Breaking Bach: Flatpicking the Partitas
£13.25
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Label: Old Bridge Music
Cat No: OBMCD23
Format: CD
Number of Discs: 1
Genre: Instrumental
Release Date: 23rd July 2021
Contents
Works
Cello Suite no.1 in G major, BWV1007 (arr. for guitar)Partita for solo violin no.2 in D minor, BWV1004 (arr. for guitar)
Artists
Chris Newman (guitar)Works
Cello Suite no.1 in G major, BWV1007 (arr. for guitar)Partita for solo violin no.2 in D minor, BWV1004 (arr. for guitar)
Artists
Chris Newman (guitar)About
The project is quite groundbreaking - a recording of this music on steel-strung flatpicked guitar has not been attempted until now - and is a musical and technical tour-de-force.
It was the perfect lockdown undertaking. These sublime pieces could be played entirely solo and there was no shortage of time to explore them in detail. They were written for solo instruments, each note implying both melody and harmony. Chris has developed complex cross-picking techniques to artfully delineate their harmonic shape, making audible what was always implied and thus giving them a new voice.
He says: “Well, this is what I’ve been up to for the past year or more of enforced gig inactivity. J.S. Bach’s compositions are, of course, utterly wonderful and it’s been a real pleasure (as well as a challenge) to arrange a dozen of them for a solo flat-picked steel-strung guitar. It’s important for me to point out that I am not a classical guitarist: many recordings of this music exist played by really excellent classical (nylon-strung) guitarists who, of course, would never dream of going anywhere near a plectrum, or steel strings. It’s been a fun project and I hope people like it.”.
Chris is a “brilliant English master of the acoustic guitar” - The Daily Telegraph
He is one of the very few guitarists who excel in Celtic, swing jazz and bluegrass styles. A prolific composer, arranger and record producer, he’s played with luminaries of many musical worlds: folk (harpist Máire Ní Chathasaigh and Boys of the Lough), jazz (Stephane Grappelli and Diz Disley) and comedy (Fred Wedlock). He received a silver disc for producing Fred’s international hit Oldest Swinger in Town, to which he also composed the tune and which reached no.6 in the UK charts and no.1 in several other countries.
Appearances on such iconic TV programmes as BBC’s Top of the Pops followed. One day in 1985 he decided he’d really rather play interesting music than pursue interesting paychecks, so turned his back on the commercial world and returned to his folk roots.
A selection of previous media quotes:
“Dazzling... guitar-playing to be marvelled at” - Daily Telegraph
“Beauty and virtuosity from a master craftsman at the peak of his abilities... I couldn’t recommend an album more highly” - **** Maverick
“The exuberance of Newman’s dazzling playing would leave you open-mouthed if you weren’t too busy smiling. A genuinely uplifting album of some of the most remarkable - yet accessible - guitar playing you’re going to hear all year” - ***** Rock n Reel
More praise for Chris:
“Dazzling virtuosity” - Daily Telegraph
“Guitar-playing of astonishing virtuosity and versatility” - **** - Songlines
“Thrilling” - The Times
“Newman’s playing boggles my mind” - Flatpicking Guitar
“Dazzling” - Acoustic Guitar
“Guitar players don’t come any better than Chris Newman. I’d blithely cross snow-capped mountains and ford raging rivers to see him play” - The Living Tradition
“Nothing short of brilliant” - Dirty Linen, USA
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