For more than forty years Brazilian guitarist Odair Assad has been

concertizing worldwide with his brother Sérgio, forming an exceptional

guitar duo.

In 1998,  “temporarily absenting himself from the celebrated duo, Odair

Assad reveals himself to be a soloist of awesome talents, which is no less

than observation has always suggested” wrote journalist Colin Cooper about Malcolm Arnold's short Serenade for guitar and strings  recorded with Leo Brouwer conducting the Orquesta de Cordoba (GHA  Records).

One year later, according to the same Colin Cooper reviewing the album

Fuga y misterio,  “Odair Assad has one of the most fluent left hands (he

has) seen in a guitarist : seemingly attached to the fingerboard, it

performs its function without obvious effort and to the maximum musical

effect.  This CD gives him the chance to shine in solo splendor for once”.  About the same album, the Italian review Seicorde underlines Odair's

spontaneous musical intention, his easy instrumental approach as well as

his talent in playing in perfect tune with any partner, his brother

Sergio, cellist Edmond Carlier or violinist Fernando Suarez Paz .

If Odair sometimes had in mind to play solo, his great friend American

guitar-maker Thomas Humphrey was convinced that he had to do it and, in

early 2008, he started working personally on the project.  Nobody would

ever imagine that Tom would pass away in April of the same year: Odair

then decided to give his first solo recital, two months later, in New

York, as the most sincere homage of an artist to the loving memory of his

best friend.

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