NEW MUSIC, NEW GUITAR

There's nothing better for a guitar player than to have a new piece of music. It can make all of the old music fresh again. And there is nothing better for a guitar maker than to have an new wonderful guitar. Today I have both.

In September I heard William Kannengeiser play the Magic Serenade by Bryan Johanson in concert. I fell head over heels for the piece in the audience, and asked Bill about it backstage. He told me to contact Bryan and ask for it.

It worked! Within very little time, amazingly, thanks to Bryan Johanson, a photocopy of the score arrived by mail, and now I can play it, sort of anyway.

I say sort of, because Bill played it so beautifully, perfectly, and I'm still learning the piece. But the music is so delightful that I can hardly lose. It IS magic, not exactly supernatural like Harry Potter or Jesus, but like delightful parlor tricks, using household objects to amaze, pulling an egg our of an ear, a hundred yards of scarf out of a thimble, sawing a beautiful melody in half and putting it back together, with no consequences.


This month I also made a new guitar. It is a variation on an older but evolving theme - a Hill Signature Guitar, now with a lattice braced top.

I have long made the soundboard as a double top with both spruce and cedar as the two outer and inner woods. Over the last few months I have been making the same guitar, but with lattice bracing, changing the shape and dimensions of the lattice, but always using cedar for the braces, to mitigate the possible edginess of the sound. Now I have also gone to using both spruce and cedar to make the lattice, and I'm just now starting to hear the results. Fantastic!!

This guitar is a joy to play. It does everything. And the crazy thing, I'm grinding my head, thinking of how to make it better!

I guess you'll have to hear it for yourself. I'll be playing this guitar, plus the Magic Serenade, plus other old but very happy pieces on Friday night. The fact, is, I have to practice! Nevertheless, this is a rare moment, new music, and a new guitar. Maybe as good as it gets. I hope I play OK on Friday.

Kenny Hill
December, 2009

Kenny Hill Plays San Jose 12/18 7:30pm

This coming Friday, Dec. 18 I'll be playing an hour long concert at 7:30 PM at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, at 80 S. Market St. in downtown San Jose. In spite of the fact that I was born and raised in San Jose, I've never been in that historic building. I hear it's been restored beautifully, so I'm very interested in seeing it and playing there.

For the program I'm planning this:

Villa Lobos:
Etude #1
Prelude #2

Scarlatti:
2 sonatas

Bach:
Largo

Bryan Johanson:
Magic Serenade

Andrew York:
Albaycin
King Lotvin

Barrios:
Julia Florida

James Klein:
Morning Coffee

Scottish
McPherson's Lament

Tarrega:
Recuerdos de Alhambra

Admission price is by free donation. The event is put on by the South Bay Guitar Society. I'm looking forward to playing in a nice concert style resonant room. I hope you can come, or be there in spirit.

Kenny Hill
Dec. 2009

YMT Guitar Trio Video

New video postings from Hill Signature player Scott Morris' YMT Guitar Trio got our attention today. Here's a link to a their pages.

Official YMT Guitar Trio YouTube channel

We add information about Hill Guitar players in the PLAYERS section of the website from time to time.

From the YMT website:

Fans of "other-worldly" acoustic guitar play will want to keep your eyes and ears peeled for the new & innovative, Los Angeles bred YMT GUITAR TRIO.

BIOGRAPHY

The YMT Guitar Trio is a collaboration of guitarists Jeff Young, Scott Morris and Steven Thachuk. Each member brings years of diverse musical experience to the group. Performing music as varied as their individual backgrounds, their repertoire includes original works as well as Brazilian, Miles Davis, Michael Jackson, Radiohead, Zappa & Led Zeppelin - to name a few. Their debut concert tour takes them to venues and festivals throughout Europe and the United States beginning July 2009.

Y: Jeff Young was the lead guitarist for Megadeth from 1986-1988, performing on and touring for the multi-platinum album So Far, So Good... So What! He toured with, recorded and produced Badi Assad from 1996-2000. Their recording Chameleon went to number one in Europe and topped the JAZZIZ Readers Poll for "Best Brazilian Album." Jeff also served on the teaching staff at Musician's Institute/GIT in Hollywood, California.

M: Scott Morris gave his New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall in 1998 and has appeared as a soloist throughout North America, Europe and Asia. He has recorded for Eroica Classical and Centaur Records, working with longtime Neil Young producer Niko Bolas. He has also performed and recorded with artists as diverse as Steve Perry (ex-Journey) and Martin Chalifour (LA Phil Concertmaster).

T: Steven Thachuk is known as one of Canadas most outstanding and versatile guitarists consistently challenging the nature of the instruments repertoire and boundaries. Playing both traditional classical guitar and a steel string instrument he has appeared in recital, as a chamber musician, and soloist with orchestra throughout North America, Great Britain and Europe.

Signature 640mm Now Available

New 640 Signature's available - as you know, we don't make very many of these, and whenever we do, they go quickly - so, if you're interested give us a call.
[added 12/21] This guitar has been sold.

This one is particularly nice; very responsive, loud, and almost effortless to play.

This one's got standard fan bracing, elevated fingerboard, sound ports and the composite double top: Western red cedar outside, Nomex and European spruce inside.

Prices on Signatures are increasing to $7,000 in 2010, so this will be one of the last at 2009 pricing...

and we may have an additional Thanksgiving discount available if you acquire this one before December 4th.

More photos of this guitar in the SHOWROOM at the Hill website.

An Interview

Last week I did an online interview with Christopher Davis, editor of the classical guitar blog. at http://www.classicalguitarblog.net/2009/11/kenny-hill-interview/. A couple of weeks before that I had happened across a very good video interview with Scott Tennant, and I was impressed with both Scott's insight, and his candor. I commented on that within the blog, and next thing I knew I was doing an interview myself.

I recently got a new MacBook, which is what has enabled me to connect with all of this. I'm not too hip to computer life in general, but getting this new computer is making my excuses less sustainable. It was a painless process, (though a little painful to watch), but Christopher Davis is doing fine job and an interesting service.

This interview is authentic, if nothing else. I don't know if folks will love it or hate it, but there's little room for deniability on my part. Please check it out if you have time, and look around this guitar blog. It looks like there is a lot of interesting things to be found there. Thanks again to Christopher Davis for taking the time and effort to do this. Good job!

Kenny Hill
November 24,2009

http://www.classicalguitarblog.net/2009/11/kenny-hill-interview/

640 PERFORMANCE Flamed Maple

Here's the latest in a variety of PERFORMANCE models, now available. This is a shorter scale 640mm version of Kenny's new double top/lattice-braced PERFORMANCE series.

The PERFORMANCE model features the familiar SIGNATURE sound ports.

This one has beautiful flamed maple back and sides - go to the SHOWROOM for more photos and specs.

Double tops have been featured on the SIGNATURE series for many years, and now Kenny has added lattice bracing to the double top in the PERFORMANCE series, while simplifying the model in order to lower costs.

The net result is a double top guitar starting at $1500 less than a SIGNATURE.

It sounds amazing - very powerful and loud, and yet has sweet and delicate qualities sure to please the discriminating performer. With 640mm string length, it plays easily, and would be perfect for a smaller player.

New XL Lattice-Braced Signature in the Showroom

Here's the first European spruce double top Signature with Lattice-bracing and XL body.

New iterations keep coming...and this is Kenny's response to the performers' burning desire for the big sound [you know who you are]. Want to fill a hall? This will do it.

The body's slightly bigger and the elevation on the fingerboard is slightly higher.

We might even get our act together and record something with it as well.

More photos and specs available to review in the Showroom.

These will be available at the standard Signature price point as a custom order. Please note 2010 Signature pricing will be increasing $500 to $7,000 January 1. The price on this guitar is $7200 with double arched hardshell case.

If you're local, please feel free to give us a call for an appointment to try this..and the others while they last.