Articles by Pedro Keul
Julio Resende: Sons of Revolution
by Pedro Keul
When he was a child, Júlio Resende ruined many of his father's vinyl records, as children at play may unintentionally do. But in due course he became one of the most accomplished pianists of his generation. The proof is his album Filhos da Revolução (Sons of Revolution), on which Resende went back to his father's roots to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1974 Portugese revolution--what became known as the Carnation Revolution--which overthrew country's right wing, authoritarian, colonialist dictatorship.
Continue ReadingI Am a Pilgrim: Doc Watson at 100
by Pedro Keul
Doc Watson died in 2012 but his influence on American music was undeniable. Master of flatpicking--the technique of striking the strings of a guitar with a pick (also called a plectrum) held between the thumb and one or two fingers--Watson released nearly 30 albums; solo and with relatives (The Watson Family) and numerous bluegrass and blues artists such as Earl Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs, and Taj Mahal. I Am A Pilgrim: Doc Watson at 100 features new renditions of some of ...
Continue ReadingCharlie Watts: Jazz Anthology
by Pedro Keul
Charlie Watts left this world in 2021, at age 80, and many only know him as the legendary Rolling Stones drummer of six decades. Lesser known was his passion for jazz--that he expressed every chance he could--recording ten albums as a leader. This extensive retrospective released in 2023 presents 27 themes recorded in a 20 year span, starting in 1986, in several jazz formats (big band, quartet, quintet and tentet), alongside musicians including double-bassist Dave Green, drummer Jim Keltner, and ...
Continue ReadingSexteto Bernardo Moreira: Entre Paredes
by Pedro Keul
Very few outside the Portuguese-speaking world are familiar with the music of Carlos Paredes. The guitar virtuoso, born in 1925, started learning to play the Portuguese guitar when he was four years old, with his father, Artur Paredes, who was a master of the instrument. But throughout the years he developed a unique style, very different from his father. In 1958, Paredes was arrested by the political police (PIDE) of the Portuguese fascist regime and accused of being ...
Continue ReadingCécile McLorin Salvant: Mélusine
by Pedro Keul
Mélusine is a figure of European folklore, a female spirit of fresh water in a holy well or river. She is usually depicted as a woman who turns into a half-snake each Saturday as a result of a childhood curse by her mother. Not by coincidence, is also the name of the 2023 album (on Nonesuch Records) from Cécile McLorin Salvant, following Ghost Song, which has received two Grammy nominations and many mentions on the best albums of 2022 lists ...
Continue Reading
