CRITIQUES (A)

Posted on November 8th, 2007.
This post was written by Jad Azkoul.

“His talent for entertainment came to the fore in Schwartz’s jazz-with vocals piece, and even more so in a very funny version of Freight Train. Victor Borge could not have done better.”
- Colin Cooper, Classical Guitar (Krakow, Poland)

“Une excellente technique, une virtuosité, une clarté polyphonique qui charactérisent les grands guitaristes, mais aussi une grande simplicité de jeu, un refus du ‘spectaculaire’, le souci de faire de la musique…”
- René Doumène, Nice Matin (Festival de Menton, France)

“Azkoul’s flowing account of Astor Piazzola’s Adios Nonino was a true homage …three US premiers of works by Lourival Silvestre and five Preludios Americanos by Abel Carlevaro were twin high points, not because of flashy content, but because Azkoul handled each technical demand without fuss.”
- Charles McCardell, The Washington Post (D.C. Concert debut)

“Azkoul is a lyrical performer; his music is well-selected, varied, impeccably prepared, and he gets a lovely tone from a spruce beauty by Northern Irish luthier George Lowden.”
- Richard Long, Soundboard (GFA festival, USA)

“Le mot ‘grand’ n’est pas trop fort: il a suffi que s’égrènent les premières notes de la guitare pour que les auditeurs comprennent immédiatement qu’ils avaient affaire à un des tous premiers maîtres actuelles de l’instrument.”
- Sud Ouest (Festival de Monflanquin, France)

“His approach is intelligent, humorous and sympathetic and he imparted a charm which at once established a rapport with the student and also with the audience. His often zany but never derisive humor helped make his class very popular.”
- Jamie Adams, Classical Guitar (Krakow, Poland)