GRANTS - Local music lovers who had purchased tickets to the Wayne Wesley Johnson guitar concert at the Double Six Gallery Saturday night were delighted when he arrived with colleague Mito de Soto, a master of the classical guitar.

Mito de Soto - master classical guitartist Beacon photo by Diane Fowler

The two musicians have played with one another through the years and teamed up with each other again a few months ago. “Mito is more of a classical Flamenco player while I'm more into jazz,” Johnson told the audience. “We met when we were both playing in Eugene, Oregon, and we have become friends as well as musical colleagues.”

The friendship was evident in the repartee between the guitarists between numbers. There was much good-natured needling between the musicians on the relative masculinity of using a guitar pick or playing with fingers only.

“Musicians have their girlfriends, but guitarists have their pick,” joked Johnson, the pick player.

The first few numbers were flamenco flavored tunes with a definite upbeat. Johnson and de Soto took turns playing lead and rhythm. Both improvised within the rhythm of flamenco.

During a break, Johnson related how a concert the two were playing in the courtyard at the Georgia O'Keefe Museum in Santa Fe was rained out and the amplifiers were under water. A new guitar from Spain was also soaked, but de Soto said that it survived in good shape.

“We all moved inside, but we couldn't play amplified music, so we played a few acoustic numbers. Many in the crowd were going to the Santa Fe Opera later, so Mito sang an Italian aria a cappella,” he said.

The guitarist then treated the Double Six audience to the same aria.

Mito de Soto played and sang some Gipsy King numbers, including the popular “Bambalaya.” He captured the same intensity and passion of the original song along with the husky tone of the Gipsy Kings' lead singer.

Johnson did his version of Dave Brubeck's “Take Five,” using a synthesizer for the piano and saxophone sounds. Guitar improvisations by de Soto livened the performance.

He then played a classic Spanish guitar composition by the legendary Andres Segovia, explaining that flamenco came to Spain from India through the Moors, who occupied that country for hundreds of years.

“Sometimes I mark time by how long it takes me to learn a Segovia composition,” de Soto remarked. “This piece took two hours of practice a day, seven days a week for six weeks.”

Johnson swung into a jazz medley, featuring Bossa Nova selections, such as “The Girl from Ipanema.” He had high praise for his partner. “Mito's one of the best guitarists I've played with in my forty year career,” he said

Robert Gallegos, Executive Director of the Double Six Gallery estimated the audience at 54 attendees.

By Diane Fowler

Beacon staff writer