Thursday, January 22, 1998
Two guitar players strum their stuff
MUSIC: Different styles, same quality standards lead to great
joint sound
By Ai Goldsmith
Daily Bruin contributor
Steve Morse and Manuel Barrueco: two names that link separate
worlds of music.
On Friday evening, the Veterans Wadsworth Theater will echo with
music performed by guitarists Morse and Barrueco in an eclectic
collection of sounds.
"It’s going to be an unusual blend of classical, jazz and some
rock influence," Morse says.
Morse, well known for versatility of style, supplies much of the
jazz and rock influence while Barrueco supplies classical and Latin
American music.
In addition to selections for classical guitar, the program
includes music by Morse’s former southern-sounding band, the Dixie
Dregs, along with improvisations and common favorites.
Although the program is unique in that it consists of an unusual
combination of styles, this is not the first time these musicians
merge their sounds.
"Steve and I worked at (a show called) the Guitar Summit, a
couple of years ago," Barrueco recollects. "We enjoyed it so much
and the people enjoyed it so much that we decided to go ahead and
do a concert together."
Not only did their experience at Guitar Summit allow Barrueco
and Morse to combine their talents, it became a learning experience
for Morse.
"(Manuel Barrueco) is very oriented towards written music and
I’m fine working with very sketchy music. So we have to adjust,"
Morse says. "But he plays so great and he’s so open minded. There’s
a side of him that makes him special in that he’s willing to
stretch out and branch out."
Barrueco also recalls Morse’s musicianship and praises Morse’s
talents. He describes Morse as an intelligent and talented
composer.
"(Morse) is also very funny. When we did the Guitar Summit, he
had the people on the floor. He’s a natural wit," Barrueco laughs.
"As a guitar player he is just amazing. He can play all kinds of
styles and all kinds of guitars. He is equally at home with all of
it. He is brilliant with it all."
In addition to being highly regarded musicians, Barrueco and
Morse share other things in common. Influenced by siblings who
played the guitar, Barrueco and Morse began studying the instrument
at a young age. While Barrueco attended the Peabody Conservatory in
Baltimore and Morse attended the University of Miami in Florida,
they studied from the same teacher in Miami.
Recollecting his college days, Morse speaks positively of the
formal training he received at the university, maintaining that
being proficient in music theory as well as composition is an asset
to any musician.
"If you compose music … the more you know, the easier it is to
come up with choices. They may not be the right choices but you
have the opportunity to choose quickly … It’s like having an
index at your finger tips … I recommend it to anyone," Morse
says. "It (also) enables you to communicate with people outside of
the rock world."
Like Morse, Barrueco also speaks of communication, although from
a different perspective.
"When making music, what one is ultimately doing is
communicating with people," Barrueco explains. "I think music is a
language which one feels. It’s a rush in a way when you play for
people and you try to communicate to them. When they feel it,
there’s a high that comes from that."
So how does Barrueco continue to successfully communicate to the
audience? Barrueco comments that being a teacher improves his
musicianship.
"As a performer, (teaching) helps me because in trying to
explain things to (the students), it helps me to understand what it
is that I’m doing," Barrueco says. "Also, it keeps one more pure as
a player in that you have to do what you preach. Sometimes, when
musicians don’t have that pressure, they can become careless. It
keeps me on my toes."
Barrueco also acknowledges that one of the secrets of his
success is open-mindedness. In addition to performing and recording
classical music and collaborating with Steve Morse, Barrueco has
recorded some arrangements of Beatles’ songs with the London
Symphony Orchestra. In a word of advice to aspiring musicians and
artists, Barrueco stresses the importance of being open-minded.
"I think it’s important, especially in classical music.
Sometimes we tend to be close-minded and dogmatic. I think in
today’s world, it is important that we come out of our shell and
that we are able to relate to other people," Barrueco says. "It’s
not like classical music people didn’t do that before but I think
we lived in this kind of ivory tower … I think it’s important to
stay open minded."
MUSIC: Manuel Barrueco and Steve Morse will perform at the
Veterans Wadsworth Theater on Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30, $27
and $11 with UCLA I.D. For more information, call (310)
825-210.
UCLA Center for the Performing Arts
Steve Morse is known for his guitar rock.
UCLA Center for the Performing Arts
Spanish guitarist Manuel Barrueco