Calmenco! has performed all over the Central Coast as a duo made up of Tony Harmon and Ray Pannell, but for their upcoming “An Evening of Guitar” concert—a fundraiser for Equine Alliance Youth Foundation—they’ll be performing with an expanded lineup.
Harmon and Pannell were practicing at Jensen’s Music in Orcutt one day when they heard Nathan Towne playing the guitar.
“He caught my attention, so I said, ‘Can you play Latin jazz?’ and he said yes, and I said, ‘Play some Besa Finado [a Latin jazz standard],’ and he went right into it,” Harmon said.
After that impressive introduction, they invited Towne to play with Calmenco!, now made up of guitarists Harmon, Pannell, and Towne and
percussionist Johnny
Sandoval. The performers are internationally recognized, with individual credits that include performances at the White House, at the Oscars, and on Johnny Carson’s show; appearances in film and on television; and collaborations with big-name musicians. Locally, the group has played to sold-out audiences at the PCPA Evening of Guitar concert series and at La Guitarra California festival.
With the new lineup, the group fuses classical, jazz, electric guitar, and percussion to create a sound uniquely its own.
“This performance, I liken it to a Riverdance of guitar,” Harmon said. “We really are showcasing the guitar in a way that really isn’t done too often.”
Each member of Calmenco! brings something special to the table. Harmon said Pannell brings his extensive experience as a studio musician. He said Towne and he were once in a club to see Pannell play, and they were blown away to see his work outside the group.
“He went into his solo, and people just stood there and watched—even the other musicians,” Harmon said. “He’s that kind of player.”
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At 21, Towne already demonstrates remarkable musicianship, said Harmon, who explained that Towne is a great player and never misses a note: “He plays like he’s been playing for 50 years. He’s an old soul in music. He’s got a little genius thing going on there.”
Harmon said his own strength is his ability to make a connection with the audience: “If you can’t tap into the magic of it and convey that in music, then you haven’t made a connection with the audience.”
And what is music without a percussive backbeat?
“Johnny Sandoval, he’s one of the greatest percussionists there is today in the world,” Harmon said. “He’s just in high demand.”
Harmon explained that Sandoval just finished work on the Oscars and has played with a number of significant musicians.
Calmenco! will perform with the Latin guitar world fusion musicians of Incendio, a Los Angeles-based group that formed in 1999 and appeals to general audiences, as well as the more difficult audience of other musicians. Incendio delivers romantic and passionate melodies and occasional complex arrangements.
“An Evening of Guitar” serves as a fundraiser for Equine Alliance Youth Foundation, which provides year-round emotional and physical healing services free of charge for underserved youth throughout San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties using equine-based experiential learning therapies. So far, more than 2,000 youth have benefited from the foundation’s programs. Their equine rescue and rehabilitation programs are created to empower youth and serve as a behavioral intervention program to get participants involved in their own life improvement process.
Harmon said audiences should be ready for an evening of unique guitar sounds played in a fusion of genres that offers something for every taste, all while helping the Equine Alliance Youth Foundation continue operating its beneficial programs.
Arts Editor Shelly Cone likes the taste of music. Contact her at scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jan 12-19, 2012.