Song of the Day

**9/27/09

Laurindo Almeida - Manha De Carnaval

----------------My apologies for being absent from the blogosphere for the past two days. Got caught up in studio time and other sorts of reckless shenanigans over the weekend, and didn't find the time to plunge my creative senses into a pool of new music.

Last night I was introduced to the art of Laurindo Almeida, a Brazilian classical guitarist. A prolific and delightful talent, Almeida produced over thirty (!) albums throughout his career up until his death in 1995. A friend of mine with a flair for Latin music waited two weeks for his copy of Almeida's eighth album, Guitar From Ipanema, ordered off Amazon.com and shipped all the way from Japan.

Despite the turbulent journey the album took to reach American ears, the album is blissfully cool with colorful jazz guitar, chirping and singing flutes, and the occasional whistler. "Manha De Carnaval" goes down smoother than Dulce de Leche, with sleepy guitar and lullaby flute gliding over a quiet samba. Just from listening to Guitar From Ipanema all day long, my Sunday in the mountains has felt like a fantastic getaway to South America.

E A D G B E

I was leafing through some old work, and I found this poem that I threw together for my school's literary magazine.

Pinstraight steel lines hover gracefully
Over a long, smooth neck,
Anticipating a daily muse,
To pluck, strike, or strum away

Left and right work in harmony
With a touch of thin diamond
That lasts through thick and thin
And sometimes, even medium

While they are twisted, bent,
Beaten, hard, and snapped,
The sharp steel that grazes my left
Feels like the loveliest lace,
Dressing naked, cold emotions

A trinity of tones
With a simple turn transforms
Smoth sounds of water
Into raging, rapid fire
And a mellow moan
Into thunderstruck throwdowns

The deep colored sunset silk body
Embodies the vibrations
That take a winding journey
To amplify, cry
Yell, rebel
Praise and amaze
Once silent souls