Winter 2022 Short Takes Brief Reviews
Stelios Kyriakidis "Agalia" 2022
Agalia is the third EP released since 2017 by London, UK-based guitarist and composer Stelios Kyriakidis. His music, published in both France (Jellynote) and the U.S. (UCLA Library), has been featured on BBC
Radio and in the campaign video for a car-free London by the climate action charity Possible. He has performed at many venues within the UK as well as abroad, including the Arion Academy Guitar Festival in
Lesvos, Greece and the 21st Century Guitar Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. Folk and neoclassical elements organically converge on Agalia, an EP which functions as a contemporary suite of hypnotically flowing
arpeggiated textures that are as understated as they are stirring. Each piece sustains its individuality while also evincing Kyriakidis' subtle melodic nuances, both in composition and performance, that
convincingly complement the larger whole.
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David Pedrick
Robert O'Connor Miller "Sketches" 2022
In addition to being a classical guitar performer and chamber musician based in the San Francisco Bay Area, with performance credits in Asia, Europe, and the United States, Robert O'Connor Miller is also an
educator and entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of The California Conservatory of Music, the digital music education platform Practice Space, and The Peninsula Guitar Series, an organization that invites international
guitar talent to perform and give masterclasses in the Bay Area. As implied by the album's title, Sketches is a program of shorter works in suite form by Pixinguinha, Gismonti, Nazareth, and Iannarelli, that
concludes with Dusan Bogdanovic's brilliant "Blues and Seven Variations." The program is modern (all but one composer was born in the 20th century), but exceptionally accessible. Miller's admirable technique,
thoughtful sequencing, and refined interpretations make this an album to be savored.
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David Pedrick
Duck Baker "Contra Costa Dance" 2022
Even with more than 30 solo albums to his credit, Contra Costa Dance shows Duck Baker, an esteemed fingerstyle guitarist, at his eclectic best. All original compositions, the twelve pieces included here have a
broad range, from old-timey to Celtic-influenced to avant-garde. He opens with atmospheric "Putney Bridge," segues to "Keep It Under Your Heart," with lightning fast slides and pull-offs, and then shifts yet again
with the title track, a mesmerizing fast-paced modern jazz piece. Other songs have a very improvisational feel, such as "First Frost," "The Clear Blue Sky," and "Waltz with Mary's Smile." Baker's sound is prickly
and metallic, conveying a raw authenticity, and he plays with verve, impeccable timing, and assurance. "Dance Me Outside" with its melding of Celtic and jazz, and "Holding Pattern," with outrageous flurries of fast
picking, are two of many pieces that showcase his virtuosic technique. Two of the most beautiful pieces are "Deirdre" with its complex, mournful melody and counterpoint, and "The Flowers of Belfast." Baker's
compositions cross styles and genres to make something arresting and new. Contra Costa Dance is a standout: ambitious, assured, and essential.
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Céline Keating