A Brazilian's musical travelog

Brazilian acoustic guitar wizard Diego Figueiredo treated a full-house in Sarasota on Sunday, February 23 to spellbinding technique and an around-the-world travelog of places he's been that have inspired his music.

Diego Figueiredo

Figueiredo, 39, has been playing guitar since age 6. He has mastered the acoustic instrument with blended classical and jazz techniques into something distinctly Diego. At one point, he sounded like two different guitarists performing the same song together as he shifted between - and blended - arpeggio and tremolo styles.

His solo guitar program included an Antonio Carlos Jobim medley playing tribute to the father of the bossa nova, and snippets of music and styles from around the world - including France, Spain, Cuba, Mexico, Japan, Turkey and the United States.

  
Two originals were inspired by locales where he has toured. 

One, a sprightly tune called "Lelê," was something he worked up on a wintertime concert stop in Buffalo NY. Indeed, it sounded like a hand-warmer. 

The other included three segments of "Antarctica Symphony." He wrote that one while performing aboard a cruise to the world's southernmost continent earlier this month. Its varied segments reflected the uncertainty of what was to come, the joy of stepping on its terra firma, and the sheer delight of watching penguins at play.

The recent Grammy nominee also shared a distinctly American jazz medley that coupled "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Peter Pan, Glenn Miller's big band theme song "Moonlight Serenade" and "Stella By Starlight."

The concert, co-produced by Jazz With Morrie, drew a sold-out crowd to the 260-seat Glenridge Performing Arts Center on Sarasota's Palmer Ranch.