TerryTNM wrote:Mel,
Seeing in person one of your favorites and a legend that may have lost their edge may be a let down in some cases and not so much in others.
I remember many years ago we went to see Andre Segovia for the first time. I had listened in wonder for many years to his classical recordings with amazement. The start of the recital was far less than my expectations for the first couple of compositions. Missing notes losing time. . . But then realized I was in the presence of possibly the greatest classical player that ever lived who was in his twilight years. I thoroughly absorbed the rest of the evening and consider myself very privileged to have been there. He died just a few months after.
My "connection" to Segovia: In the '60s I earned money by bothering people (door to door) and trying to get them to buy subscriptions to magazines. Actor Fredric March opened the door and wasn't too happy when I tried to sell him.
But a rather friendly man asked me to come inside and conclude my business. His name was Christopher Parkening. From Wikipedia: "Christopher Parkening (born December 14, 1947) is an American classical guitarist.
Parkening was born in Los Angeles, California, and pursued music in part because of his cousin Jack Marshall, a studio musician in the 1960s. Marshall first introduced Parkening to the recordings of Andrés Segovia when he was 11, and encouraged Parkening to begin studying the classical guitar. By the time he was 19, he had won a number of competitions and was touring and recording extensively.
Parkening is recognized as heir to the legacy of Segovia, who said, "Christopher Parkening is a great artist—-he is one of the most brilliant guitarists in the world."