“This composer’s music and particularly his 6 Pièces de Café for solo guitar have won particular acclaim worldwide with guitarists and now here comes a further three pieces for two guitars under the barmer of ‘Café Latino’. Samba Tou Taki is the opener, marked ‘fast and swingy’, with the 2nd guitar beginning proceedings with the samba rhythm, over which a light, bouncy melody enters. There are plenty of opportunities for exotic jazz-infused harmonies and there is lots of interplay between the two players, so that they take it in turns to play the melodies. Salonga with a milonga / swaying rhythm is the second piece. This is slower and more reflective at the beginning although things take a more difficult way in the middle section marked ‘with passion’, where dexterity of the fingers is a must. A section marked ‘free improv’ then occurs; a rare event in most pieces nowadays, before a return to the opening idea and a dreamy close. Mediterranea is the last movement (and a YouTube performance of this by the Levantine Duo is available too, although the score appears different in a few places to that published). This is fast and furious, and is marked ‘briskly’ which it certainly is! This is a real tour de force, and is the movement that really separates the men from the boys, technically speaking. lt is lots of fun, with Iberian overtones and a rollicking finish guaranteed to get the audience on your side. This is a nice set, plenty of good melodies, inventive harmonies and requiring a very good duo indeed, to be able to cope properly with it but if all that applies to you and your partner, then this is a fine trio of pieces to go for.”
