Marcus Llerena - Levanta Poeira (Kickin' Up Dust)

Recently I had the shown cd by Marcus Llerena, a classical trained and very skilled Brasilian guitarist. The cd is the first release in the US by Marcus Llerena - previously there have been four cd-issues in Brazil featuring this great artist. The 'Levanta Poeira' cd was partly recorded 1999 in Brazil - Marcus Llerena tells about the circumstances in the inserted sleeve-info:

"The creation of this CD was very special to me from the moment I started recording, alone in the small hours, in the church of São Sebastião in Visconde de Mauá, receiving the visits of some owls or an unknown bird and even that of a drunkard who knocked on the door at 3 am one night. I let him in, but he was so noisy that I was obliged to ask him to leave. In the track "Levanta Poeira" the drunkard can be encountered sitting in the first pew, until he rouses himself to leave."

When listening to the cd, no signs of owls or a noisy drunkard can be detected - on the contrary this is a most sober recital of marvellous solo guitar and even repeated listening has not revealed the performer snappin' an owl! The repertoire performed includes Marcus Lerena's arrangements of compositions by Pixinguinha, zequinha de Abreu, André Corréa, Chiquinha Gonzaga, Jacob do Bandolim, K-Ximbinho, Radamés Gnattali, Garoto, Nicanor Teixeira, Neco, Armando Neves and Julio Borges.

The performance is a feast for all lovers of the Brasilian guitar tradition, a peak moment of recorded guitar wizardry displaying the rich and varied tradition of the violão - the title of the cd, meaning 'kicking up dust', is also the title of a composition by Abreau and the first track of the cd. Indeed, Marcus Llerena kicks up dust right from the start - I highly recommend this cd. If you are in need for a last-minute wish for X-mas, then this is your choice, even better buy it for yourself - you will be rewarded with a delightfull hour of good company with a most skilled performer - a rare bird!

Tracklist inserted below:

1.Levanta Poeira (Zequinha de Abreu) 2.André de Sapato Novo (André Victor Corrêa)3.Carioca II (Nicanor Teixeira)4.Chôroc (Daudeth de Azevedo [Neco]) 5.Corta Jaca (Chiquinha Gonzaga) 6.Carioquinha (Aníbal Augusto Sardinha)7.Vôo da Môsca (Jacob Bittencourt [J. do Bandolim]) 8.Chôro II (Armando Neves)9.Carioca I (Nicanor Teixeira) 10.Sonoroso (Sebastião de Barros [K. Ximbinho])11.Valsa (Julio Borges) 12.Oscarina (Alfredo Viana Filho [Pixinguinha]) 13.Inferna (Aníbal Augusto Sardinha) 14.Carinhoso (Alfredo Viana Filho [Pixinguinha])15.Sempre (Sebastião de Barros [K. Ximbinho]) 16.Saudade (Radamés Gnattali) 17.Numa Seresta (Luiz Americano) 18.Improviso (Aníbal Augusto Sardinha) 19.From 10 Estudos para Violaõ (Radamés Gnattali)

Jo