The Most Romantic Guitarist In Salt Lake City: Michael Lucarelli

The perfect "make out" music.  That's how I described Michael Lucarelli's acoustic guitar finesse to a friend who was thinking of attending this concert last Friday.  I'd seen him at the Cathedral earlier this year.  Though no one was dancing in the aisles as with other concerts I've attended this year, Lucarelli clearly finessed the capacity crowd at the Unitarian Church for December's monthly local concert series of the Intermountain Acoustic Music Association.

The opening numbers "Ave Maria" and the tango "Verano Porteno" gave way to "Moonlight Sonata," and "Pendulum," a tune he acquired through having his recordings on You Tube.  Lucarelli's style is layered with baroque and Spanish melodies and chords of varying intensities.  He played with exceptional fingerstyle execution and was not tentative.  Lucarelli's guitar leanings came from Led Zepplin and his learnings from Peruvian guitarist Ricardo Linares as well as formal education at the University of Utah (Bachelor of Music) and University of Arizona (Master of Music in Guitar performance). 

As with so many concerts, my mental wanderings carried my thoughts well outside the building.  My very close friend told me she was getting engaged that weekend.  How does a woman over the age of 40 find such a situation?  Answer:

• She wasn't looking
• She wasn't looking
• She wasn't looking

Did I mention she wasn't looking?  My friend is so deeply and madly in love and I couldn't be happier for her.  I found myself wishing Lucarelli had been serenading her at the next table when her man popped the question.  But alas, Lucarelli was us in Utah and she was on the east coast.

The crowd was awestruck at Lucarelli's meanderings through such songs as "Classical Gas," the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun," and Scott Jopin's "Entertainer."  Those who hadn't seen him before were impressed and those of us who'd seen him before were even more impressed the second time around.

Disclosure: Admission price for this event was $5. I received NO compensation for this review.

Tango and Flamenco at the Altar (Really)

Dancing in front of the altar. Not Dirty Dancing but not a gentle waltz either. The intense passion of Latin dancing stole the show Sunday at An Evening of Spanish Guitar, Voice and Dance at the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City. This FREE event was part of Salt Lake City's Madeleine Festival 2010 series and featured Utah classical guitarist Michael Lucarelli and friends.

The dancing drama was accentuated in part because the tango dancers from Wasatch Tango Club whirled, pushed and pulled so close to the edge of the stage which was immediately out from the altar. One false move would have yielded a two-foot drop practically into the lap of Fr. Mayo, who sat in the third row. Okay, that was a slight exaggeration, but note that the priest was apparently okay with the dancing. Amen! One of the tango dancers wore 3" crimson strappy sandals that shoe afficionados would die for. They were spectacular. Flamenco dancer Solange Gomez swirled and captivated the audience with clacking castanets and stomping her turquoise dancing shoes in crescendoing double time.

Lucarelli is a modest, unassuming fellow with exquisite abilities and repertoire. Getting lost in his music was easy. The program began with Ave Maria and showcased Lucarelli's fellow musicians ranging from the powerful, yet angelic soprano Elizabeth Paniagua, tenor Jose Bonilla, to violinists Kelly Parkinson and Falvia Cervino-Wood.

And then there was the flute. Since I play flute, my ears perked for John Flanders' animated rendition of Canta Rosa, which he composed and debuted. The mood of his music was divided between ponderous and buoyant, but always with a Latin feel to it.

My friend Judi did a great job of tolerating me taking notes, singing Aye, Aye, Aye, Aye, and craving the dancers' outfits. We had great seats in the first row on the left side of the altar. This was okay til I saw that they were taping the whole thing for later broadcast. I hope I didn't scratch my nose or make a weird face.

All in all, a wonderful evening. As I was sitting there equally inspired and mesmerized by tune after tune, I wasn't sure whether I'd be dancing or playing my flute, or both, at once, before the night was through.

Olé!

PS ... to those in Salt Lake City, there are more free concerts yet to come. I highly recommend Salt Lake City's Madeleine Festival 2010 series as a lovely way to conclude your spring weekends.

Disclosure: ticket price FREE