New Release: Strike Up the Band! Classic Band Marches for Fingerstyle Guitar

[elmcmeen]

I'm excited (and relieved and exhausted) to have finished my first new guitar recording in 14 years, called "Strike Up the Band! Classic Band Marches for Fingerstyle Guitar." It's an extended play recording of 6 marches by John Philip Sousa that I have arranged for guitar. This, to my knowledge, is the first album ever of recorded Sousa marches on guitar. Covered are El Capitan, King Cotton, Hands Across the Sea, Semper Fidelis, The Liberty Bell, and The Thunderer. The album is available now as a download, and physical discs are being produced now. (Yes, I am aware of the seminal work of Guy Van Duser and his splendid arrangement of "Stars and Stripes.")

This is the hardest thing I've ever done musically, and required the skill and assistance in mixing and mastering of Marc Moss of Target Studios.

El

[Sandy Shalk]

I'm loving my download of Strike Up the Band--a wonderful collection of marches arranged for fingerstyle guitar. Congrats El on your latest release. If I may say it's a beautifully arranged collection of marches in CGDGAD--with warmth, subtlety, drive and loving attention to melody. You have found fruitful new territory for fingerstylists and have brought these wonderful melodies to life in your inimitable style. Hey, I've been following you since Of Soul and Spirit! You deliver the goods, Sir!

Impressive work! Looking forward to the MelBay publication of the arrangements down the line.

Fabulous!

Sandy Shalk