A Historic Event of Importance.

I take the liberty to call the attention of the readers of this blog regarding a subject of similar interest as the one we share and devote to the legacy of Oscar Alemán. If you love to listen to great music by a major guitarist, now the moment finally has come to have the opportunity to listen to the outstanding and historic solo guitar recordings by Alemán's great contemporary, the Brazilian multi-string virtuoso, Anibal Augusto Sardinha (1915-1955) - better known as Garoto. Thanks to the German Chanterelle company specializing in publishing guitar works and recordings of high quality the long unavailable solo guitar recordings by Garoto, made 1950-54, now have been released on a cd of historic importance. These recordings were made by Garoto's friend and admirer, Ronoel Simões, with the purpose of preserving Garoto's own composed works as performed by the artist himself, and what a thrill it is to listen to Garoto's own renditions of compositions such as "Gracioso", "Nosso Choro", "Jorge do fusa" a.o.! Most of the compositions have been recorded later by guitarist Paulo Bellinati on his 1991 GSP issue of 'The Guitar Works by Garoto', however, here we have the composer himself to express his own renditions at a relaxed moment of his late career. Future works on the Brazilian guitar tradition no longer can avoid these recordings as an outstanding example of the transition from the old guitar choro tradition to the modern tradition of today's players, derived from the bossa nova of the 60'ies. Garoto's compositions recorded here are the overlooked 'missing link' between the choro tradition and the bossa nova, brought to fame by the likes of Jobim, Bonfá and Gilberto. - Besides 17 of Garoto's compositions the cd contains a recording of Radamés Gnatalli's 'Suite of Brazilian Popular Dance Music' in a World Premiere performance by Garoto at Radio Gazeta of São Paulo accompanied by Fritz Jank on piano. The cd ends with yet another composition by Gnatalli, 'Saudade', a slow choro that unites the music on the record with both old and modern tradition of true Brazialian music. - The cd is available by following the link above.

- Titles are: ‘Gracioso (Choro)’, ’Nosso Choro’, ‘Naqueles Velhos Tempos (In The Old Times, waltz)’, ‘Choro Triste No.1’, ‘Duas Contas (Two Beads, canção)’, ‘Jorge di Fusa (Thirty-second Note George, Choro)’, ‘Choro Triste No.2’, ‘Improviso’, ‘Lamentos do Morro (Favela Laments, samba)’, ‘Meditação (canção)’, ‘Esperança (Hope, Waltz)’, ‘Sinal dos Tempos (Sign of the Times, Choro)’, ‘Inspiração (prelude)’, ‘Vivo sonhando (I’m always Dreaming, canção)’, ‘Um Rosto de Mulher (A Woman’s Face, theme)’, ‘Voltarei (I’ll Return, canção)’, ‘Debussyana’ (Garoto), Suite de Dança Popular Brasileira: ‘I Invocação a Xangô’, ‘II Toada’, ‘III Choro’, ‘IV Samba-Canção’, ‘V Baião’, ‘VI Marcha’ (Gnattali), ‘Saudade,, slow Choro for guitar solo’.

Jo