GORDON GILTRAP December 2009 News Update

A Seasonal message from Gordon:
Hello to all my friends who have attended concerts workshops and village hall gigs along with all those lovely people we have met at the private concerts.
SO much has been happening this year I don't know where to begin. As an overview, every year that one reaches the end of in good health for ones' self and loved ones is a bonus. But this year has been a tough one for so many people. My dear friend and major early inspiration Bert Jansch and his lovely wife Loren are both experiencing ongoing health issues. Our love and good wishes go out to them at this very tough time, and I'm sure they will be glad to see the back of 2009. Like many folk we too have had our share of ups and downs, but loving friends, family and music has helped up keep in high spirits. We are very blessed in so many ways.
Next year all being well should be one of the most rewarding and exciting years of my career with a new album and tour planned for May, and a great GG signature guitar designed by Rob Armstrong being launched at the same time. We have made plans to visit Nashville in April to meet up with the great classical guitarist Virginia Luque (who is my special guest in January at The Purcell Rooms London) to do some recording together which should be interesting to say the least, Virginia being one of the great classical and flamenco guitarist alive today and me being a self taught strummer!
More concerts are planned for Three Parts Guitar that are now Four Parts Guitar since inviting Clive Carroll to join us. We also plan to record an album together! All this, along with much of my back catalogue being released by Demon records, promises to make it a very full year indeed. All I need to do is keep these old fingers of mine working and hope that we all stay well and healthy to enjoy it all.
My endless thanks go to Hilary, Sue and Mike Holton, Sue Webster, Mike Stranks, Paul White, Chris White, Rob Armstrong and Sheila, Roger Bucknall and Moira, Dennis Drumm and all at JHS, Paul Policarpou, Mollie, Ray and Sian Burley, John Etheridge, Rick Wakeman, Geoff and Cath Olner, Jacqui and Larry, Jamie, Sadie, Ruth, Chris, Simon, Charlotte Jack, Alex, Jane, Jimmie, Tommy, Katie, Normy, Kieran, Abbie, Stuart, Eddie, Serena, Leila, Tammy, Dave and Paula, Jan and Dave, Virginia Luque, Val and Dave, Roger Williams and Anthea, Andy Reiss, Katie Reiss, David Fawcett, Del Newman, Steven Toon, Peter Macklin, Alan Robinson, Rob Jewell, Dave VW, Steve Marsh, Lesley Alexander, Karen Tweed, Addie Martin, Elaine and Gerry, John and Pauline Adams, Keith Meredith and Fiona, Emma Blake, Judy Mike and Thomas, Iain Carnegie, Andrew Bernardi, Roy and Debbie Hudd, Roger and Em, Rachel of Rachel's Reflections, Sue and Mike Williams.
Hilary and I send our love to old friends, new friends, friends we may have forgotten and friends yet to meet.
Have a healthy and Happy Christmas and of course the same for 2010.
•---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The full December News Update can be found at:
https://www.giltrap.co.uk/index.php?page=news&category=General News&display=2239

Gordon talks about his recent gigs in Cornwall and Canterbury, portrait photographer Rob Jewell, his collaboration with Karen Tweed, a bright new guitar talent – Helen Marshall, being asked to be the guest presenter of the Classic Rock Society Awards, his friend and genius of guitar making Rob Armstrong plus there are some kind words and interesting background from Roger Bucknall of Fylde Guitars

We don't have room within this e-mail to reprint all the articles but below is a short extract from a couple:

Gordon on Rob Armstrong
". . . . His guitars aren't always built for comfort but by God they sound unbelievable. Much of my recorded output over the last 20 plus years features somewhere along the line a guitar with that magic A on the head stock. Anywhere in the world where I play you will see a Robbie guitar lurking somewhere on stage. . . . .

  1. . . . 2010 should see the arrival on the market of a Rob Armstrong designed guitar for a major manufacturer. This guitar will be associated with me and to keep prices down will of course made abroad. It is my hope that between us we can produce a guitar that will rival anything that is on the market at an affordable price range. It would be a fine legacy for Rob and I to say that we have somehow contributed to the rapidly growing market of affordable instruments and will provide an instrument for folk on a budget that want a guitar that won't break the bank but will be of great quality with a sound to match anything out there, and to provide joy, inspiration and playing pleasure to an ever increasing legion of guitar pickers! . . . ."


Roger Bucknall of Fylde Guitars on Gordon
The full article can be found at http://www.fyldeguitars.com/new_play.html
". . . . Gordon has been a professional musician for over 40 years, and a close friend of mine for most of that time.  He was my first customer, and our lives have crossed again and again, not just in music but at many personal times as well.  He has a stupendous talent and like other people I admire, works far harder behind the scenes than anyone would ever imagine.  
The usual route to celebrity status is to concentrate on just one small area of work so that the message is continually hammered home.  Anybody with wider interests finds it rather more difficult to gain fame and fortune because the message is spread thinner and diluted.  Gordon's performances and compositions have covered a wider range than several other guitarists put together, yet despite working at the very top of his field for so long he is still acknowledged more by professional colleagues than by the record buying public.  

  1. . . . Gordon moved up in the world (question mark on the direction here!), bought some leather trousers and became a pop star.  His stage shows included two keyboard players (both called Roger), a drummer and bass player, a light show and bats flying across the audience! Fame and fortune. Well, actually, I remember one night I met them all for a curry after the show and we just managed to cover the bill by emptying the small change from all our pockets. That, I am afraid is very often the reality of showbiz, but it did introduce Gordon to a whole new world. Being a musician in London in the 1970's meant that he already knew many professional guitarists and session musicians such as Big Jim Sullivan, but now he was meeting a different type of musician, names such as Brian May, Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman.  . . . .  
  2. . . . Gordon Giltrap is a National Acoustic Treasure, and one of my best friends."


VIRGINIA LUQUE
Gordon will be performing a special concert with Spanish guitarist Virginia Luque on Saturday 9th January 2010 at The Purcell Rooms, London.
Here is how the South Bank Centre advertises the gig "Gordon Giltrap, one of the UK's most respected contemporary guitarists, shares the bill with virtuoso classical and flamenco player Virginia Luque in her first UK concert performance. A native of Cadiz, Luque studied privately with Segovia and has recently recorded Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez at London's Abbey Road studios."

About Virginia Luque http://www.virginialuque.com
Virginia Luque plays classical and flamenco music in a Spanish romantic style, combining extraordinary technical virtuosity with beautiful tone and musicianship.

A native of Cadiz, Spain, Ms. Luque began playing the guitar when she was four, started formal training when she was six, and gave her first concert at the age of seven. After hearing her play, the legendary Spanish guitarist, Andres Segovia, invited Ms. Luque to study privately with him. She received her Master's degree in Spain and at Segovia's suggestion went to America where she also received a Master's degree at the Juilliard School in New York City.

TOMMYFEST UK 2010 http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/
Although this is a little further off - tickets will sell really quickly so folks need to book NOW !

TOMMYFEST UK 2010 features TOMMY EMMANUEL with special guests Frank Vignola Trio, Gordon Giltrap, Mike Dawes & Amy Turk, John Dignam

"Two-time Grammy nominee Tommy Emmanuel is one of Australia's most respected musicians. The legendary guitarist has a professional career that spans almost five decades and continues to intersect with some of the finest musicians throughout the world. A household name in his native Australia, Tommy has garnered hundreds of thousands of loyal fans worldwide. Tommy's unique style - he calls it simply "finger style" - is akin to playing guitar the way a pianist plays piano, using all ten fingers. Rather than using a whole band for melody, rhythm, bass, and drum parts, Tommy plays all that- and more -on one guitar. Guitar legend Chet Atkins was one of the first to inspire Emmanuel to try this "fingerpicker" style as a child. Decades later, Atkins himself became one of Emmanuel's biggest fans."

TOMMYFEST UK 2010  runs from  5 - 7 March at Harrow Arts Centre, Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, Middlesex      Box office 020 8416 8989       www.harrowarts.com

Gordon will be conducting a workshop and performing a concert with Tommy on Sunday 7th March. Here is how those events have been advertised:

Workshop with Gordon Giltrap £20, 5pm
Over the past forty years, Gordon Giltrap has graced the music business with his dedication to his craft and his affection for his audience. As one of the UK's most respected guitarists, he has consistently proved the adage that respect cannot be bought. It must be earned.

Concert - Tommy Emmanuel & Gordon Giltrap £22 / £20, Elliott Hall, 8pm
Gordon's music continues to evade categorisation, influenced as it is by the rock guitar of Hank Marvin and Pete Townshend, the folk guitar of Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, and the classical guitar of Julian Bream and John Williams. He has released 25 original studio albums, plus numerous live albums and compilations.

UPCOMING GIGS – full details on website - https://www.giltrap.co.uk/index.php?page=calendar
December 2009
16 Wednesday    Bramall Hall, Stockport, Cheshire 8.00pm
19 Saturday    Marlborough College, Wiltshire 8.00pm  guest of Rick Wakeman
20 Sunday    Marlborough College, Wiltshire 8.00pm  guest of Rick Wakeman
Full details of the above 2 concerts at https://www.giltrap.co.uk/index.php?page=calendar&display=2214
PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE direct about the concerts.
January 2010
9 Saturday    Purcell Room, London 7.45pm  with guest artist Virginia Luque
25 Monday    Colchester Arts Centre 7.45pm
28 Thursday    Huntingdon Hall, Worcester 8.00pm

Please check with venue before travelling long distances. Cancellations sometimes happen.