Here our Administrative Coordinator Isako tells us about her favorite guitar albums.
Joe Pass: Virtuoso
I played clarinet, piano and drums before. When I first heard jazz guitarist Joe Pass' playing, I thought he must be a genius! I didn't know that the guitar could have such a wide range of sounds and expression. I realized that solo guitar playing can be really beautiful. From that point, I decided to start learning the guitar and taking guitar lessons.
Johnny Cash: American IV: The Man Comes Around
My favorite radio program used to be Barakan Morning, hosted by the DJ Peter Barakan. There was always a really interesting selection of music. Unfortunately, the program finished in 2014, and this was the last song they played. Introducing this song, Barakan said an emotional thank you to all his listeners and was holding back his tears. I was really moved and thought that I'd like to play this song on the guitar one day.
Rodrigo y Gabriela: Rodrigo y Gabriela
I really like Latin music. Rodrigo y Gabriela's music has a lot of energy and is always exciting to listen to.
Mickael Viegas: The Complete Guitar Works of Heitor Villa-Lobos
I recently starting learning to play some of the Brazilian composer Villa-Lobos' guitar music. Most of it is very difficult. I received this album as a present and was amazed by the quality of Viegas' playing. Also, Viegas has a really interesting approach to recording Villa-Lobos' music which involves subtle overdubs in order to add extra layers to the music.
Unicorn: Springman
When I was a teenager, this was my favorite band. I listened to this song a lot, and it has a really nice guitar intro. The lyrics are also very deep and meaningful. Listening to the song again now, I have a different perspective on the lyrics. They move me in a different way now.