Some Towns and Cities

In 1991, the Newport Classics label released my CD Some Towns and Cities. It was a collection of fifteen works comprised of guitar solos, duos and ensemble works with guitar. The pieces were based on my musical impressions of places and people in different towns and cities in the United States. The idea of doing this was inspired by one of my favorite Spanish composers - Isaac Albéniz.

Miami, FL was originally written as a guitar duo for the legendary Flamenco guitarist Paco Peña and me. The character of the melody seemed to fit the flute. In writing it, I was thinking mostly of nature in Miami: the sun reflecting off the ocean, the exotic bird calls, the bright flowers and palm trees. That said, I was also keenly aware of the many brilliant Cuban guitarists who immigrated there. It was written in 1989, and I premiered it in Miami with the Cuban virtuoso guitarist Carlos Molina.

Dennis, MA (1989) is inspired by the expansive low tides on the beaches of Dennis Cape Cod. As a boy, I was mesmerized by the various tidepools and still am! I have so many blissful childhood memories of those beaches and their magic. It is written and dedicated to my wife, flutist Rie Schmidt.

Seattle, WA (1989, revised 1998) was originally written for my band Ufonia. The band’s instrumentation was flute, oboe, guitar, bass and percussion. We recorded this piece three different times. All these recordings can be heard on my web site. After a few years, my dear friend Keith Underwood (the flutist in Ufonia) thought I should make a flute and guitar version. I added a section and dedicated it to Keith. The flute writing at the end of the piece is taken from Keith’s solo on our last recording entitled Ben Verdery Ufonia.

Seattle is a city that has always welcomed me warmly. I love the air, the coffee, the mountains, the sea and the wonderful guitar society that has invited me so many times to perform. It is also the birthplace of one of my all-time heroes, Jimi Hendrix.