Diego Barber
Diego Barber (Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain) is a classical and jazz guitarist. Throughout his career, Barber’s discography has been featured in music charts and "best record of the year" lists by National Public Radio,[1] Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times. He has received reviews from magazines published by All About Jazz,[2] Billboard,[3] JazzTimes and Down Beat,[4] among others. Diego has recorded four albums released by Sunnyside Records[5] and Origin Records.[6]
Early life
Barber was born into a family of musicians.[7] In his beginnings, he attended the Lanzarote Conservatory of Music[8] with professor Miguel Ángel Calzadilla and took private lessons with Professor Toñin Corújo. Years later, he enrolled at the Arturo Soria Conservatory in Madrid. In this period, he met José Ramón García, who taught him harmony, analysis, composition and where he was trained as a musician. Consecutively, he attended the Salamanca Higher Conservatory of Music, where he finished his B.A. in Classical Guitar. During his studies in Salamanca, two significant events occurred: Professor Costas Cotsiolis accepted him to join lessons for one year in Atenas and, Professor Ricardo Gallén[9] trained him in any part of the world they were. Subsequently, Diego attended the Mozarteum University of Salzburg where he completed his postgraduate studies in cooperation with Professor Marco Tamayo. During this phase, Barber won the first prize in the “Leo Brouwer Guitar Festival and Competition” in Spain in 2003, as well as the first prize in a competition organized by the Miami Classical Guitar Society[10] in 2004, which allowed him to offer several concerts in many cities of Greece, Spain and Germany. After completing his studies in Austria, he had already composed some pieces which would be part of his first album.
Personal life
Barber lives in New York where he has recorded[11] the albums Calima,[12] The Choice,[13] and Tales in cooperation with Mark Turner, Jeff Ballard, Larry Grenadier, Ari Hoenig, Johannes Weidenmüller, and Seamus Blake, all recordings were released on Sunnyside Records. His duo album with pianist Craig Taborn, Tales, was mentioned in several top ten charts and Best-of-2014 lists such as iTunes (awarded with 4 stars),[14] Down Beat (4 of 5 stars),[15] The New York City Jazz Record,[16] Baltimore City Paper[17] and The New York Village Voice.[18] The album 411, a quintet recording from 2011 co-led by Hugo Ciprés was released on Origin Records in 2013.
Reviews
He has received reviews from magazines such as All About Jazz, Billboard, JazzTimes and Downbeat, among others
"..known for the grandeur and majesty of his playing. Diego Barber's impressive dynamics and exquisiteness of expression are deeply rooted in extraordinary technique".[19]—All About Jazz.
"Barber's playing is beautiful, his fingers fly lightly over the fretboard".[20]—Down Beat Magazine.
"Diego Barber is a portent of things to come, and the beginnings of a bright career from one who has all the potential to be a truly original voice in modern music".[21]—Michael G. Nastos, Billboard.
"Barber approaches the guitar with precision and fluidity - and with great sensitivity... He's adept at coaxing melodies embedded with an air of mystery and mischief."—JazzTimes.
"Barber and Taborn offer up a sprawling epic in four parts, music with a cerebral punch via the intricacy of the patterns of their interplay, while also forging a mainline straight to the heart via the sheer beauty of the music presented. One of the best things I’ve heard all year. Pick of the Week." [22]—Dave Sumner.
References
- ↑ "Top ten jazz records". National Public Radio, 2009.
- ↑ "Album review. All About Jazz". Dan McClenaghan; June 23, 2013
- ↑ "Calima Album Review" Michael G. Nastos from Billboard
- ↑ "Tales Album review, Down beat magazine". By Bobby Reed
- ↑ "Diego Barber: Sunnyside Records artist". By Sunnyside Records
- ↑ "Diego Barber: Origin Records artists". By Origin Records
- ↑ "Press release about Diego Barber". By Adolfo Martin. July 19th, 2009
- ↑ "Interview to Diego Barber". Global Cultura. April 2nd, 2013
- ↑ "Sonata Banc d´Arguin by Diego Barber: Premiered and performed by guitarist Ricardo Gallén. Press release. March 11th, 2012
- ↑ "Diego Barber review by Miami classical guitar society". Admin., June 6th, 2007
- ↑ "Diego Barber discography". All Music web site
- ↑ Calima album review by Mark F. Turner. All About Jazz, March 18, 2009.
- ↑ The Choice album review by Carlo Wolff. JazzTimes.com, July 2011
- ↑ "iTunes: The most listened in 2014: Tales by Diego Barber" iTunes store 2015. Apple.com (registration necessary)
- ↑ "Best Albums of 2014", Down Beat, January 2015, page 45.
- ↑ "Albums of the Year" by David R. Adler, The New York City Jazz Record: "Best of 2014". Relative Pitch Records. December 2014
- ↑ "Blue Notes: Top 10 in Jazz and Blues" by Geoffrey Himes. Digital journal Baltimore City Paper. December 2014
- ↑ "The Village Voice's Top 10 Jazz Albums of 2014" by David R. Adler, Dec. 8 2014
- ↑ "Diego Barber: The Choice album review. All About Jazz. Raul D'GamaRose. June 28, 2011
- ↑ "Diego Barber: Calima album review". By Chris Robinson from Down Beat magazine PDF Format. 2009. page nr. 65
- ↑ "Calima album Review". By Michael G. Nastos from Billboard
- ↑ "Tales album review by Dave Sumner". Dave Sumner, contributor. eMusic. Wondering Sound