Kelly Valleau
Biography
Kelly Valleau is a spanish fingerstyle guitarist hailing from the "Great White North", that's Canada if yeah didn't know eh!....the breeding ground for spanish fingerstyle guitarists. A performer, composer, arranger, transcriber, teacher, student and all around good guy. This multi-dimensional guitarist has forged a unique solo guitar style, firmly rooted in classical composition with modern guitar techniques.
"Musica para la Guitarra" is the first solo cd from Kelly Valleau. Nine originals and a couple killer arrangements to tweak your ears. Dark, dissonant, melodic, rhythmic music....HEAVY WOOD!!
Kelly lists his influences in the following charming and novel way:
In the beginning: David Gilmour, Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi, Randy Rhoads, James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett.
In the middle: Agustin Barrios, Ludwig Van Beethoven , J.K. Mertz, Roland Dyens.
In the end: Family, friends, teachers, students, Us, and them....Me, and you. Black and blue....Up and down. Down and out.....With, without.
Discography
- Musica para la Guitarra 2008
Performance Highlights
We cannot improve upon the following review from Minor7th:
Those Canadians at CandyRat Records are putting out some nice guitar music. Here's yet another debut CD that isn't just a throwaway, but offers some great guitar music played well by Kelly Velleau. As the title suggests, "Musica para la Guitarra" (Spanish for "Music for the Guitar") is a collection of nylon string instrumentals in a Spanish traditional sound. Nine of the 11 tracks are originals, with Velleau providing intriguing arrangements of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" and Queen's "We Will Rock You". These tunes on a nylon-string guitar give the listener another texture for these well-worn rock anthems, and Velleau does a fine job with each one. The darker tones Velleau employs at various places reminds me of some of Evan Hirschelman's work. Dance of the Dead" is a good example of these darker tones in a dance form that is both light and moody at the same time. "Requiem" is a beautiful, haunting tune that creates a space for reflection. Velleau shines on the playful, contrapuntal "Matador", where you can feel the face to face encounter between man and beast. "Hommage to Barrios" pays tribute in a waltz rhythm to Agustin Barrios Mangore, one of classical guitar's most influential figures, and a composer whose creations reflected the folklore of his native Paraguay. The disc ends with "The Duel", with quick arpeggios and shifting tempos. Throughout "Musica para la Guitarra", Velleau displays solid technical skill and a fine sense of musicality. These compositions may not be classics, yet they are songs well conceived and played. © Kirk Albrecht
Kelly Valleau web site
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