CRASH KELLY vocalist/guitarist SEAN KELLY will issue The Number One Classical Guitar Album on October 23rd. According to Sean...

"The driving idea behind The Number One Classical Guitar Album (courtesy of Thom McKercher of Universal Music Canada), was to bring together the 'greatest hits' of the classical guitar repertoire in one album, pieces that would strike a chord with not only people familiar with the various composers and their respective bodies of works, but with a whole new audience of listeners who may have heard the pieces and not known their origins. With my fabulous new label, Opening Day Entertainment, working in conjunction with the fine folks at Universal Music, I feel that I am part of a great team that can't wait to introduce this album to the world!

The pieces that were selected have been used in many different contexts... their themes have been used in movies, TV Commercials, and have even influenced many rock and jazz pieces. Basically, they are some of the 'fan favourites' of the classical guitar repertoire, and they are most certainly favourites of mine!

The first piece I'm going to talk about is Bach's Bouree in E Minor. This fifth movement of Bach's first lute suite is a true guitar hit, a piece that has inspired many young guitarists to explore the gorgeous interplay of the Bouree's intertwining counterpoint lines. Rock greats like RANDY RHOADS and YNGWIE MALMSTEEN have quoted the piece in some of their own nylon string work, and prog legends JETHRO TULL put the main theme to a swinging jazz groove on their album Stand Up!

Perhaps the Bouree's most notable influence on the culture of the pop world came with PAUL McCARTNEY's admission that it was the main influence for THE BEATLES' classic 'Blackbird'. McCartney has said that he and his Beatle cohort GEORGE HARRISON attempted to learn the piece in their youth, as they thought it would be a 'flash' piece they could impress with! I'd probably be lying if I said that I wasn't motivated to learn this in my teens for the same reason! Hey, it was always a crowd pleaser on those summer nights around the bonfire!

I personally love playing the Bouree... it is just one small example of the compositional genius that is Bach, and it is a piece that falls beautifully under the fingers. The logic and flow of the piece's harmony is such that once it is learned, it really just plays itself.

Until next time,

Sean"