Non Solus

Fanfare Magazine, Dave SaemannJust as the piano was THE instrument of the 19th century, so has the guitar been THE instrument of our culture since about 1950. It has permeated every aspect of our musical life, from classical to rock. Anton Machleder’s album Non Solus is in large part about the guitar during its period of ascendancy. The CD is subtitled “Music of the New World”—new in two senses, that is music of the Western Hemisphere and music for guitar that is new for its cultural primacy. Machleder’s album features art music based on popular genres, Latin music of various sources, Near Eastern influenced works, jazz, and the sort of blues that is the fountain of much rock music. One of his teaching positions intriguingly includes the “History of Rock.” Machleder describes the musical breadth of Non Solus as “eclectic immersions,” but it is an eclectic experience founded on the unity the guitar has brought to our musical life. This is a totally original kind of concept for an album, one that should have great appeal both for listeners new to classical music, and to old fogeys like me who have watched the development of all the musical branches in our lively greater culture. The performances on Non Solus are uniformly magnificent, propelling its vision for our emotional life with a zest that is contagious.The album begins with the middle two movements of Astor Piazzolla’s Histoire du Tango, a work of glorious beauty. Machleder and flutist Hye Sung Choe give it an earthy performance marked by considerable freedom, taking the music back to its roots. For a recording of the complete work, I would recommend flutist Irmgard Toepper and guitarist Hugo Germán Gaido. One of Machleder’s teachers, Manuel Barrueco, has recorded it with Emmanuel Pahud, but that version is curiously antiseptic. Philip Borter joins Machleder for the first two movements of Radamés Gnattali’s Sonata for Cello and Guitar, a work of exquisite Latin yearning. Rez Abbasi’s Other Tones for two guitars, with the composer partnering Machleder, explores rhythmic convergences and unusual harmonies between the instruments. There follow three compositions by Machleder, fascinating for their breadth of expression. Gypsy Dance is a pop song that draws parallels between the gypsy life and the search for artistic freedom. Machleder is joined by guitarist Marty Lofaso, electric bass, drums, and two female vocalists. Omar’s Lament, featuring Omar Faruk Tekbilek on a wind instrument called the ney, is a lovely and haunting work, notable for the subtle power of its melodic line. Machleder overdubs three different guitars on Locrian Canon, a brief exploration of tone color.He is joined by one of his teachers, Nicholas Goluses, in riveting performances of two Cuban duets. Rodolfo Hernandez’s Cantos Guajiros is a kind of duel for virtuosos, while Héctor Angulo’s Homenaje al Bongo, Sonera features filigree work with exotic harmonies. In the remaining six numbers, Machleder is joined by guitarist Dan Schmitt, along with bass and drums, in more popular repertoire. Miles Davis’s All Blues is suitably funky. Luiz Bonfa’s “Morning of Carnival” from the movie Black Orpheus has just the right sort of lilt. Bonfa himself has recorded the song on solo guitar for his album Non-Stop to Brazil. Schmitt’s vocal on Ain’t No Sunshine won’t erase memories of Bill Withers, but is a fine piece of work in its own right. T-Bone Shuffle features John Nyerges on keyboard adding a period electric organ sound to this rocking number. The ensemble, with Nyerges, has a beautiful, almost Impressionist tone in Who’s Been Talking. You Belong to Me closes the album with guitar solos from Schmitt and Machleder in the best blues tradition. The sound engineering in the various acoustic duos is a little cramped, but the remainder of the CD is beautifully engineered. The cover painting by Cundo Burmudez is delightful. Non Solus offers a brave new world of guitar compositions that has been 60 years in the making. I recommend it to anyone for whom good music defies categories. You won’t be bored.

PIAZZOLLA 1Histoire du Tango: Excerpts. GNATTALI 2Sonata for Cello and Guitar: Excerpts. ABBASI 3Other Tones. MACHELDER 4Gypsy Dance. 5 Bells Over the Genesee, “Omar’s Lament.” Locrian Canon. HERNANDEZ 6Cantos Guajiros. ANGULO 6Homenaje al Bongo, Sonera. M. DAVIS 7All Blues. BONFA 7Black Orpheus. WITHERS 8Ain’t No Sunshine. WALKER 9T-Bone Shuffle. BURNETT 9Who’s Been Talking. SAM 8You Belong To MeBuy Non Solus From AmazonNon SolusMP3 MusicRed Creek StudioEcuador-born American guitarist Anton Machleder is assistant professor of guitar at Houghton College in upstate New York. On this CD he presents a varied program of interesting music from different cultures. He and flutist Hye Sung Choe open the program on a plaintive note as they play Cafe 1930 from Astor Piazzolla’s Histoire du Tango. With the same composer’s Nightclub 1960, they ask the listener to picture the flute as a black lace-clad lady dancing with the guitar’s solid notes. Brazilian composer Radamès Gnattali (1906–1988) wrote and arranged both classical and popular music. His Cello Sonata, two movements of which Machleder and cellist Philip Borter play here, is an exciting piece for students. Rez Abbasi’s Other Tones features a refreshing duet played by two guitars, one with nylon strings and the other with steel strings. It is the Gypsy Dance, however, that makes listeners want to get up and move to the music. Both electric and acoustic guitars blend with bass and drums to allow vocalists Breyana Lanay and Katie Halligan to lead listeners in an uninhibited rhythmic dance. Omar’s Lament speaks of an entirely different culture that Americans are only beginning to discover. In Locrian Canon, Machleder shows his ability as a solo guitarist. Cantos Guajiros and Homenaje al Bongo, Sonera, are charming Cuban songs by Rodolfo Hernandez and Héctor Angulo that Machleder and fellow guitarist Nicholas Goluses play with idiomatic spirit.All Blues is an example of the music of trumpeter and composer Miles Davis, who changed the course of jazz between the 1950s and 1990s. Luiz Bonfa is best known for the pieces he wrote for the Marcel Camus film Black Orpheus and track 12 offers one of his most charming works. Tracks 11 and 13 through 16 feature jazzy pieces with English lyrics including Ain’t No Sunshine, T-Bone Shuffle, and Who’s Been Talking. The group performing the finale, You Belong to Me, consists of a male vocalist, two guitars, bass, drums, and keyboard. Machleder and his fellow artists have made a recording that can be very useful as background music for a diverse gathering of people who may not be into more serious music. The playing is excellent, the singing is appropriate for the various selections and the sound is pristine. One could find comparative recordings for most of the selections, but each piece would be on a different disc. I find that this compilation is a most useful CD that can provide fine music for summer parties. Maria NockinThis article originally appeared in Issue 40:1 (Sept/Oct 2016) of Fanfare Magazine.