Pedro Javier González

Pedro Javier González Sorondo
Background information
Birth name Pedro Javier González García
Born 1962
Barcelona, Catalonia
Spain
Genres Flamenco music, classical music, jazz, pop rock, world music
Occupation(s) Guitarist, Record producer, Composer
Instruments Guitar
Years active 1980s–present
Associated acts Victoria de los Ángeles, El Último de la Fila, Joan Manuel Serrat, Alejandro Sanz, Manolo García Joaquín Rodrigo
Website Pedrojaviergonzalez.com

Pedro Javier González García (born 1962 in Barcelona) is a Spanish flamenco, jazz, and classical guitarist, composer and music producer. During his career he has recorded 8 albums of music as of 2012, some with their own compositions. He has produced and collaborated with artists such as El Último de la Fila, Joan Manuel Serrat, Alejandro Sanz, Manolo García and María del Mar Bonet, Victoria de los Ángeles, Angelo Branduardi, etc. He has also performed at numerous notable festivals with other world-class guitarists such as BB King, John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny, Paco de Lucía, John Williams Tommy Emmanuel and Tomatito. He is noted for his moderation and temperance when playing and his ability to perform popular standards in a flamenco jazz style, such as he did in his Guitarra album series.

Biography

Early work

González was born in Barcelona in 1962. In the 1980s he studied with A. F. Serra and Juan Trilla and won the Premio al Toque por Bulerías and first prize in the Certamen de Guitarra flamenca flamenco competition. His first steps as a professional guitarist were supporting Toti Soler, Feliu Gasull and Victoria de los Ángeles. He then played with classical guitarists Yoshimi Otani, Alex Garrobé and Xavier Coll in a musical group.[1]

1990s

In 1990 he began working with El Último de la Fila, playing the Spanish guitar for the album Nuevo pequeño catálogo de seres y estares.[2] From there he would begin an important relationship between the band, accompanying them on their next albums and most of the concerts.

In 1992 he formed, along with flamenco singer Rafael Maya, the band Arrebato, with which they released an album on the EMI label called Rumba canalla.[1][3] The style is close to the wave of nuevo flamenco which appeared in the early 1990s. He then appeared on the albums Astronomía razonable and La rebelión de los hombres rana with El Último de la Fila.[4] In both, Pedro Javier plays electric and Spanish guitars and accompanied the group on tour to promote both albums. The group were the top-selling act in Spain, and Astronomía razonable shifted 600,000 copies during its 64 week chart run and La rebelión de los hombres rana 228,000 copies.[5][6]

The second half of the 1990s was used by the Catalan musician to sell the three discs in the Guitarra, series. The double CD Guitarra, released in 1996 by Konga Music features González's take on great songs of the history of international pop and rock, including songs from The Eagles, John Lennon, Dire Straits, Supertramp, Simon and Garfunkel, Eric Clapton, etc.[1][2] It also includes an original composition called "Celtic dreams'". Guitarra Vol. 2, in 1997, repeated the formula with another double CD, this time with issues of Police, Bob Dylan, Queen, etc.[1] This album also included an original composition, "Rainbow eyes". Guitarra Vol. 3: Tribute to the Beatles was released in 1998, published again by Konga Music. This time it focused on songs of The Beatles in another 2 CD. As usual, again it included another original composition, called "Tomorrow".

In early 1997, in addition to the Guitar series, he recorded the album Callejón del gato under the Konga label. The album contains 13 instrumental songs, featuring sevillanas, tangos and bulerías etc. Before returning to record another album with original compositions, González made several collaborations, playing the Spanish guitar on albums like Arena en los bolsillos (1998) with Manolo García and Cansiones (2000) with Joan Manuel Serrat. He also produced the debut albums of Tomasito and Zalamera and several others.[1]

2000s–present

In 2001, González returned to record a studio album, Árboles nuevos, this time produced by the Alia Records label. In parallel, co-produced and played the Spanish guitar in Nunca el Tiempo es Perdido (2001) and Para que no se duerman mis sentidos (2004) with Manolo García. The latter album also earned him the nomination of the Premios de la Música for "Best Music Arranger", shared with Manolo himself and Nacho Lesko.[1] He also collaborated with Serrat in Versos en la boca (2003), in which he performed as a flamenco guitarist, as usual.

In 2005 he re-recorded and reinterpreted the themes of his first solo album, Callejón del gato under the Alia Records label, and in 2007 published a new album of original compositions called Verdades ocultas y medias mentiras, this time under the GTK label, with 10 instrumental tracks including a cover of Camarón de la Isla's La leyenda del tiempo.[1] González, with Roger Blavia (drums) and Toni Terré (bass) then performed under the name Trío for a series of concerts in Europe. They released a DVD with the live recording in Vicenza, on October 28, 2006. There performances included traditional Spanish flamenco and classical and Spanish versions of classic international pop and rock. The trio performed at the International Kaunas Jazz Festival in Lithuania in October 2011.

Recently he has performed with the double-bass player Horacio Fumero, formed Transversal, with Raúl Rodriguez (Cuban tres), Trilok Gurtu (percussionist) and Guillem Aguilar (bass) and appeared on the French tenor Roberto Alagna’s new album. González performed "Concierto de Aranjuez" as a soloist with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra in Moscow. He has also recorded guitar for adverts by BMW, Canal+, Seat Ibiza etc.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "PEDRO JAVIER GONZÁLEZ" (PDF). Kean University. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  2. 1 2 El País: Anuario. Promotora de Informaciones. 1991. p. 230. ISBN 978-84-86459-34-5. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  3. ↑ Aviñoa, Xosé; Candé, Roland de (2001). Història de la música catalana, valenciana i balear. Edicions 62. p. 155. ISBN 978-84-297-4909-0. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  4. ↑ Chimeno, Josep-Alfonso Canicio (June 2008). La Estructura de Dios. Editorial Club Universitario. p. 3. ISBN 978-84-8454-623-8. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  5. ↑ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (9 July 1994). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 50. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  6. ↑ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (23 September 1995). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 57. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
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