Album Notes

The debut solo release from acclaimed guitarist Beau Bledsoe features a split program of Spanish Flamenco and Argentine Tango. This recording is the culmination of two decades of study and performance within these diverse guitar traditions and cultures. Here Beau performs compositions from some of Spain's most celebrated gypsy guitar dynasties as well as ground breaking works by the great Tango innovator, Astor Piazzolla. Joining Beau are his Argentine Tango ensemble, Tango Lorca and Argentine Bandonéon virtuoso, Hector Del Curto.


Bio

Beau comes from a large musical family in Little Rock, Arkansas where he spent much of his youth playing socially and professionally in small clubs, blues revues, and church settings. While in high school, he obtained a handful of old records from the Spanish guitar masters Andres Segovia and Sabicas. Inspired, he began his formal studies at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock under classical guitarist Michael Carenbaur. He finished his course work at UALR in ‘93, graduating with honors and receiving top prizes from regional music competitions.

Beau then relocated to the graduate guitar program at the Kansas City Conservatory of Music under Doug Niedt where he received a Master of Music. There he continued his professional career in the fertile ground of the Kansas City Music scene playing with jazz musicians, classical chamber musicians, and also participating in the burgeoning latin music scene. It was at this time that Beau met the musicians and founded the groups that he still performs with today such as tenor, Nathan Granner, classical violinist Gregory Sandomirsky, composer/pianist Brad Cox, flamenco guitarist Hector Aguirre and the Argentine Tango quintet Tango Lorca.

His interest in exploring new repertoire, cultures and programming ideas has led to the creation of a large body of arrangements, transcriptions and compositions for the solo guitar and guitar chamber music. Beau has also worked extensively with the Guthrie Theater of Minneapolis, Kansas City’s new music ensemble, New Ear and the Kansas City Ballet. Most recently he has co-founded the flamenco music and dance school Manos Rojas, the flamenco dance company Esencias Flamencas and the independent record label Tzigane, which is home to four of Beau’s own recorded projects and many other fine artists.

He has served as music faculty at both Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas and Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Missouri and has continued his own musical studies with such masters as Antonio Andrade, Miguel Rodriguez, Santiago Aguilar, Pedro Cortez and Luis Heredia of La Repompa de Málaga. His studies in southern Spain and involvement with the tango scene of Buenos Aires have cultivated a deep interest in the study of stylistic and cultural context that one cannot obtain from a scholastic environment.

Through his many diverse projects and ensembles, Beau has had the great fortune of performing in almost every state in the U.S. as well as touring to Russia, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Germany, France and Switzerland. His music is regularly programmed on radio1 BBC, “Segovia a Yupanki” Radio Nacional Argentina, and “All Songs Considered” on NPR.