While not under the radar in Latin America, Yamandu Costa has very little recognition in the outside world. He has phenomenal technical skill, blistering speed, and so much soul that you can only get from the Bahia of Brazil. He plays a violao (7 string brazilian guitar). He plays nearly all Brazilian styles of music with his personal touch of fretted virtuosity and fiery intensity. When I saw him at the Brazilian guitar festival, I was blown away.

His Website
video

Someone else, though not necessarily perfect for the 'jazz' forum is classical guitarist Pavel Steidl. Another artist I first witnessed in concert, I expected his talent to just explode on the scene. His playing was dynamic and soulful, and while listening to the church bells and crisp breeze in Cordoba, Spain, i couldn't have asked for more. When watching classical guitarists, I watch for three things: technical proficiency, dynamic control, and overall expressiveness. Steidl had all of these and so much soul. Its hard to find such technically amazing players with so much heart, when conservatories pump out machines that turn out despising music itself after being told there is only one correct way to play it. Steidl takes his skill and expands on the music instead of being restricted by it. Maybe he's not so 'under the radar,' with some respect in the classical world, but he's still worth checking out if you haven't seen/heard him.

Turning Fur Elise into a Lambada

Does it count if they're dead? That is under most everyone's radar.

http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?fr=ybr_sbc&p=muggsy%20spanier

Quote:
... the MRQ plays a refreshing brand of carefully crafted modern jazz.

Please tell me what "modern jazz" amounts to.

AB - Both those artists are quite interesting, particularly Steidl. I'm impressed by Costa but have to admit after working at The Nature Store many Xmas' ago, his style reminds me of the CD's that played over - and over and over - the store's system. For me it's a bit like listening to Dark Side of the Moon. After you've used it as demo material for a few years it's not something you pull out of the stack just to hear. However, I'll give him another few listens and see what develops. Thanks.

that sample was a bit cookie cutter.

Here's a clip of his more aggressive material, more of what he plays and what tends to blow people away.

clip

Quote:
Here's a clip of his more aggressive material, more of what he plays and what tends to blow people away.

clip

Wow! How is that 7th string tuned, Ariel?

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

Quote:
Wow! How is that 7th string tuned, Ariel?

The Brazilian Seven String guitar is tuned like a normal guitar except for that extra bottom string which is usually a C or also tuned to a B.

Jazz bassist Hadrien Feraud should be flying out from under the radar anytime soon. I saw him with John McLaughlin and couldn't stop raving about him. He's young and ridiculously talented. Here's him "practicing" . what an ass.

LOL

Which is why I decided not to complain about your use of "smooth jazz" in that Metheny review.

RG