Live in Hamburg

by Ken Dryden Latin guitar master Baden Powell is heard in a 1983 solo concert recorded at the University of Hamburg. During this 43-minute performance, the hushed audience absorbs the music like a sponge, bursting into wild applause at the conclusion of each number. "Variacao" is his intricate reworking of the theme from Antonio Carlos Jobim's "The Girl from Ipanema," while he adds a soft vocal to Jobim's "A Felicidade." But Powell was a prolific composer himself, so half of the set is devoted to his equally strong works. His dexterity is phenomenal in his blazing "Valinsha," while his concluding number is the demanding (and very dramatic) "Cai Dentro." Fans of Latin guitar will definitely want to pick up this brilliant live CD, issued by the German label Acoustic Music.