Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010

International guitar night planned at Merced College

Concert will feature Francisco Buzzurro and Richard Smith.

Already well known for its great jazz concerts, Merced is adding another top notch event to its impressive list of accomplishments. "International Guitar Night," presented by the Merced College Music Department and organized by renowned guitarist and Merced College Professor John Albano, will debut on March 31 at 7 p.m. at the Merced College Theater.

The featured artists this year will be Francesco Buzzurro and Richard Smith, both internationally recognized guitarists known for their rich, expressive, and energetic music.

"Francesco Buzzurro and Richard Smith are contemporary masters of the guitar," states Albano. "One specializes in music of the Mediterranean and the other, American contemporary jazz. Francesco performs the music of his native Sicily with grace and beauty."

This event will take on a distinctly Italian flavor and is sure to be a hit with the local music aficionados, and anyone else who has an appreciation for music. Thanks to Albano's friendship with Smith, the duo will be making a stop for one night in Merced during their West Coast tour, and our community is lucky to have them. Both are international stars in their own right and were recently awarded the Presidential Medallion of Sicily while on tour in Sicily and Greece.

Francesco Buzzurro, born and raised in Sicily, began to play guitar at the age of six. He graduated from the Conservatory of Trapani, and perfected his talent at the International Arts Academy in Rome. Currently, he is the leader of a quartet and plays at the most important Italian festivals. As a classical guitarist, he has won three national competitions in Savona, Alassio and Caccamo in Sicily where he actually lives, and has played with some of the international jazz greats such as Toots Thielemans, Arturo Sandoval, Diane Schurr, Bob Mintzer, Joe Bowie, and many others. With his guitar, Buzzurro shares with his audience all the joy, excitement and emotion that life has to offer.

Richard Smith was born in Detroit and raised in Eugene, Oregon. Attending a Chick Corea concert at the age of 14 changed his life.

"I was so blown away by that concert that I rode my bike home, picked up the phone and promptly broke up with my girlfriend, and tried to stay up all night practicing — come to think of it, I have been working pretty hard at it ever since," states Smith.

At the age of 19, he joined Dan Siegel's band and recorded two albums with Siegel, which rose to the top of the charts in the early contemporary jazz genre. At age 23, Smith received a teaching fellowship to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, an event that changed his life and his music forever. His first break came when guitar legend and USC instructor Joe Diorio recommended him for a performance with contemporary jazz pianist Billy Mitchell, introducing Smith to R&B jazz, a style that has become an indelible part of Richard's sound. In short order, Smith started playing with the many L.A.-based groups of the day - Siegel, Richard Elliot, Rick Braun, Guitars and Saxes, Max Bennett. He joined Richard Elliot's group and stayed for 10 years and had six "number one" albums on the Blue Note label. At the same time, Smith was rising in the ranks of the professorate at USC, making professor and department chair in the Studio/Jazz Guitar department before the age of 30. Interestingly enough, Smith became John Albano's advisor as a graduate student at USC.

His Latest album, SOuLIDFIED, spent 17 weeks at the top of the charts and brought Smith unprecedented touring opportunities. In the two years since its release, Smith has performed in almost every state in the union, as well as Italy, England, Greece, Holland, Argentina and Mexico. His upcoming release, L.A. Chillharmonic features the finest musicians in L.A., and the world.

It was during one of his tours in Italy several years ago that Smith met Buzzurro and they formed a small group touring around the Mediterranean for many years.

The one-evening performance of "International Guitar Night" will be held March 31 at 7 p.m. at the Merced College Theater. Tickets are $12 for the general public and $8 for students/seniors. For tickets and more information, call the Theater Box Office at 384.6284.