Album Notes

This is the second CD released by classical guitar duo, Dos Américas. The duo is comprised of Argentine virtuoso Alejandro Dávila and guitarist/composer Jim Bosse from Colorado. Since their first performance together in 2001, Dos Américas has performed over 100 concerts at guitar festivals, universities, fine arts centers and other venues throught North and South America.

Duo member, Jim Bosse, has been described as a classical guitarist with latent (if not blatant) rock 'n roll tendencies. He performed as the lead guitarist in rock bands from the time he was twelve years old until his late 30's. Some of the musicians Jim performed with achieved varying degrees of success, most notably, rock legend, Billy Joel. As teenagers,Jim and Billy performed together in the Long Island rock band "The Lost Souls" for almost six years.

Jim's taste in music changed over time and he eventually stopped performing in rock bands in lieu of classical guitar. His concerts still however, always present some rock music. Jim makes beautiful arrangements of this genre of music for the classical guitar style of guitar playing. With three notable exceptions, all the songs on this CD are Jim's arrangements.

The first three tracks are Beatle songs from the 1960's. Track 3 ("Fool On The Hill") was arranged for guitar duo by Cuban guitarist/composer Leo Brouwer. In spite of the quirky title, "Junk" is a love song that Paul McCartney recorded after the Beatles disbanded. Jim made this arrangement to perform at his nephew, James LaPlant's, wedding. It was Paul McCartney who recommended to Mary Hopkins that she record a Russian folk song adapted with English lyrics by Gene Raskin. Jim has infused some of the Russian flavor back into his arrangement of this nostalgic song, "Those Were The Days."

The José Feliciano version of the Doors' hit song "Light My Fire" was used for this solo arrangement. Jim arranged "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You" as a surprise for his wife, Nancy, for their 25th wedding anniversary. They chose the Al Martino version of this song in 1970 as their wedding song.

The lively guitar duet "Point Counterpoint" was written and recorded by Steve Morse for the album "Southern Steel". Steve is the lead guitarist of the legendary rock group "Deep Purple".

Tracks 9-12 are arrangements of songs from the early Simon and Garfunkle albums in the 1960's. Paul Simon performed "Anji" but it was written by the English jazz guitarist, Davy Graham. Paul Simon composed all the others.

Track 13 was arranged by Jim as if it were a nightmare that he may or may not have had in the 1960's. It is constructed from popular guitar licks and improvisation in the style from that era. Like a bad dream, the three guitar parts drift in and out of cohesion. At times each guitar is off on its own, each playing a different lick. Other times all three get together for a lively, improvisatory rock 'n roll jam session. Only the astute rock 'n roll historian could name all of the twenty guitar licks quoted within this piece.

Alejandro Dávila began studying guitar when he was seven. His first teachers were Domingo Carbajal and Juan Fernandez da Peña. He graduated from the prestigious guitar program at the National University in San Juan with maestro Omar Atreo. He perfected his skills through courses with Abel Carlevaro, Manuel Lopez Ramos, Irma Costanzo, Eduardo Fernandez and Hopkinson Smith.

Alejandro obtained awards in several competitions including: National Guitar Contest, Santa Fe 1978, Pre-Cosquin Festival, Cordoba 1978, and Maria Louisa Anida National Guitar Contest, Buenos Aires 1979.

Alejandro is a professor of guitar at the National University in San Juan and Centro Polivante de Artes in San Juan, Argentina.

Jim Bosse was born in New York in 1949. He has studied with Colorado's finest guitarists including Charles Wolzein, David Honig, Ricardo Iznaola, Masa Ito, and Alex Komodore. He has participated in over thirty master classes with many of the world's greatest guitarists.

In 1986 Jim founded the Southern Colorado Guitar Society and served as its first president. He taught guitar at Adams State College in Alamosa from 1995-1997 and at the University of Southern Colorado in Pueblo from 1997-2000.

Jim has performed over 200 concerts in North and South America, composes classical guitar music and arranges popular music for classical guitar. He has published two books and recorded six CDs.