Why, whose review is that on page 75 of the Winter 2017 issue of Ukulele Magazine?
Not a bad review (well except when they change my last name towards the end. Though they change it to Walton and William Walton is one of my favorite composers, so not too bad)
Here's the text for easy reading:
WILLIAM WILSON FLAMENCOLELE
(williamwilson.com)
This highly entertaining and engrossing album represents, as the title indicates, a marriage of Spanish/flamenco guitar and Hawaiian ukulele, both played expertly by San Diego-based William Wilson, whose previous recorded efforts include CDs of Spanish and Latin American music for classical guitar. As he writes in the notes to the album, “Traditional flamenco guitar brings lively rasgueado strumming and tapping (golpe), tremolo, complex rhythms and song-forms, and dark Phrygian harmonies, while contemporary flamenco brings parallel harmonization, colorful jazz-style chords, and improvisation.” Of the 18 pieces on the album, all but three were written by Wilson, though many of them have a familiar, “where have I heard that riff/passage before?” quality to them. (Wilson helpfully goes into some depth discussing the sources, styles, and inspirations for each number on his website, flamencolele. com.)
Considering that the double-tracking throughout of the two instruments is a canny bit of legerdemain, this sounds remarkably like two musicians interacting, and Wilson is conscious of sharing the wealth in terms of which instrument plays “lead” on a given piece (or part of a piece). He sets the tone on the opening “Maui-guena,” which charmingly uses the riff of the familiar Spanish piece “Malagueha” as a jumping off point for other original ideas.
He moves so seamlessly between styles on that piece and others that the marriage of the two instruments feels completely natural at all times; utterly unforced. Generally speaking, I’d say Walton’s music leans more toward the Spanish than the Hawaiian (not surprising given his extensive background as a classical guitarist), but in no way is the ukulele slighted; it’s an equal partner. And of course, there was a great historical intermingling of Hawaiian and Spanish styles. Walton uses that to his advantage in his own writing, and also brings in less obvious influences—for instance, listen to “Maria,” which comes from who-knows-where musically, but still fits in beautifully with the mix of styles.
And it feels somehow fitting that the album closes with a solo ukulele arrangement of an old Spanish folksong called “A Un Nino Ciegocito” followed by both instruments on “Aloha Oe.” Highly recommended!
—Blair Jackson ... See more
