Credits:

Holland, Justin (1819-1887)

Description:

This CD brings back to life the virtuosity of Justin Holland, who is regarded as one of the greatest 19th century American guitarists.Holland, an African American born in Norfolk, Virginia, showed musical talent at an early age, meeting a Spanish guitarist in Boston, where he moved after the death of his parents at age 14, He worked and studied to learn guitar from Mariano Perez, a Spanish guitarist he met in Boston after his parents died when he was 14. The guitar instructional book he wrote was the first of its kind to be published in the United States and became a bestseller. He was also a strong supporter of the civil rights movement. Holland was a master of arrangements and variations on church music and popular tunes, and his Fantasy on "The Carnival of Venice" captures the essence of his performance and compositional techniques. Please enjoy the virtuosity of California-based guitarist Christopher Mallett. Naxos Japan