Brent Gunter
Portland Oregon-based world rhumba guitarist makes global music history a hard-grooving, melodic blast on his breakthrough indie release ‘Andalucia’
and his upcoming follow-up ‘Tradewinds’.  

 

Brent Gunter's eclectic resume may boast an extensive background in music education, but the multi-talented Portland, Oregon-based world rhumba guitarist does his most dynamic teaching in the studio and onstage without ever uttering a word. The infectious global fusion vibe he created on his breakthrough independent release Andalucia grooves like a highly melodic cross-cultural history lesson, with equal parts world, pop, blues and new age music, tinges of electronica, an array of wild Middle Eastern rhythms and scales and an infusion of flamenco. Even the most gently rolling of Gunter's songs are steeped with a percussive undertow of shakers, congas, djembes, cajons, table and dumbek.

Andalucia –
Flowing with heartfelt passion Andalucia is a masterpiece crafted with obvious love and immeasurable talent. Gunter’s music is uniquely dynamic allowing the purest of creativity to blossom, transcending time and breaking down barriers. Andalucia is the ultimate journey that knows no limits. It proves that music can bridge the gap. Review by Lisa Smith, Big Blend Magazine

The travel books may cast Andalucia as an exotic southern province in Spain, but to Gunter it's much more: the birthplace of the guitar, the melting pot region where the energies of European and Middle Eastern music commingle. On a more personal level, it's a mindset that conquers both earth and sky—rooted in history yet alive and inspirational to musicians worldwide who are drawn to and draw from its spiritual power.

Most of the time, Gunter prefers to let the music of Andalucia speak for itself. Gigging frequently since its release, he has shared it with his growing fan based everywhere from Portland venues like the 600-seat Aladdin Theatre to Seattle, Phoenix, Sacramento and his hometown of Albuquerque. He keeps listeners enthralled playing the two guitars that form the foundation of his vibe: a Conde Hermanos Felipe V and a highly customized flamenco blanca guitar crafted by legendary Oregon-based builders Shelton Ferreta .

Driven by tracks like the lyrical opener “Villa De Amor,” the blues-infused, flamenco colored reflection “Solitude” and the romantic pieces “With My Heart” (featuring an R&B styled groove) and “This Dance,” the album received significant airplay on “Echoes,” John Diliberto 's nationally syndicated NPR radio program that focuses on world and ambient music. This past year, it has been a mainstay in the Top Ten on Myspace's Flamenco chart, peaking at #2. It also caught on with numerous college and terrestrial ambient/world radio stations nationwide, which resulted in its hitting the New Age Reporter's Hot 100 chart.

On the rare occasions when Gunter puts the guitar down, he brings joy and enthusiasm to the history behind the music he makes: “From the beginning of time, the region of Andalucia has exemplified the essence of fusion. People from the far reaches of the globe have settled there to create and contribute to its unique, multi-cultural place in history. Andalucia transcends its region. It is more a state of being.

Inspired by his audiences' response to the up-tempo songs he plays live, Gunter is exploring high energy grooves and rich percussion textures to an even greater extent on Tradewinds, the follow-up recording to Andalucia that he is currently finishing in his home studio. Tentatively scheduled for release in early 2009, the collection will also feature more of his trademark acoustic guitar playing.

Gunter's musical wanderlust is no doubt an outgrowth of his unique family bloodlines, a true multicultural mélange of German, Cherokee, English, French and Irish. Born in the Pacific Northwest, he grew up in a musical family in the desert of north central New Mexico and got his first Spanish guitar when he was 5. Inspired to learn by his guitar-playing uncle and cousins, he grew fond of both classical and flamenco music as his family members used the styles to create their own fusion that included western swing, country and traditional Mexican songs. Early on, Gunter was also fascinated as a listener with symphonic music and soundtracks.

After going through his classic rock phase, Gunter returned to music that was more classical-oriented. He studied classical composition in college and went on to explore the cross-pollination of musical styles. He also became a fan of guitarist Will Ackerman's then-burgeoning early-‘80s acoustic music revolution with his homebred Windham Hill label.

Tying in perfectly with his background as a popular independent guitar instructor and the way he's educating his listeners about where his unique musical hybrid comes from, Gunter is making an effort to spread the “gospel” of guitar education in intermediate and high schools nationwide. He believes more students would take up music and that music education would start thriving again if kids were encouraged to play guitar—and even join guitar orchestras—rather than be limited to the tried and true school brass “band instruments” like tuba, oboe and French horn.

Last summer, he led a summer program for students 10-18 at Portland State University and created the Portland Youth Rock Orchestra, which featured 15 electric guitarists and several bass players learning and performing rock songs they all knew. On October 10, 2008, Gunter is returning to his hometown of Albuquerque to perform a benefit concert at the 2,300 seat Kiva Auditorium; all proceeds will go to the Albuquerque public schools to further their guitar programs and possibly start new ones at schools that don't have them.