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| Saturday, August 14, 2010 at McMenamin's Edgefield |
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(click for full-page printable poster)
GENRES
Rock
World Music
Instrumental
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Rodrigo Y Gabriela
Xavier Rudd & Izintaba
Saturday, August 14, 2010
McMenamin's Edgefield 503-669-8610
2126 SW Halsey St, Troutdale, OR (MapQuest)
6:30pm (doors open at 5pm). All Ages.
$29.50 advance tix from Ticketmaster.
$35.00 at the door.
RODRIGO y GABRIELA
11:11
Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero have been playing guitar together for more than fifteen years. From their hesitant first steps as teenage thrash metallurgists in their native Mexico City, through the innocents abroad street players of Dublin's Grafton Street at the turn of the Millennium, to the universally acclaimed globe straddling tour machine of 2009; theirs is a musical union where mutual understanding goes beyond intuitive and into the realms of Zen. Rhythmic Yin to melodic Yang.
It has been three years since the release of their last studio album. Simply called Rodrigo y Gabriela it was first released in Ireland in February 2006, where it charted at # 1 in the national charts. This proved to be an auspicious start for a record which has since gone on to sell 600,000 copies worldwide. A slow burn, genuine word of mouth success story, the album proved to be Rod & Gab's international calling card. As first the UK, then Australia, South Africa, America, Europe and Japan succumbed to the unique charms of the record; the duo found themselves constantly on the road for more than two and a half years in support of the release.
Keeping a base in Ireland, the lure of warmer climes nearer home proved hard to ignore; and in 2007, they decided to establish a Central American outpost in Ixtapa on the Pacific Coast. The latter part of 2008 was spent building a recording studio at their Mexican headquarters; and it was here that the new album, entitled 11:11 ; was recorded. If Rodrigo y Gabriela was a successful attempt at capturing the unbridled dynamic energy of their incendiary gigs (mostly recorded 'live' in the studio, with very few overdubs); then the new album sees them developing their core sound into something more sophisticated, intricate and varied. At the heart of the sound is still the stunning interplay between Rodrigo's dazzling lead work and Gabriela's unique rhythm play; but the base soundscape is now subtly supplemented by percussion, occasional piano and a fresh arsenal of stringed instruments from around the world, including oud and sitar. And - whisper it quietly - the introduction here and there of electric guitar.
Produced by Rodrigo y Gabriela (with co-production from John Leckie on the title track), the album was mixed by Colin Richardson; famed in the rock world for his console work on Slipknot and Trivium. Picked by Rod & Gab for the way he makes guitars simultaneously sing and sting, it's his desk dexterity that make the sound pictures on 11:11 dance before your eyes and ears.
At the heart of 11:11 lies Rod & Gab's wish to celebrate some of the great musicians, both past and present, who have inspired them along the way. Each of the eleven tracks is a musical 'gracias' to a delicious and diverse assortment of talent. Some are transparent - the 'Voodoo Chile' quoting 'Buster Voodoo' is a clear nod of appreciation to Hendrix - others are more discreet. Metal God Alex Skolnick of Testament joins them on 'Atman', a thrilling Arabesque charge in celebration of Dimebag Darrell, replete with a scorching total shred solo from Skolnick.
Elsewhere, Rod & Gab are united with L.A. based acoustic fusion veterans Strunz & Farah, to create a unique guitar quartet for the Paco De Lucia homage 'Master Maqui'. Their influences are varied and multi-dimension, where else would you hear a Mexican duo paying respect to an Israeli oud three piece shaped by the guy who mixed Cradle Of Filth?
It is this willingness to explore musical expression, to embrace new sounds irrespective of fashion or trends; and a point blank refusal to be pigeon-holed as any particular genre, which lies at the very foundation of Rodrigo y Gabriela. 11:11 is a testament to this. It leaves us with the feeling that we have only begun to see what these two are capable of.
Much like the ascending Koonyum Sun ushers in a new day in New South Wales, the record of the same name by world son Xavier Rudd carries a similar aura of refreshment, of rebirth.
From 2002's To Let, his first studio album, through to 2007's White Moth, Rudd gradually refined his globally-influenced collage of world music -- a matchless mixture of reggae, funk, blues, folk, and nearly every other sort of song with the ability to stimulate people's spirits. With 2008's Dark Shades of Blue, though, the world was welcomed into a darker, more somber side of Rudd's music. The album was indeed musically rich, with an international influence still inherent; however, the overall aura carried a different tinge compared to that of his previous work. As he explains it, his musical output at that time may have been a slight glimpse of what was soon to come.
"Dark Shades Of Blue represented what was coming to me," explains Rudd, "and it was something that I didn't realize at the time. It was like I could feel the shudder of an earthquake, but I didn't know it was coming." That metaphorical earthquake manifested in the form of the most tumultuous year in Rudd's personal history, and one he was more than happy to put behind him when starting to pen Koonyum Sun.
The album marks a fresh, new musical and spiritual awakening for Rudd, perhaps most notably as it's his first with bassist Tio Moloantoa and percussionist Andile Nqubezelo under the unified banner of Xavier Rudd & Inzintaba. Though the trio has been performing together for many months, Koonyum Sun is their first collaborative collection of songs -- a triangle of influence that carries a piece of each individual member, yet keeps them all connected. Thanks to the input of Inzintaba, there's a staggering amount of vigor to this release that Xavier Rudd fans haven't seen to date. There's also more vocal variation, with colourful harmonies in several different languages soaring atop the music.
"It's been the most inspirational musical experience of my life," shares Rudd about his writing with Tio and Andile. "We have an undeniable connection -- musically, spiritually, and emotionally. I feel like they were sent to me." While trying to reconnect with the stream of positive energy that had lifted him prior to his arduous 2009, Rudd relied heavily on the fortitude of his newfound friends. "They basically held me up. They were such strong spirits to have around me during such a traumatic time." In fact, Inzintaba is the Zulu word for "mountains," and when he's with Tio and Andile, either playing or simply being, he feels as though he's "standing on a mountain."
The album was laid down at 301 Studios in Australia's Byron Bay, which Rudd believes to be "a beautiful part of the world," and there's no question that his pastoral surroundings have influenced his output. He absorbs energy and influence from anywhere on Earth his music may take him -- influences that stay with him and build up his body of cultural, spiritual, and musical experience.
Over the last few years, he's graced stages at festivals around the globe, including the Bonnaroo Music Festival, Ottawa Bluesfest, The Great Escape, Bumbershoot, and Austin City Limits, to list a limited few. Indeed, where he's physically been has an immense impact on where he's musically going. He explains: "I've absorbed so much culture and energy from where I've traveled, and it becomes a part of me."
His musical output has always kept a consistent focal point, surrounding which is an ever-expanding pool of musical and spiritual influence that grows with each release. Koonyum Sun is the culmination of where Rudd wants to be musically, and along with Inzintaba, he's ready to make his music mobile once again. "I've never been more excited to tour," he says, and his fans are undeniably ecstatic about his assertion.
Rudd believes his music is a gift from his ancestor's and part of his journey is to share it and use it to connect with others. With Koonyum Sun, he's poised to re-link with old and new listeners alike, and couldn't be more eager. He says: "If they can feel that connection through my music, then I feel like I've truly given it my all."
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