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Biographies of our artists:
In the news:
From River Stages:
Thursday, March 18, 2004
Pulling strings in new music
The Emmy award-winning guitarist will perform a free concert March 23 at College
by MEGAN GLOSS
Clarke Guitarist Jaime Guiscafre was an aspiring pianist before he discovered
the beauty of Latin and classical guitar.
"My father died when
I was eight," Guiscafre says. "My family was poor, but I wanted
to keep playing so I mowed lawns to
save money for a piano."
However, Guiscafre's musical direction changed when his grandmother bought him a guitar on his 12th birthday.
"I continued playing
both piano and guitar," Guiscafre says. "By 15, I was dabbling more
in classical and Latin guitar. I just
loved the sound of it. I also thought I would have more work opportunities
playing the guitar."
Guiscafre went on to earn
his Bachelor in Music and Master in Music degrees in guitar and ethnomusicology
from the
University of Miami and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
"My grandmother says that getting me that guitar was the worst mistake of her life," Guiscafre says with a laugh.
Those who have heard Guiscafre
perform would disagree. Those who haven't will have the opportunity at his
free, 7:30
p.m., March 23 performance in Jansen Music Hall on the Clarke College campus.
Based in Madison, Wis.,
Guiscafre's guitar playing has taken him all over the world. He has lived
and performed in Central
America, Peru, Puerto Rico, New York, Texas, Chicago, Miami, Fla., and parts
of Europe.
His audiences range from high school students to the elder generations.
He also teaches guitar at Clarke College.
In 1986, Guiscafre shared
an Emmy for composing and performing the soundtrack for the PBS documentary,
"Hispanic
Mosaic."
He is routinely sought
out to perform the works of new composers and regularly has his work debuted
and performed
around the world.
In 1993, Guiscafre premiered
British composer David Hush's "Partita for Guitar" in Chicago for
the Dame Myra Hess
concert series.
In 2001, Guiscafre's "Villancico,"
for mixed chorus and guitar, was performed in San Juan, Puerto Rico by the
Clarke
Collegiate Singers.
He has recorded six CDs
with the Latin American group, Sotavento, on Redwood Records, based in Oakland,
Calif., and
Discos Pueblo.
Guiscafre toured, recorded and was a member and guest musician with Sotavento for 15 years.
His first solo CD is was "7 Latin American Composers," released in 1999.
The newly released "New
Music for Guitar," is receiving rave reviews from some of the music industry's
top music review
publications.
The CD was recorded on
the newly founded Nextagem Records, based in Platteville, Wis. The label seeks
to promote an
eclectic mix of world music, new music and original music.
"The new CD has been
marketed as a world music recording, but it has been doing particularly well
in the jazz market as
well," Guiscafre says.
The CD includes Guiscafre's originals and new music by Amy Dunker, Byron Yasui and William Ortiz.
The three composers submitted their work to be recorded on Guiscafre's CD.
The CD also includes several
ensemble efforts with guest musicians Joe Caploe, on percussion and vibes,
who also mixed
the CD; Jeffry Eckels, on bass; Jamie V. Ryan, on percussion and drums; and
renowned jazz artist Roscoe Mitchell, on
flute.
Guiscafre credits Mitchell as a mentor.
Most of the ensemble work
and various solos were recorded live in three hours with no edits. The group
rehearsed together
twice prior to the recording.
Guiscafre describes his second CD as harder to categorize than his first.
"My first solo CD
had more of a theme and was more classically based," he says. "I
tried to pick uncommon pieces by
composers that you don't normally hear performed regularly. My second solo
CD was done with more of a world music and
jazz feel. There was more ensemble work involved. I wanted to incorporate
Caribbean and Brazilian music in the CD to
make it more organic and ethnically based."
Guiscafre, who has marketed
the CD himself, says it is easier to promote new music in the alternative
world music and jazz
market than in the classical market.
"The classical music market is slower," he says. "There is so much of the same repertoire in so many different versions."
Guiscafre will perform
original music and selected Latin and classical works from various composers
and his two CDs during
his March 23 concert.
Guiscafre says that it
can be difficult promoting original Latin and classical music in the Midwest,
but it is a challenge he is up
to.
"In New York and
Europe, people crave new, live music," Guiscafre says. "In the United
States, pop music rules, and you
see that a lot in the Midwest. It can be harder to get people out to experience
new music, but for those who want to hear
something different, it is out there. The trick is being versatile and playing
a wide variety of music, not just one style."
Muscian makes a name
with new record label
Nextagem Records builds a foundation on original music
by MEGAN GLOSS
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. - Joe Caploe could not be happier with his musical accomplishments.
Until recently, perhaps, with the opening of his new custom-built recording studio, Nextagem Records.
"I have been performing
my own music for a long time," Caploe says. "I wasn't happy with
its success being subject to the
whims of others. That was where the goal with this place came from. I have
wanted to do this for 15 years - create a place
to record original music without the middleman."
"A lot of other musicians
spend a lot of time and money trying to get record deals. With this label
and many independent
labels, the artist makes the money and earns the publicity," he adds.
Built out of Caploe's
residence, Nextagem is home to his group, Neck and Neck, and Madison, Wis.,
Latin and classical
guitarist, Jaime Guiscafre.
Caploe met Guiscafre while teaching at Clarke College as an adjunct faculty member in the music department.
Guiscafre's CD, "New
Music for Guitar," was released on the label in 2003 and has received
impressive reviews in major
publications.
The label has also featured
performances by jazz greats Roscoe Mitchell, who performed on Guiscafre's
CD, and Jeff
Coffin, a saxophonist who performs with Bela Fleck.
At present, Nextagem has produced three CDs, available to sample or purchase at www.buyacdfromus.com.
"We promote new and
original music," Caploe says. "We call it next age music. We combine
a lot of world music and jazz,
but there are no real definitions to the music. There are no categories for
the music to be lumped into."
Caploe began building the foundation of Nextagem in November 2001 with the release of "Tenerife Blue."
The CD, comprised of masters by Caploe recorded in 1995, combined original music with the sounds of whales.
Independently released, the CD sold 20,000 copies in Europe and was pressed and re-released by Green Peace.
"The 'Tenerife Blue'
release and the other releases on Nextagem are meant to introduce this next
age music to people,"
Caploe says. "We want people to be able to hear good, original music."
Caploe prides the label on recording original work.
"I like to stick
to originals," Caploe says. "If I don't believe in what the label
promotes than no one will. The good thing about
the label is that everyone who records here believes."
And believers are making themselves known elsewhere as well.
"We recently had
an order placed on the web site from Italy," Caploe says. "Jaime's
(Guiscafre) CD has been receiving
good reviews in top publications. We are planning concerts to promote some
of the music being made here. There is a lot of
talent we are recording."
Caploe credits his knowledge of the music business to his many years as a musician and his experience in California.
"I learned that you
can hire a lawyer to get yourself signed, or you can make your own product
and enjoy artistic control,"
Caploe says. "You can schedule your own gigs, sell your own records and
do your own promotional work. When you are
doing it on your own, it's no longer commercial, it's artistic. There is a
certain integrity that comes with it."
Caploe is the director of percussion and jazz studies at the University of Wisconson-Platteville.
He directs the UW-P Jazz I Ensemble; the Percussion Ensemble; Panjamas, a steel drum band; and several combos.
Caploe received a Bachelor
of Arts in Music from San Jose State University and a Masters of Fine Arts
from the California
Institute of the Arts.
An accomplished performed
in his own right, Caploe has worked with Bobby McFerrin, Todd Phillips, Paul
McCandless,
Rare Earth, Babatunde Olatunji, Clare Fischer, Phil Mattson, Ted Curson, Chester
Thompson, David Berkman, the
Nashville Repertory Theater, the San Jose Civic Light Opera and the San Jose
Symphony Orchestra.
He also performs with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra.
Caploe is the president
of the Wisconsin Percussive Arts Society.
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for buyacdfromus.com Nextagem - 220 S. Chestnut Street - Platteville, WI 53818 phone 608-732-7875 fax 608-348-3696 |
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