Album Notes

"Duende: Maria Woodford and Alex Radus is one of the best CD's I have heard out of the thousands I have received since I started CD Baby."

-Derek Sivers
President and Founder of CD Baby

"Keep going, we need artists like you to carry the torch."

-Richie Havens

duende (doo-EN-day) noun

1. Demon; goblin.
2. Inspiration; fire; spirit; magic; charm; magnetism.

[From Spanish dialectal duende (charm), from Spanish (ghost).]

"A key part of the myth of authenticity is duende, the spirit that
inhabits the soloist at the climax of a performance."
Louise Levene; It's Good to Sing; Independent (London, UK); Feb 4, 1997.

"'If I don't get up here and paint, if I don't get up here and work on
some kind of sculpture, I don't feel that I'm living. The duende says,
'Come on: Do it! Do it! Do it!'"
Dan Sperling; Ever-driven Anthony Quinn; USA Today; Aug 5, 1987.

"so. the kids & I were in this bar in LA, and duende had just started, and the crowd were kinda sorta paying attention, but, you know, not really. and there was this moment when people started listening. when people realised that it was more than just two kids with guitars. and I remember this moment, aside from everything else that night, this moment during 'woman in concrete' where alex & maria were just completely lost in the music. you could kind of imagine them playing the fiddle as the world fell apart. and everyone, dude, everyone in the bar was watchng them. and then they sing, you know, fucking kill the place with, 'I wouldn't have to crawl'."

Jo - a beautiful duende fan.

thanks Jo.


"One of the best Indie releases of the year... fluid effortlessness"
-Bob Makin
The Courier News, NJ

"lyric composition and vocal style stuns the listener...an amazing union."
-Michelle H. LePoidevin
Specially written for the Westfield Leader and The Times
READ THIS WHOLE ARTICLE BELOW!

"...[Duende's] concert set during last summer's Augusta Festival was one of the highlights of that event..."
-Margo Blevin
Co-Founder/Folk Alliance and Augusta Heritage Center

"These two are well on their way to becoming seasoned road warriors. Their music is sweet, acoustic, and sometimes on the edge...always from the heart. Watch out! They're around for the long haul."
-Mary Flower
3rd Place National Finger Picking Champion, 2000

"...a fresh blend of touching folk lyrics, beautiful voices, and solid musicianship. The combination makes for delightful folk music and great listening pleasure."
-Jonathan Overby
Executive producer "Higher Ground"
Wisconsin Public Radio

"melodious original tunes...impressive vocal dexterity...up to more than just Americana."
-The Cripsy Duck
The C-ville Weekly, VA


HISTORY

Duende, Maria Woodford and Alex Radus met in Elkins, West Virginia four years ago as students of Augusta Heritage, a center for the preservation of American roots music. Falling in love with all styles of traditional American music and unable to settle on a genre, Duende coined the term Fusion Folk to describe their acoustic based music which blends elements of folk (both mountain and urban), blues, bluegrass, country and swing. July of 2003 marked four years for the duo who celebrated by returning to Augusta as intstructors.

Alex Radus has been playing guitar for 14 years. He has with acclaimed jazz guitarists Walt Bibinger and Geary Moore, and also from the best in fingerstyle: Pat Donahue, Mary Flower and Eddie Pennington. He currently studies with Broadway vocal coach Deborah Maher. Alex is a published poet and has appeared in a wide array of stage and television productions. In the past six years Alex has been involved with 16 studio productions.

Maria Woodford is an ear-trained musician who has been writing, playing guitar, mandolin and performing for over 15 years. Maria has studied under critically acclaimed vocalists Gaye Adegbalola (Alligator Records) and Ginny Hawker (Rounder Records), and has casually recorded with sonogwriting legend Peter Rowan (Rowantone Records).

As a duo, Maria and Alex have brought their music from coast to coast. The have traveled 70,000 highway miles, played countless venues and performed on 16 full length studio releases...in just 4 years.