Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
"All four players are virtuosi, with characteristic and individual styles ... unfolding seemingly endless combinations of instrument and style.... Mutual respect and friendship were combined with musical skill, taste, and an obvious love of music making to produce an unforgettable listening experience." (9 April 2003) - Celtic Roots (BBC)
"[Live: Men of Steel] is a magnificent disc - well recorded, edited and paced and, of course, the music is simply mouth-wateringly sublime. All the elements that make the steel string guitar such an incredible instrument are present - tunes from various genres that showcase just how versatile, hard-hitting, subtle and beautiful the instrument can be when played by master musicians. And the performances are dynamic and powerful - I was particularly enamored with Tony McManus' 'Bagpipe Medley,' Beppe's 'On the Road With Mother [sic],' Don Ross' 'Loaded, Leather, Moonroof' and Dan's 'In Flagrante.' I also enjoyed the killer group medleys and Dan and Beppe's imaginative re-working of the old 'Long Journey Home' (probably the highlight of the project for me). Coming from such disparate backgrounds, I'm amazed at how well the four blend together. I guess their mutual love and respect for the steel string guitar transcends all musical boundaries ... and that's as it should be." - Dave Higgs, - Nashville Public Radio
"They were four virtuosos on a magic acoustic night; and what could be more exciting than an astonishing performance by four holy monsters of the six-string guitar? The excitement Tuesday night was contagious and impossible to resist. And yet, if the audience expected waterfalls of notes and stratospheric technique, there was that and much more, because the formidable Men of Steel put the emphasis on the music of the guitar, not the machismo of the player. Tuesday night it was both great talent and also a cohesion and projection that is rare to find in all-star guitar evenings.
"... these guitar giants ... brought a cosmopolitan sensibility and power to the interpretation of many different kinds of music. Don Ross of Quebec, Canada, Tony Mc Manus of Scotland, Dan Crary of the USA and local hero Beppe Gambetta of Genova, Italy ... blended these diverse traditions harmoniously and powerfully, both in instrumentals and also vocals. In the ensemble duets and even when all played together, technique was in service of the music. Tony McManus transformed his guitar into the highland pipes, Don Ross paid homage to Michael Hedges and astonished with his fabulous technique, Beppe Gambetta spanned the world with music ranging from the 'Church St. Blues' to the Ligurian 'Asima,' and Dan Crary's charisma was of the real thing, the essence of American traditional music." (19 April 2003) - Il Secolo XIX (Italian national newspaper)
Discography
LIVE: MEN OF STEEL
'The art of the steel string guitar'
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
The idea behind the Men of Steel was Beppe Gambettas. In late 2001, whilst blasting down the autobahn and carrying on a conversation with tour-partner Dan Crary, Beppe suggested that a touring panel of steel-string guitarist-flatpickers would make for a dynamic and interesting concert. Further, Beppe allowed, it should be different from just a panel of players who pass around soloing duties, each looking bored on stage except when its his or her chance to play a solo. No, Beppe said, each member should be from a different country, bringing diverse traditions together, performing vocals and instrumentals in a carefully rehearsed and planned ensemble. So Gambetta and Crary went to work to recruit co-conspirators in this guitar (so they hoped) extravaganza. An obvious choice from the celtic world was Tony McManus, renowned as the leading international guitarist of the genre. Tony said yes and the search continued. Initially the thought had been to focus on flatpicking for its dynamics and adaptability to ensemble playing. But when Canadian Don Ross was proposed, it was no great leap that this fingerpicker was as powerful and adaptable as they come and would be a great asset. Don said yes and the group was complete.
As of the last week of December 2002, tours were being booked, major concert halls in Europe were confirmed, and the Men of Steel had not ever all been in the same room at the same time. So in February 2003, Beppe, Tony, Don and Dan flew to Oregon and gathered in the little coastal town of Depoe Bay, for what Crary describes as a boot camp style rehearsal of several days, followed by a concert, delivered twice in one night in Stayton, Oregon, and recorded live for a CD release. So, the Men of Steel were forged out of a deep love of the guitar and a little chaos. By April of 2003 they had completed a European tour, garnered rave reviews and established themselves as one of the most interesting, varied, and dynamic guitar ensembles of the world.
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