Duende – Flamenco Fantasies for Solo Guitar

My love of Flamenco and Spain started in 1979 when I first heard Paco de Lucia and Manolo Sanlucar on cassette tapes given me by a friend. This passion became a haunting of the mind and spirit and has accompanied me always in my musical life.

These works were composed for the Once Around the Sun volumes between late 2016 and early 2022. They are gathered here into a folio of eight pieces.

The music is Flamenco inspired and as such, are not beholden to traditional forms and compas (Flamenco time metrics). The music was approached and conceived as if the sounds and stylisms of this great art form were my own. At times, these rhythms surface in the music but are embraced and drawn into the new.

The playing order here is but one of many choices in performing. The entire eight pieces can be presented in one setting, either as a complete suite or broken up into 2 sets, perhaps 1-4 and 5-8. But there are many other combinations available. I leave it up to the performer to select pieces and order to suit their performance occasion and venue.

I hope this music will fill the player’s and listeners’ hearts and minds with the expansive beauty and demon spirit (duende) instilled by the art of Flamenco.