 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
THANKS: for checking out my music on line! Please see my other albums, on CDBaby, the AMADA project, which was released in October 2004, and Songs from the Hacienda which is out of print with 2 copies left for sale on the planet... I still have about 20 copies of AMADEO availabe... please see www for updates and link to Bridge Guitar Reviews/and other information. REVIEWS/quotes:) ... "fine fretwork is matched by his compositional skills on this sparsely elegant and entrancing album of what he calls "post-modern classical" pieces of instrumental music. Standout track: "Abril" Local albums of the year(on Thomas Bond's TOP 10 of 2003 local albums listed) THOMAS BOND, Music Editor, of the Scottsdale Tribune (East Valley Tribune) entertainment section, GET OUT(movies.dining.music.arts.events) see full article at: www.getoutaz.com/music/year0101.shtml "Kenn Harris has developed his own, unique style ... has demonstrated his wonderful artistry in this cd, through excellent techniques, balance, structure and dedication." Henk te Veldhuis, Editor, Bridge Guitar Reviews. October 2003 (see link above) "When Bill and Ted ... get old and mellow, this will be their jam ... this album is truly for fans of the eclectic virtuosity of Adrian Legg or Michael Hedges." Albert Mudrian editor, ZiaZine local reviews, October 2003 " *Kenn Harris' CD Amadeo features his instrumental compositions for acoustic guitar and some truly fantastic playing." PHILLIP BLACK, Music Editor, JAVA (Art.Ideas.Taste.PHX Culture, Music News, Local Notes: July/August 2003 "...a work of art. Amadeo consists of 12 of Harris' original instrumental songs, which he cumbersomely calls "postmodern classical" compositions, and impeccable playing. Forget stylistic labels and call them simply beautiful. With only scarce accompaniment here and there, you'd think hearing a single guitar would grow tiresome after a while, but this disc is entrancing for its full 74 minutes. A" "Next show: CD release party 8:30 p.m. March 22 at Cave Creek Coffee Company, 6033 E. Cave Creek Road, (480) 488-0603. Free. Web site: www.kennnharris.com )" (exerpts) THOMAS BOND, Music Editor, of the Scottsdale Tribune (East Valley Tribune) entertainment section, GET OUT(movies.dining.music.arts.events) in Local Spins: March 6-12 2003. AMADEO was a Spanish guitarmaker who created "La Panterita" (the little songbird) in his workshop in New York City in 1959. The overtones of this instrument are hauntingly beautiful and are featured on the Amadeo Suite (Ah...Recuerdos, Antara,Amadeo) as well as on all of the interludes. "LA PANTERITA" has lived many lives; it was made for Amadeo's 'amigo y colega Louis "Lija" Ortiz,' it was played by Segovia, it suffered broken wings, it fell down a staircase in N.Y. City and had to be entirely rebuilt, prior to resting in my arms in 1964...and the stories have become interwoven with my own since I was 14 years old...and has lived with me in New York, Arizona, Mexico, New Mexico, and back to Arizona again. In time, it had to be restored yet again thanks to Richard Beck, and has been singing ever more sweetly ever since. Some of the woods are over 120 years old, and come from all over the world. I LOVE THIIS GUITAR and am still learning some of the secrets within. I wanted to say THANK YOU to Amadeo, for providing me with a way to sing my own song... Amadeo was a "maker" and if translated if parts his name means love of/from G-d. Therefore this album is dedicated to the guitar makers, and masterful hands that have kept my instruments in shape to sing, and to G-d for making "La Musica" possible. ALSO FEATURED: on the album are my 1956 Martin 00-17, my 1973 Martin D-28, my 1965 Gibson L-50 archtop. The requiem, September Anthem, is a collaborative work, with multiple instruments and sound tracks. THANKS: to my family, friends, fans for the kind words and support! immediately after the release in January,2003 I heard these words about the new cd AMADEO... "it's great"..."beautiful"..."amazing recording" ..."magnificent"..."better than the first one, but I still like the first one"..."relaxing"..."good to do housework to...and now have OFFICIAL REVIEWS noted above !!! this my first and to date only international review in Bridge Guitar Reviews RESONANCE... THANKS to Henk te Veldhuis! Kenn Harris Amadeo 2003 Clarence and Blue Recording Company KH 5020 Kenn Harris, a guitar player living in Arizona, in the USA, began playing guitar at age 11, and started lessons in classical and fingerstyle techniques when he was 14. His album, Amadeo (named after the Spanish guitar-maker), showcases Kenn's ability to play a diversity of styles, from classical and fingerstyle, to the great Spanish styles. Although he has been compared to Adrian Legg, Ottmar Liebert, Leo Kottke, Earl Klugh and Michael Hedges, Kenn Harris has developed his own, unique style. He uses an Amadeo hand-made, 1959 classical guitar - the same model of guitar as Andres Segovia played. He also plays his Martin 00-17, Gibson L-50 and a Martin D-28. Kenn plays with intimacy, reflection and dedication, as can be heard on Abril and Koa. Fairy Tales gives us captivating Spanish nuances with bright passages and engaging melody line-building ability. Palo Verde begins with a dark mood that immediately moves into a pleasing, uplifting melody. Kenny's Blues is quite percussive, and in this piece Kenn shows his ability to create warm indulging blues in various tempos and atmospheres. The tracks Ah .. Recuerdos and Antara demonstrate fascinating Spanish guitar playing combined with solid fingerstyle techniques. Amadeo, the title track, offers both percussive and well-known Spanish guitar techniques. There is a wonderful repeating melody line and lovely chord/solo playing in Debby's Studio. Hold On is a 12-minute piece that has a nice balance and good composing structure. The final track, September Anthem, is a reflective piece written about September 11, 2001, the day the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York were destroyed by terrorists. This music was used by CBC television for a September 11th Memorial, and is evocative of the atmosphere on that day. To sum up, Kenn Harris has demonstrated his wonderful artistry in this cd, through excellent techniques, balance, structure and dedication. Henk te Veldhuis Bridge Guitar Reviews. (actually typo ie CBS/not CBC television) RE: WEB SITE...ok it is "VERY, VERY primative!!!" and I, as a "computer challenged" musician am awaiting real "Computer People" help...In time these computer literate friends could PERHAPS( caps for emphasis !) assist me in setting up a "real website" This is to use 'their' terms "UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!!"(whatever that means)??? If you send me an e-mail ? I will try to post a ???/answer section on the www.kennharris.com site ASAP. THANKS: to OTIS FRANCIS for the awesome recording, editing and mastering work that went into this album(check www.tinabaileyband.com)...to KIKI PARRY at Disc Makers for the layout/design, and to DEREK et. al. at cdbaby for their help in making it available from the the tiniest "indie" record company on the planet...and er...for having a rational system for updating digital information! GIVING BACK: Thanks for checking this out...having my music "out there" in the world is magical for me. "La Musica" is 90% work and 10% gift and the gift goes back to organizations that try to repair the world. The West-Side Food Bank/Kid's Cafe Program in the Phx/AZ area has been sent the first check of this set for AMADEO. Thanks to those who gave extra to support this...(and at present I am prodicing a benefit album see www for details...and it is at the final mixing mastering phase and due out in October) "HEY NO SHOES" remains standard operating proceedure when playing at home or on stage or during my 14+1/2 minutes of fame on tv etc. RECENT NEWS: updated 26March2006 I am gearing up for performance... have done a few benefits, see www.kennharris.com and will hopefully be back in the studio this summer... I am writing alot and have produced a Breast Cancer Benefit ALbum, called "the AMADA project"... it is a collaboration of over 50 musician friends, and hopefully will make a ton of $ for charities. It was released in early October/2004 This project has take all my musical energy, and has now been manufactured by CDForge. THEY ARE AWESOME contact Lucas Jones... I have done a recent benefit to end homelessness in Az. and a Phx. Childrens Hospital benefit (both in April 2006) I created a rock band including "the Gov" for the Komen, Race for the Cure, Survivor's Ceremony at the end of the race, Oct2004. Please see www.kennharris.com for other details and cdbaby.com/amadaproject and below... I performed at a benefit, along with my friends The Rockin' Docs on 24 January 2004. The concert I organized was sold out! (and a lot of fun) On the 8th of November "SG3 at C4: The Passion Grace and Fire Epiphany Concert" (with Chris Burton Ja'come (flamenco) and Pete Pancrazi (jazz) in our first collaboration...went really well and the details are on my www & check the links to Chris' and Pete's www's and cdbaby.com/chrisburtonjacome... The Cave Creek Coffee Company is becoming our "Austin City Limits" ck their cavecreekcoffee.com site links from my www for schedule/artists it is A M A Z I N G ! IT IS SO AWESOME TO HAVE PLAYED ON THAT STAGE!!! It was a great honor to have 'September Anthem' as the sound-track of a beautifuly edited, video montage that aired, at the end of each TV broadcast on our local KPHO, Channel 5, affiliate of CBS news, as a September 11th Memorial in 2003 and 2004. I did a TV segment produced by our local KPNX, Channel 12, affiliate of NBC news for breast cancer awareness, and have just performed at the Susan G. Komen organization's Lighting the way for a Cure, benefit on September 25th in downtown Phoenix where, a song I wrote Sarrah Mahove, was featured during the candle lighting ceremony. Although I was hoping (to be recording with Odie at ABCAT again after this summer, to complete a new Album JORNADA which is 'a work in progress,' and may be done sometime this next summer/autumn ....or...something like that...(hey ! I will release no album before its time...!) I performed with some friends, in a Rock Band set up to do one of the songs from the AMADA project, and copies of the album were given to the 1800 survivors, after the Race for the Cure in downtown Phoenix on 10 October. We had "the Gov" in our band!... thanks to John, A.D., Janet, Jennifer, David, Odie, and the Survivors Choir. With Odie's help, I have put together a very eclectic/tone-awesome/acoustic guitar player friendly/ PA system (each piece will weigh in under 23 lbs, and sound MEGA) and once completed will I have little excuses left for not playing out a bit in Arizona more...(at least from an equipment standpoint)...Check the www. for updates... I'm trying to push the envelope a little re' spreading the news about my music... I put an ad on the Musicians Exchange Page of THE NEW TIMES in Phx.in June 03 and another was placed in JAVA, for July and August...and now have reviews on my www from Az. and the Netherlands! AND AN AMAZING FAN BASE IN THE NETHERLANDS thanks to HENK !!! My official press release...is done...and although I am still "computer challenged" I did finally get it out of the word proccessor onto my www. My CD release party went well! I was VERY happy with the tones... Kenn Harris & Friends, performed at the Cave Creek Coffee Co. on 22March03 8:30pm. Some really fine musicians helped me open this event!!!( Gus Brett...singer songwriter and head of the SONGWRITERS CIRCUS, and Saggio..who is a master player of the American Indian Flute...and Millie who helped out on harmony...check out their cdbaby sites...and I performed at the Songwriters Circus there also, on 22February03. Thanks to Gus for all the help! I'm really enjoying having a favorite guitar back:"my Martin" aka "Brownie" (all mahogony and one of the better guitars on this planet!) aka "my 1956 Martin 00-17" thanks to Richard Beck's Guitar Specialty Services in Tempe, Arizona, after a major restoration and it is Soooooooooooooooo...Sweet to have it back! I bought this guitar with rolls of quarter's from my paper route, when I was 14, (and took it home in a big paper bag because I didn't have enough $ to buy a case with it) and it was "THE STAR" of the Hacienda CD... And although I don't "need" another guitar ( I think I am up to 12? ) I just am very happy about the LXM Martin, I found at Paul's Cave Creek Guitar! When I find a guitar so well set up so perfectly intonated, (this is very rare...then the decision is easy) I am actually going to put an acoustic pickup on it soon, and recorded with it for a solo composition for the benefit album, it has the feel of a mini/vintage/0018body with some tones of a D28/and it is nearly all some sort of synthetic modern materials! I am composing alot on it these days. SONGS from the HACIENDA is essentially sold out and in Arizona a collector's item...there are about 1500 out there in the world, and only 2 copies left on cdbaby.com/kenharris, and ??? another few in Arizona...what a trip!!!to be nearly sold out of my first real production...of the most micro-Record Co. on the planet...unfortunately this is out of print...and the cost of re-printing vs. putting energy into the new album, makes the concept of reprinting unlikey for a very long time (maybe 10 years/maybe never)...so...the prices for the last 4 on the planet are going up astronomically... and now a "vintage" rare earth entity, and should only be considered if an aficianado knows my music, and has to have it...in his/her collection. It is "funny" "but not" (as EEL says) "ha, ha funny" that in some ways the universe, and availability, and time, and energy and life, are not infinite. This is as some say too much information, but an attempt to explain why the last of these albums are "way... too much." If I ever release it again it will be a simpler production run, and far more reasonable. Please check the www.kennharris.com site for other inf re' the benefit Album which has been manufactured by CDForge. be well, Kenn 26MAY2006 Check out the artist's website: http://www.kennharris.com Track List: 1. Enero 2. Abril 3. Koa 4. Fairy Tales 5. Palo Verde 6. Kenny's Blues 7. Ah...Recuerdos 8. Antara 9. Amadeo 10. Debby's Studio 11. Hold On 12. September Anthem 5:11 TOTAL: 74 minutes Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
|