Tomas Rodriguez Whispered Awakening
While not a vocal album, the showcase features guitar virtuoso Tomas Rodriguez, a Brooklyn-based guitarist with a fluid performance style. Some may think this would appeal only to other guitarists, but guitar-based albums have been popular in the past. While different in nature, the more Americana-oriented guitarists Leo Kottke, John Fahey, Australia’s Tommy Emmanuel, Spain’s Charo (yes, that Charo), Puerto Rico’s Jose Feliciano, & Pittsburg’s Esteban have found success.
Tomas instantly has a pristine Spanish-guitar style on his fourth album, Whispered Awakening (Dropped May 1/Independent/27:29), consisting of 8 originals. The set was recorded by Sam Stauff in Dobbs Ferry, NY, with 2-tracks recorded by Ernesto Hermosa in Lima, Peru.
The style of music draws upon Tomas’ Spanish ancestral roots with detours into Afro-Peruvian, Cuban & West African musical traditions. The melodies are earthy, rural, celebratory in spirit, & he creates a vivid landscape for the ears. The opening tune is “Dialogue,” & the more lightly percussive “Susurros del Despertar” is relaxing with headphones & at times, as if the guitar notes were speaking their own language. The melody would be inspiring to a lyricist, though the tune actually needs no words since it writes its own tale in the mind as Tomas’ fingers pick away at the notes.
Though I’m not familiar with Tomas’ entire repertoire, the one instrumental I’m sure he would play with expertise is “Recuerdos de la Alhambra” (“Memories of the Alhambra”), a well-known 1899 classical guitar composition by Spanish composer Francisco Tárrega. It’s an infectious number with a haunting melody & a challenging classical tremolo technique. But for now, the performances throughout this brief album are pensive, calming, & played with precision.
The tone of Tomas’ guitar delivers exuberant, expressive notes. The most melodic upbeat piece is a rumba — the Afro-Cuban “Guaguanco.” This style is more energetic & rhythmic. All of the instrumentals on Mr. Rodriguez’s set are warm, accomplished & embody the cultures & musical sensibilities of the people & their culture – music is a universal language, isn’t it?
It certainly brings you where the music originated – even if it’s from a guitarist with expertise, born in Washington, D.C. & living in Brooklyn, NY. You don’t have to be Spanish to appreciate it. The music travels through Tomas’ arms, courses in the circuitry of his veins & muscles into his fingers, onto guitar strings to produce what? Feelings a listener can interpret for themselves. That’s what the magic of instrumental music can do…with some wood, metal & skill. Tomas has the skill.
Highlights – “Dialogue,” “Susurros del Despertar,” “Al Maestro Toumani,” & “Guaguanco.”
Musicians – Gigio Parodi (cajon) & Cristian Casteneda (cajon/djembe).
CD cover photo by Kurt Arnold. CD @ Amazon & https://tomasrodriguez.com/