The Best of Strunz & Farah

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For the past 20 years, highly accomplished guitarists Jorge Strunz and Ardeshir Farah have pioneered the style of guitarra Latina, blending various Latin, Afro-Latin, jazz, and flamenco styles into an intoxicating brew that they have occasionally peppered with Middle Eastern influences. From their fiery 1980 debut, Mosaico, to the Grammy-nominated world beat of 1992's Américas to their more subdued recent effort, Wild Muse, the critically acclaimed pair and their four-piece backing band have inspired numerous neo-Latin and neo-flamenco guitar twosomes in the States. But their imitators lack the spark that makes Strunz & Farah's music so visceral. The evidence is here in the slow, sensual mood piece "El Jaguar" (with its exotic pre-Columbian winds), the mystical "Rainmaker" (featuring an intense, traditional Tarahumara chant from Mexico, courtesy of wind player-percussionist Luis Peréz), and the lively Mediterranean vibe of "Zagros" (featuring bouzouki player Danny Papakalos). As always, what remains impressive about Strunz & Farah is their ability not only to conquer their guitars with some dazzling fingerworks but also to contrast that velocity with some tastefully low-key compositions. It proves that they are more than just acoustic speed demons. The duo picked the best songs from their most popular albums, excluding the often hard-to-find Guitarras, Frontera, and Misterio, solid releases in their own right. True aficionados will argue about what is the best of Strunz & Farah, given that a two-CD set could easily have been compiled from their rich catalog, but long-time fans and newcomers to their world will be captivated by the music on this collection. As a bonus, the album opens with "Levantina," a preview of what the next Strunz & Farah album will sound like. --Bryan Reesman

Tracks:

Isla Del Sol - Armik
Barcelona Nights - Ottmar Liebert
Jardin - Strunz & Farah
Parasol - Jesse Cook
Mediterranean Breeze - Nova Menco
The Flavor - Oscar Lopez
The Last Goodbye - Shahin & Sepehr
Treasure Bay - Govi
Gypsy Renaissance - Behzad
Spider Hugs - Luis Villegas
Scorpion - Young & Rollins
El Castillo - Lara & Reyes

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Having witnessed the rise of Tango Nuevo, the refurbishing of Argentina's best-known native music by bandoneon maestro Astor Piazzolla, listeners might muse a bit that "New Flamenco" is an odd renovation to the Spanish guitar music's storied traditions. Odd or not, the music is certainly popular. Guitar Greats: The Best of New Flamenco shares the floor with other compilations of contemporary artists working in the tradition, specifically Narada's Viva Flamenco! and its roster of guitarists playing along with keyboards, drums, and other textures. So the "New Flamenco" isn't a burnishing or rootsy exploration in the vein of Piazzolla. Instead, Ottmar Liebert, Strunz & Farah, Oscar Lopez, Luis Villegas, and eight more artists examine on Guitar Greats how Flamenco shakes the hand of pan-Ethnic music, New Age ambience, and--of course--virtuoso guitar playing. Some of the best moments here belong not to Liebert or Strunz & Farah, though. Dan Young & Lawson Rollins sound dizzying and rhythmically potent on "Scorpion," as does Luis Villegas on "Spider Hugs," with its irresistibly parading rhythmic intensity. Guitar Greats will likely sound old hat to many of the music's enthusiasts, but it'll easily win Flamenco converts. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely Invigorating!.......2004-05-08

This CD is absolutely fantastic!!! I have been listening to this almost everyday since I bought this a few months back. Its really great, especially after a long day at work - a fabulous way to unwind..it totally transforms your mood. Its soothing and at the same time invigorating, very rarely can something be both.

Also goes well with a glass of wine, with a book, for a nice evening with your partner, almost anything!! Even my 10 month old daughter just loves it!

And, oh yes, the guitar work is stupendous, out of the world - if you are a guitar aficionado, you GOT TO HAVE THIS.

Worth its weight in gold.

Absolutely Invigorating.......2004-05-08

Also goes well with a glass of wine, with a book, for a nice evening with your partner, almost anything!! Even my 10 month old daughter just loves it!

And, oh yes, the guitar work is stupendous, out of the world - if you are a guitar aficionado, you GOT TO HAVE THIS.

Worth its weight in gold.

Pure flamenco or not... enjoy it ! Dance in your car!.......2003-12-17

*Guitar Greats, The Best of New Flamenco* at first sight might look like one of those `Various Artists' loss leader compilations you see on Info-mercials or UHF stations at two in the morning. Or you might mistake it for the traditional, Segovia version of flamenco.

But NOoooooooooo! This disc is really quite good! It is a fine collection of energetic, up-tempo, well-rendered and well-sequenced songs in the 'nuevo flamenco' style. Contributions from Govi, Young & Rollins, Strunz & Farah, Ottmar Liebert, Nova Menco, Oscar Lopez, and other artists make it first rate.

I'll guarantee it. Most of these tunes will cause you to dance in your car or your office chair, or just plain get up and dance.

My spouse brought it home after hearing it playing in Borders. We soon discovered this is great car-driving music, especially with the sunroof and windows open, hair flowing in the wind.

I recommend you purchase this CD and put it in your player. It will make your house dusting a little more exciting and go a lot faster. Or you can always put on your best peasant girl outfit, clench a rose between your teeth and let the music carry you away...

A Lesson.......2003-02-02

Flamenco solo guitar has always been innovative ever since Ramon Montoya (the father of flamenco solo guitar) started to include classical guitar techniques in the beginning of the 1900's.

Then came Sabicas and Niño Ricardo who by todays standard are considered 'traditional' or 'classic'.

Then in the 70's came Serranito, Paco de Lucia and Manolo Sanlúcar that started to mix influences from other musical styles into flamenco and are the founders to what is modern flamenco solo guitar today.

Countless young guitarists have been influenced by these three guitarists; Tomatito, Vicente Amigo, Gerardo Núñez, Juan Manuel Cañizares.

Just listen to any of the above mentioned guitarists before being duped into buying this poor excuse of a record.

Hot funk cool punk even if it's old junk . . ........2003-01-03

it's still Rock & Roll to me, music fan. Who cares what Liebert, Cook, Lopez, Armik et al. call their music? Flamenco guitar music is no longer to be viewed as a narrow, strict artform with no room for innovation and growth. The influence is there, whether or not these new artists learned from old school flamenco guitar masters from Spain or not. You think rock & roll purists cried foul when punk, heavy metal and then alternative transformed the classic rock & roll landscape of the 50's and 60's? As for country, it sounds nothing like it was 20 or 30 years ago and yet it's still called country. And I'm not even mentioning the growing new sub-genre called alt-country. Like the improvisational jazz purists who cried and moaned about smooth jazz destroying their high-and-mighty artform, flamenco purists need to find something better to do with their time.

Average customer rating:

A Pretty Good Value
S&F Always the Best
Aaaaaaah!!!!!
Greatest Hits?
Quite frankly, a disappointment.

The Best of Strunz & Farah
Strunz & Farah
Manufacturer: Selva Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music

Flamenco | Latin Music | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music

Fusion & World Fusion | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Americas
Heat of the Sun
Live
Desert Guitars
Primal Magic

ASIN: B00004S7MI
Release Date: 2000-04-11

Tracks:

Levantina
El Jaguar
Rainmaker
Twilight At The Zuq
Recuerdo
Jardin
Nuevo Sol
Bola
Ida Y Vuelta
Zagros
Balada
Rayo
Nomad

Amazon.com

For the past 20 years, highly accomplished guitarists Jorge Strunz and Ardeshir Farah have pioneered the style of guitarra Latina, blending various Latin, Afro-Latin, jazz, and flamenco styles into an intoxicating brew that they have occasionally peppered with Middle Eastern influences. From their fiery 1980 debut, Mosaico, to the Grammy-nominated world beat of 1992's Américas to their more subdued recent effort, Wild Muse, the critically acclaimed pair and their four-piece backing band have inspired numerous neo-Latin and neo-flamenco guitar twosomes in the States. But their imitators lack the spark that makes Strunz & Farah's music so visceral. The evidence is here in the slow, sensual mood piece "El Jaguar" (with its exotic pre-Columbian winds), the mystical "Rainmaker" (featuring an intense, traditional Tarahumara chant from Mexico, courtesy of wind player-percussionist Luis Peréz), and the lively Mediterranean vibe of "Zagros" (featuring bouzouki player Danny Papakalos). As always, what remains impressive about Strunz & Farah is their ability not only to conquer their guitars with some dazzling fingerworks but also to contrast that velocity with some tastefully low-key compositions. It proves that they are more than just acoustic speed demons. The duo picked the best songs from their most popular albums, excluding the often hard-to-find Guitarras, Frontera, and Misterio, solid releases in their own right. True aficionados will argue about what is the best of Strunz & Farah, given that a two-CD set could easily have been compiled from their rich catalog, but long-time fans and newcomers to their world will be captivated by the music on this collection. As a bonus, the album opens with "Levantina," a preview of what the next Strunz & Farah album will sound like. --Bryan Reesman

Customer Reviews:

A Pretty Good Value.......2003-03-22

I must confess to a weakness for "best of" compilations. While hardcore fans of an artist or group may debate whether the selections do in fact represent the very best material, you generally get a lot of bang for the buck. And if you're already a big fan, you probably already own or have heard most of the group's recordings, so why would you want a "best of" CD? Generally, the concept is most appealing to a new listener, or someone who knows they aren't likely to run out and buy all the albums.

In this case we get sixty-seven minutes of very pleasant flamenco/latin/world beat/etc. acoustic guitar virtuosity. The professional reviewer has accurately described Strunz and Farah's style and talent. I would go further and say this CD captures the essence of their concept: Easy listening and soothing, but with enough touches of speed and dazzle to keep it exciting. I don't see how a fan of the guitar could not like it.

Now, I only wish somebody would release the music of Caldera, Jorge Strunz's latin/funk/fusion group of the 1970s, on CD. Since this isn't likely to happen, I strongly urge you to seek out vinyl copies of that group's work, particularly the eponymous debut album. Really great stuff. I think you'll be impressed by what a hot electric guitarist Jorge was in those days.

S&F Always the Best.......2001-07-21

I realize some people argue that the selections on this disc are not that good, if you really listen to these guys, you'll realize every song they have done is the best. Whenever I want to feel relaxed, I just put any of their CD's on and go with it. If I was a doctor, I'd perscribe a heavey dose of S&F. What a cure.

Aaaaaaah!!!!!.......2001-01-25

Cultured with a touch of class. All their albums leave you relaxed and create a journey in your mind. You just want to relax in a big chair or lay with your mate, kick back and hear the strumming and the unique voice especially in "the Rainmaker"...To those of Us, not just listening to pop tunes or classic rock, you must obtain this one for social parties or events...they'll be coming up to you to ask,"Who's That Singing?"...Classy.

Greatest Hits?.......2000-05-26

How can their greatest hits collection NOT include "Americas" and "Heat of the Sun"? Purchase "Live" instead for their greatest hits.

Quite frankly, a disappointment........2000-05-05

I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of this greatest hits collection. Strunz and Farah have far proved themselves above anyone else in the world music guitar catagory. But this collection of so called greatest hits is a major disappointment to their fans and to their music. First of all, the "special" bonus track, that is supposed to justify the purchase of this supposedly thought-out greatest hits, called "Levantina" (anybody want to explain that one?) is in actuality a left-over from a previous session, most likely the "Wild Muse" sessions. Aside from that, there are many other compositions that could have been included here which are inexplicably ommitted such as "Candela", "Zumba", or "Quetzal." For some reason, this great guitar duo have avoided including song selections from their earliest works. The only exception is "Nomad." Nevertheless, this regurgitation (I sincerely hate to brand it a best of) of works is a great introduction to Strunz and Farah for the virgin listener. But, I suggest you buy a copy of either "Primal Magic" or "Americas." Not only do you get the songs included here, but also the ones that have been needlessly neglected.

Putumayo Presents the Best of World, Vol. 2: Instrumental

Average customer rating:

Putumayo Presents the Best of World, Vol. 2: Instrumental
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Flamenco | Latin Music | Styles | Music

Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

A World Instrumental Collection
Putumayo Presents the Best of World, Vol. 4: African
One World
Gardens of Eden
The Lucky Few

ASIN: B000008MGG
Release Date: 1993-04-20

Tracks:

Twilight at the Zuq - Ardeshir Farah, Jorge Strunz
Cuban Connections - Outback
Cuban Heels - Acoustic Alchemy
Rocky Road - B Fleck
Rhum 'N' Zouc - Jean-Luc Ponty
Fantasy - Ali Akbar Khan, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan
Between the Shadows - Loreena McKennitt
Ya Es la Hora - Los Incas
Maki - Rossy
Gypsy Heart - Govi
I Already Have a Husband - Balafon Marimba Ensemble
Mambo Banjo - Alison Brown
Duende del Amor (Day) - Ottmar Liebert

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