i <3 jose gonzalez
This afternoon I was sitting at my desk, working away on the latest project whilst listening to last month's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" appearance by Jose Gonzalez. While normally music in the background gives me the utmost concentration while I work, Jose gets in the way. It seems that every single time I hear his recordings, see him live, hear him live, imagine him singing... I'm spellbound.
For a setup containing nothing more than a mic and a guitar... he is amazingly dynamic. I'm always stunned not just by the the clarity and quality of his voice but by the trancelike state he performs1 and the range of sound coming from that lone guitar. How many ways is he using that instrument because it simultaneously becomes a quiet drum using what I think is the palm of his hand? Whatever he's doing, it blows my mind each time I hear it2.
You can listen to the iTunes podcast or visit KCRW.com to listen via Windows Media, Real Audio or Quicktime. You could also watch his performance in the studio with Real Player.
1 Perhaps that's *my* trancelike state when he performs.
2 The cover of Massive Attack's Teardrop he played at Intonation nearly made me melt.