A l i s o   R e c o r d s

h o m e         c a t a l o g         a r t i s t s         c o m p o s i t i o n s         c o m p a n y         c o n t a c t

 
 

Toto Blanke and Rudolf Dasek met for the first time at the International Jazz Festival in Wrozlaw, Poland, in 1978. Both musicians have their roots in jazz and this mutual language still comes across, even though both have enthusiasm for experiments. This is probably the main reason for the long existence of this outstandingand unique guitar duo. Their spontaneous way of payingattention to each other, their blind familiarity, their accoustic  and sometimes visual dialogues were reasons why they took their audiences by storm. Their music bursts with power and vitality and

nevertheless radiates meditative tranquility in its balladic parts. The repertoire is influenced by various trips and stays in mediterranean countries, South America and Eastern Europe. Including contemporary, classical and folkloristic elements this  duo exceeds commonly known musical limits.

It is therefore not surprising that the duo has appeared at numerous international guitar festivals,
such as Ankara Festival, The Prague Spring Festival, International Guitar Festival Vina del Mar
(Chile), Internaitonal Guitar Festival in Posadas (Argentina), Festival of Contemporary Music
Montevideo, Guitar Festival Lima, at festivals in Le Mans, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Berlin, Dresden,
Cadaques etc. Partly sponsored by the Goethe Institute the Duo toured through Central Europe,
Czechoslovakia, Turkey, Greece, Spain, Ireland, Scandinavia, Northern Africa, Argentina, Brazil,
Chile, Uruguay, Peru, etc.


Critics:

 ...we have not witnessed a more beautiful homage to the beauty of the guitar for a long time. (Jazzpodium)

...a duo playing together with sheer instinctive sureness, an interesting combination of two different musical temperaments, a variety which avoids meticulous perfection when ideas seem to come spontaneously and which is never boring. (Südwest Presse)

The duo impresses through their eclectic wit and their expressive virtuosity. In short allusions they prove to be able to live up to guitar heroes (McLaughlin, de lucia, di Meola). (Jazz Zeitung München)

...the most persistent cross-border guitar duo presents a new production and is able to fill its audience with enthusiasm... sometimes amplified, sometimes not those two offer ten duetts of amazing freshness and energy on their acoustic instruments. (Fachblatt)