Tim Sparks

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Tim Sparks

Tim Sparks (born October 31, 1954 ) is an American fingerstyle guitarist from Winston-Salem , North Carolina .

Life

Sparks began playing guitar as a teenager and was deeply involved in traditional country blues and gospel when he was unable to attend school for a year because of encephalitis . Through an uncle's mediation, he enrolled at the North Carolina School of the Arts , where he studied guitar with Segovia's student Jesus Silva . In addition to his studies, he occupied himself with Doc Watson , Arthur Smith and above all Duck Baker , through whom he understood the wide-ranging possibilities of finger style on the guitar. He arranged compositions by Jelly Roll Morton , Scott Joplin and Fats Waller for guitar.

After touring with a rhythm and blues band, Sparks moved to Minnesota and became active in the local music scene. He became a sought-after accompanist and session participant, played various styles of jazz and won numerous local awards. During this time he arranged the piece "Jesus Maria" by Carla Bley for Leo Kottke.

He played in the band Rio Nido , which formed in Minnesota in the 1970s, with Tom Lieberman (vocals and guitar), Prudence Johnson (vocals) and Tim Sparks (vocals and guitar). The group focused on classic jazz and swing of the 30s and 40s.

In 1993 he won the US National Fingerstyle Championship competition in Winfield , Kansas , with an arrangement of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite .

Influences and musical style

In addition to Doc Watson, Arthur Smith and Duck Baker, Sparks names Kenny Burrell , Wes Montgomery , Lenny Breau , Ed Bickert , Pat Donohue and Dean Magraw as important influences.

Tim Spark's repertoire is very diverse and innovative. Country blues, ragtime , jazz, classical or world music , he knows how to implement all of these styles on the solo guitar. This ability and his virtuosity have given him an international reputation. His excursions into Yiddish music and music of the Balkans opened up the worlds of 5/8 and 7/8 time as well as those of other, more oriental meters and harmonies .

Discography

Audio

  • Nutcracker Suite (1993, Acoustic Music Records )
  • Guitar Bazaar (1995, Acoustic Music Records)
  • One String Leads to Another (1999, Acoustic Music Records)
  • Neshamah (1999, Tzadik - SunnyMoon)
  • Dance (2000, Tzadik - SunnyMoon)
  • At the Rebbe's Table (2002, Tzadik - SunnyMoon)

with Rio Nido:

  • I Like to Riff (1977, Shadow Records)
  • Hi Fly (1985, Red House Records)
  • Voicings (1986, Projazz)

Compilations

  • Masada Guitars (2003, Tzadik - SunnyMoon)
  • Jacob do Bandolim: Great Jewish Music (2004, Tzadik - SunnyMoon)

Collaborations

  • Where Do I Sign? (1994, Shirley Witherspoon, NBC Lists)
  • Back to the Wall (1978, Peter Lang, Waterhouse Records)
  • Vocals (1987, Prudence Johnson, Red House)
  • That's What (1990, Leo Kottke, Private Music - BMG), arrangement for "Jesus Maria"
  • Dream Cafe (1992, Greg Brown, Red House)
  • One Night in Paradise (1995, Cookie Coleman)
  • Watercolor of Brazil (1996, Mandala, Deep Blue / IMGOD Records)
  • Mighty Real: A Tribute to Sylvester (2000, Djola Branner, Innova - American Composers Forum)

Video

  • Guitar Bazaar: Multicultural Ideas for Fingerstyle Guitar . Instructional video. (Acoustic Music Resource)
  • In concert . with Franco Morone
  • Fingerstyle Guitar: New Dimensions & Explorations . Concert video (2003, Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop)
  • Roots, rags and blues . Instructional video, 2 CDs (2007, True Fire)

Sources used

  1. ↑ a b c Tim Sparks biography at Guitar Bazaar ( Memento of February 13, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) [Accessed August 13, 2009]

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Sparks, Tim
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American guitarist
DATE OF BIRTH October 31, 1954