I have spent a considerable amount of time working on my newest album "Guitar Reveries." It is always difficult picking pieces to put on the album with such a large selection of pieces to choose from. My previous album's mostly focused on classical pieces that fit a specific geographic area (Sounds Of Europe, Latin American Guitar Legends). I wanted to create an album that combined classical pieces with contemporary pieces from many different areas ie Spain, Brazil, France, America, etc. The result is an album that will please many a listener.
The pieces on Guitar Reveries are connected by a deep nostalgia, and filled with romantic charm. 
A piece that I enjoyed recording was Dilermando Reis's "Valsa da Despedida" (Farewell Waltz). This is a piece he recorded for Brazilian radio, possibly in the late 60's. His arrangement was taken from the Scottish folk song "Auld Lang Syne" and is most often heard at the turn of the New Year around the world. This may be the first transcription and recording of Dilermando's arrangement. I remember learning the piece on an afternoon I had open before a wedding, which I would play later that same day as the bridal party wanted romantic Latin and Spanish music. The original recording by Dilermando sounds very poor, with a few sections briefly cut out. I think it may be the most beautiful piece ever played on guitar. 
 The combination of classical guitar favorites like Asturias, Capricho Catalan, Lagrima, Andaluza, with contemporary favorites like Can't Help Falling In Love, La Vie en Rose, What A Wonderful World, to a modern day acoustic guitar arrangement of Baby, I Love Your Way, the album is truly diverse.

Many of the pieces I have included have become popular staples in my gigging repertoire, and it will be a real pleasure to play these pieces at my next concert at Studio Z  in St. Paul on Friday, November 4th. I hope to see you there to celebrate the release of this album!

Concert info - Get your tickets here!

Purchase Cd's/Mp3's through my website here!

Album also available on I-Tunes

Selecting pieces of music for a concert is difficult when you have 7 hours of repertoire to choose from. I decided early on that my April 15th "Evening Serenade" concert would feature some of the most famous and virtuosic pieces of music in the classical guitar repertoire from Europe and South America. I have blended classical and acoustic steel string guitar concerts in the past, but am going to stick with the classical guitar this time around. Works by the great Paraguayan guitarist Agustin Barrios Mangore including: Mazurka Appassionata, Julia Florida, and Vals No. 3 are standouts and express the greatest form of musical poetry and guitar virtuosity. All three pieces are similar in structure to works by the great pianist Frederic Chopin, particularly the Mazurka Appassionata which is a Polish dance form that Chopin explored in his unique way throughout his life. Chopin wrote many Mazurka's and the form of music incorporates elements of folk music from Poland with strong accents on the second and third beats of a triple meter time signature. 
Also included in the program are pieces made famous by Andres Segovia including Granados' Spanish Dance No. 5 "Andaluza," Francisco Tarrega's beloved Recuerdos de la Alhambra, and Isaac Albeniz's Spanish serenade entitled "Granada." Also, I have a piece made famous by guitarist John Williams entitled Cavatina (Theme from the Deer Hunter)  which was immensely famous in the 70's and 80's and continues to inspire both guitarists and music lovers alike.  Anyone that has been to my concerts knows I like to make the concerts as diverse as possible. I have incorporate a series of popular samba's included a samba arrangement of the Beatles' "And I Love Her" that I have made  and even a few arrangements of romantic pop classics, and a surprisingly uplifting instrumental  piece of music Eric Clapton wrote and inspired many after the death of his son in the early 1990's entitled "Signe." I have included a couple of original compositions of mine including my flamenco inspired piece "Shores of Infinity" and the upbeat South American flavored "Sixteen Raindrops." Closing out the concert is the upbeat and virtuosic "Joropa" by Argentinean composer Jose Merlin that people always enjoy.
 Get your tickets here: Studio Z Evening Serenade Falbo 4/15/16. Tickets should be available at the door as well, but it's cash only. 
Here is a link to the planned set list for the concert: 

Set list 4/15

I really hope you can make it out to this concert. I am about to enter a very busy wedding season, and I have all sorts of private gigs that will keep me away from public concerts for quite a long time.