Review Centre: Jazz Guitarists

"Daniel Martinez was at The Queen’s Hall Edinburgh tonight performing his “20th Anniversary of Flamenco” concert to an enthusiastic audience who had filled the venue pretty much to capacity. Born and raised in Cordoba, Andalucia, this performer, composer and award winning guitarist started his professional flamenco studies at the age of 7. Daniel’s flamenco journey was to take him another 14 years of study at the Royal Conservatoire, and the opportunity to perform in some of the best tablaos (venues) in Cordoba. A move to Scotland has seen Danial Martinez make Edinburgh his new home, and tonight’s performance is part of an ongoing goal in life to not only keep true to the original ethos of Flamenco, but also to develop his own music and projects whilst bringing the living and breathing spirit of this art for to new audiences. This evening’s performance was split into two very distinct performances. The first half with Daniel Martinez performing solo on guitar and playing work from some of the great Flamenco guitarists who have influenced his own work over the years, including amongst others, Vicente Amigo, Paco de Lucía and Rafael Riqueni. Watching and listening to Daniel Martinez play guitar is in itself a lesson in his art, as his ability to perform the many challenging techniques that flamenco guitar requires to a very high standard is obvious, but this alone is never going to be enough, and something else has to happen for the spirit of this music to really work its magic, some connection that lets the performer become almost a conduit for the music, and Daniel Martinez has that elusive connection. The final performance of the first half “Baile por Rondena” (Dance for Rondena) was composed by Daniel Martinez and highlighted the interpretive performance skills of dancer Gabriela Pouso. It was perhaps here that we, the audience, got to get a little glimpse into the true spirit of flamenco as Daniel Martinez followed in the footsteps of Gabriela on guitar, along the way improvising his performance to match hers in rhythm, volume and expression with the two performers becoming almost one at times. This performance was a taster for a new project by Daniel Martinez and the Daniel Martinez Flamenco Company, “Andalucia”, and the full show will be performed at The Usher Hall accompanied by a Chamber Orchestra on Wednesday 8 Feb 2023. With this new show, Daniel Martinez is expanding upon his award winning “Art of Believing” work. The second half of the performance was very traditional in format featuring flamenco singing, plus of course more interpretive music and dance from Gabriela Pouso and Daniel Martinez. This show, for me, was a learning experience, a chance to find out more about how singers, dancers and guitarists individually express their own “flamenco spirit”, but also join together to create a performance that is rhythmically mesmerising whilst at the same time telling a story in performance arts. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Hey Jesús! Thank you so much for last Thursday. You were amazing and all our guests loved it!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Mesmerising voice and beautiful guitar, what a combo."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Nyasha was simply the best! My clients were top end corporate group from overseas and we had a boma dinner and Africa themed music to dance the night away Other events were wine cellar special occasion dinner parties and Nyasha has a voice from heaven, the people loved their dinner vibe Also had a wine tasting event and Nyasha with that beautiful voice sang the night away VERY TALENTED , VERY RELIABLE "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Ruud is a very charming man who plays beautiful cheerful guitar music. We, and our guests, really enjoyed his performance during our garden party. His beautiful guitar playing made our party extra special. We heartily recommend Ruud if you want to spoil your guests with beautiful live music."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Our anniversary dinner was made even more special by the beautiful live music of Jazz Centrale. The musicians perfectly understood the importance of the occasion and created a refined atmosphere throughout the evening. The volume was perfect, allowing our guests to enjoy conversations while experiencing exceptional live jazz."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We booked Lewis for our elopement and his unique style made our special day all the more special. Communication was easy and Lewis was flexible and easy to work with throughout both before and during the event. Can't thank him enough for helping us make lifelong memories. "

Reply by Lewis Dickenson
Hi David! Appreciate the review, thanks for having me along. It was a really fun day to be apart of! Really pleased to hear you enjoyed the music. Kind regards, Lewis

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"From the first conversation to the final performance, everything was seamless. The musicians exceeded our expectations and created an unforgettable evening."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"On behalf of Susan and myself, a huge thank you for playing at our party on Saturday. The selection of music was spot on and your contribution added enormously to the atmosphere. So many of our guests commented on how much they enjoyed you playing. We have raised the bar for future events. (10 / 10)"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The most amazing band, absolutely smashed the day of our wedding. We highly recommend and we also loved the organisation pre-event and the adaptations they made . Amazing people, genuinely good and we felt we received a very good service for what we paid. 10/10"

Reply by JazzAbout095
Thank you very much Matteo and Brandon, we really appreciate it. Very kind of you 2. That relentless wind blowing over the glowing sea.. Francesco JazzAbout095

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We couldn't recommend Will more highly as a wedding guitarist. As well as being a fantastic musician with an excellent repertoire, he was easy to contact and very flexible to our requests. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Bird and Bee duo were excellent and created a great but relaxing atmosphere during a small event we had in Vienna. They were professional to deal with, punctual and well organized. Will definitely recommend :) "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"John was brilliant, great range and fun... would highly recommend."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We booked Chris as Mellow Guitar for our wedding ceremony to play gently in the background while guests were coming in and getting settled. It set the tone beautifully. During the registration signing he played Cavatine, Keith's favourite, and it created a lasting memory. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I don't know where to start, we were so delighted with the performance. Jane is a musician and singer who wears her heart on her sleeve. Always listening to us, she was able to advise and guide us during the preparation of our wedding. We were lucky enough to choose Jane for our religious ceremony which she made so beautiful in the church. She was able to adapt to last minute changes due to the weather for the cocktail but we had an unforgettable time. Jane sings wonderfully and all the guests were won over. A huge thank you to Jane for everything and we would definitely recommend her."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: