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Sergio Lara

For over 20 years, guitarist Sergio Lara has been respected and considered as one of the best artists in acoustic contemporary instrumental music. His last recording with Lara & Reyes "World Jazz", received a "Latin Grammy Award" nomination for "Best Instrumental Pop Album" in 2001.

Perhaps better known as the founder and leader of the Latin guitar duo Lara & Reyes, Sergio has explored a great variety of styles that show his eclectic taste. During his collaboration with Lara & Reyes, which included 6 albums recorded for the Higher Octave Music label, they adapted musical traditions from all over the world, with rhythms from Africa and the Caribbean, chord structures from Mexico and Spain, and melodic scales from the Middle East and India, but always with an original stamp, that is basically the Latin guitar within the spirit of improvisation.

Sergio has played different styles, including Jazz, Bluegrass and Flamenco as well as several fusion forms. His music belongs to what is known as Latin Jazz and Flamenco Jazz, which falls under the category of Contemporary Instrumental Music and World Music.

Sergio Lara appears in the international music scene in 1983 with the release of his first solo album entitled "Sergiology." In this album he explores various styles influenced by Jazz and Bluegrass. During the following years he participated and collaborated with various artists in Mexico and also with his own band the "New Acoustic Unit" in Nashville, TN and San Antonio, TX and in 1994 releases the album "Guitarras Hermanas," the first one for Higher Octave Music. This album of all original music, also included a new instrumental version of the very popular and romantic song "Sabor a Mi".

Guillermo Juan Christie, from Guitar Player magazine, described the music of Sergio Lara as: "...the Latin guitar served with plenty of Flamenco flavor and with an important contribution to Latin Jazz..." this exotic combination of modern Jazz melodies with powerful Latin rhythms quickly called the attention of various radio stations in the United States and important cities around the world.

Sergio Lara was born in Mexico City, he started playing guitar at age nine and very early he discovered and began studying several musical styles. His greatest influences have been the great English Jazz guitarist, John McLaughlin; Costa Rican guitar master, Jorge Strunz; Flamenco Spanish genius, Paco de Lucia; Bluegrass and Jazz guitarist, Tony Rice, the great guitarist Norman Blake, and eclectic mandolin players Sam Bush and David Grisman, among others.

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Album Review

Chris Greene Quartet: Soul and Science 2: Electric Boogaloo

Read "Soul and Science 2: Electric Boogaloo" reviewed by Bridget A. Arnwine


Jazz--a genre that has come to mean something different depending on who is asked and the period that is being discussed. Soul and Science 2: Electric Boogaloo, finds the Chris Greene Quartet conceptualizing jazz in a way that is bigger than the mainstream limits imposed upon it. On this follow-up to Soul & Science - Volume One (Self Published, 2007), bandleader and saxophonist Chris Greene is back with his quartet and they are ready to pick up where they left ...

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