compositions for solo guitar. Estrada do Sol (Road to the Sun) and Estrada Branca (This Happy Madness) well represent the genius that was Jobim, melodies that contain and convey love, beauty, sensuality, and poetry.

It was natural that Jobim was influenced by Heitor Villa-Lobos, the father of Brazilian classical music, whose compositions were often inspired by popular Brazilian songs and indigenous ethnic music. The Aria from Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, composed in 1938 as part of his tribute to Bach, is perhaps the most celebrated of all Brazilian melodies. Originally written for cello orchestra and soprano, Segovia, enchanted with its beauty, asked Villa-Lobos to transcribe it for guitar and voice and edited the published version.

One of the major steps in Jobim's career was writing the music, along with his co-patriot Luiz Bonfá, for the 1959 movie Black Orpheus. Bonfá's brilliant theme for the movie, Morning of the Carnival, has become one of the most recorded and performed compositions of all time. Another of the great South American composers, Astor Piazzolla, the "King of the Tango," wrote Nightclub - 1960 as part of the History of the Tango for flute and guitar. His caption to this piece begins, "This is a time of rapidly expanding international exchange, and the tango evolves again as Brazil and Argentina come together in Buenos Aires. The Bossa Nova and the Tango Nuevo are moving to the same beat." In Verano Porteño, the Summer part to Piazzolla's four seasons cycle originally composed for his quintet, the Tango Nuevo sound is prevalent but with Romántico, one of his Five Pieces for solo guitar, Piazzolla bridges all continents with a romantic tale that may well have been influenced by the penmanship of Jobim.

The Cuban guitarist Leo Brouwer has become one of the strongest composers for the guitar during the last part of this century. Piece without Title, one of hi earlier works, mixes American jazz with Cuban rhythms and the popular lullaby, Canción de Cuna, has a melody that easily translates into a guitar and flute duet. Valse Burlesque, inspired by a fold song from the Carinthian Mountain region of Austria, is part of a set of five pieces written with the assistance of the fine Austrian-born guitarist Konrad Ragossnig.

Andrew York, another leading composer for the modern guitarist and member of the distinguished Los Angeles Guitar quartet, includes The Current in his Eight Dreamscapes, a wonderful collection of pieces that both inspire and educate. Take-Off on a Satie Theme, beyond its introduction, is a playful take-off of Satie's timeless masterpiece, Gymnopédie No. 1. Fiber Optics, an interlude played with harmonics only, is an acoustic guitarist's answer to one of the latest developments in music styles, Techno-Ambient music, where computer-generated 'notes' usually play the major role. With slightly bluegrass roots, Blue Ridge Parkway is a celebration of America riding down its favorite scenic highway, influenced by jazz, New Age and popular music.

-- Carl Volk, June, 1996


Special thanks to flutist Alexander Zonjic for his outstanding contribution to this recording and to my wife Rosa for her constant encouragement.

SELECTIONS

  1. Estrada do Sol (2:17) - Antonio Carlos Jobim
    Road to the Sun, © 1959 Tro-Hollis Music
    transcription by Carlos Barbosa-Lima* (not published)**
  2. The Current (1:20) - Andrew York
    Eight Dreamscapes © 1994 Seven Centers Publishing (BMI)
    Guitar Solo Publications, San Francisco
  3. Piece without Title (1:40) - Leo Brouwer
    Pieza Sin Titulo, © 1972 Editions Max Eschig, Paris*
  4. Morning of the Carnival (3:59) - Luiz Bonfá
    © 1959 Bonfá Music (ASCAP), transcription by Otis Fuller arrangement by Carl Volk
  5. Nightclub - 1960 (5:23) - Astor Piazzolla
    History of the Tango, © 1986 Editions Henry Lemoine, Paris*
  6. Valse Burlesque (1:43) - Günther Mittergradnegger
    Canti Corinthiae, © 1988 B. Shott's Sohne, Mainz, Germany arrangement by Konrad Ragossnig
  7. Gymnopédie No. 1 (2:45) - Erik Satie
    Composed in 1888, arr. for guitar & flute by Carl Volk & Alexander Zonjic
  8. Take-Off on a Satie Theme (3:22) - Carl Volk
    © 1996 Carl Volk, Chiron Music
  9. Aria (Cantilena) (4:21) - Heitor Villa-Lobos
    Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, arr. for guitar and voice by Heitor Villa-Lobos © 1947, 1954 Assoc. Music Publishers, New York, edited by Andrés Segovia
  10. Fiber Optics (4:05) - Carl Volk
    © 1996 Carl Volk, Chiron Music
  11. Romántico (5:04) - Astor Piazzolla
    Cinco Piezas, © 1981 Edizioni Berben, Italy
  12. Verano Porteño (5:25) - Astor Piazzolla
    © 1982 Astor Plays Music (BMI). arrangement by Carl Volk transcription by Baltazar Benitez. © 1987 Chanterelle Verlag, Heidelberg
  13. Estrada Branca (3:12) - Antonio Carlos Jobim
    This Happy Madness, © 1959 Editura Musical Arapua. Tro-Hollis/Bendig Music transcription by Carlos Barbosa-Lima.* Guitar Solo Pub., San Francisco
  14. Blue Ridge Parkway (10:14) - Carl Volk
    © 1996 Carl Volk, Chiron Music
  15. Canción de Cuna (3:12) - Leo Brouwer
    Dos Temas Populares Cubanos. © 1978 Editions Max Eschig, Paris* arr. for guitar and flute by Carl Volk and Alexander Zonjic
*with modifications
**as performed by Sharon Isbin on her acclaimed 1990 Virgin Classics recording, Road to the Sun


ABOUT THE PERFORMERS

Carl Volk

Since the release of his premier recording, Death of an Angel Tango, in early 1995, Carl Volk has been the talk of the guitar world, performing throughout the country to rave reviews. Born in Ann Arbor, he began taking guitar lessons at age ten and, in 1974 enrolled at the University of New Mexico School of Music as a guitar major. There he had master classes with the head of the guitar program, Hector Garcia, one of the prominent Cuban guitarists (along with Manual Barrueco and Ray de la Torré) who left Cuba during the Castro-lead revolution of the early sixties. While attending the university in Albuquerque, Mr. Volk resided in Santa Fe, with its rich Spanish heritage, and studied flamenco techniques and traditions. Also a professional photographer and graphic artist, he believes that his pursuits in music are reflected in his creative graphic works. To contact Mr. Volk, please write to:
Chiron Records/Carl Volk
806 Buchanan Blvd., Ste. 115-255
Boulder City, NV 89005
Alexander Zonjic

Canadian born classical/jazz flutist, Alexander Zonjic has performed to the delight of audiences through the world. A Warner Brothers recording artist, he has produced seven albums including Passion, Neon and his most recent release Piper's Holiday, collaborating with such notables as Earl Klugh, Kirk Whalum, Ervin Monroe and Bob James (including the hit single Ashanti from Ivory Coast), Alexander Zonjic continues to redraw musical boundaries bringing together influences of classical, jazz, pop, rock and soul. To contact Mr. Zonjic, please write to:
Hi-Falutin' Music/Alexander Zonjic
422 West Congress, Ste. 303
Detroit, MI 48226

Carl Volk Design & Photography for CD by Carl Volk
Produced by Carl Volk for Chiron Records
© 1996 by Carl Volk, Chiron Records.
All Rights Reserved
Total Time 58:25

Contact Carl Volk:
e-mail: carlvolk@intermind.net
http://www.digimagician.com/guitar



Available at http://www.plan9music.com, 3002 W. Cary Street, Richmond, Virginia 23220
(804) 353-9996 and other Plan 9 Store locations.

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