KINGSTON, R.I. – Oct. 29, 2024 – The University of Rhode Island Guitar and Mandolin Festival wrapped up on Oct. 20 after six days of concerts that attracted the largest audiences the festival has seen in its nine years.
But if you were among the few who missed out – or just want to re-experience the heartfelt innovation that the festival engenders – there is a festival-produced album – “Sessions: Rhode Island” – to spin wherever and whenever the mood strikes. And it just debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Crossover Albums Chart.
“Billboard isn’t something most people dream of in the classical world; it’s usually seen as a milestone for pop music,” said Adam Levin, founder and artistic director of the festival, who produced and performed on the album alongside arranger, performer and co-producer Scott Borg. “But hitting number one on the classical crossover chart highlights how powerful these instruments—classical guitar, electric guitar, oud, harp, violin, cello, voice, percussion, didgeridoo, bass—can be together. It’s a testament to their potential to create something extraordinary.”
“It’s a true reflection of the artistry and innovative spirit of each artist involved, showcasing their courage to take bold risks and pursue a vision beyond the everyday,” added Levin, who noted the support of the record label, Soundset Recordings, and its president, Frank Koonce.
The album, which was released Oct. 13, the opening day of the festival, features five tracks of traditional selections that capture the essence of the world cultures they represent – Japan, Java, China, Ireland, and Ukraine – and are performed by an impromptu ensemble of internationally renowned musicians. The album was recorded in two jam sessions at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church on the Kingston Campus following the 2021 and 2022 festivals by ensembles of about 20 musicians.
“It’s a magical place. The acoustics are great,” said Levin of St. Augustine’s. “We had the opportunity to work with the unparalleled engineer and producer Matthew Anderson. Without his professionalism and ear, we would never have been able to do this. He was instrumental in creating the soundscape and intimate-ensemble atmosphere for the album.”
The sessions took place the day after the close of the 2021 and 2022 festivals – six- to seven-hour days that produced the album’s hour of music. Along with Levin and Borg, the lineup of musicians who volunteered for the project included Israeli mandolin virtuoso Jacob Reuven, director of the festival’s mandolin education program; Brazilian vocalist and guitarist Badi Assad; oud player Simon Shaheen; cellist Mike Block, who played with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road ensemble; and Cuban-American classical guitarist Rene Izquierdo, among many other fine musicians.
“These artists were poised to embark on something truly adventurous and groundbreaking. No one has ever recorded these traditional pieces in this way,” said Levin, a professor of classical guitar at URI. “Scott’s innovative arrangements invited each musician to step beyond their comfort zone, engaging in a dynamic and electrifying new framework.”
Levin and Borg have known each other since meeting in graduate school at the New England Conservatory and then started performing together in 2015 as the Great Necks Guitar Trio, with Matthew Rohde, who also is featured on the album. Borg – a virtuoso on both six and eight-string classical guitars who Levin praises for pushing boundaries – arranged each piece for all the instruments in the impromptu band, including classical, flamenco and electric guitar and mandolin, harp and oud, slide guitar, violin, and cello, and bass and percussion.
“Each piece began as a simple melody, and Scott brilliantly transformed those lines, weaving in counterpoints, harmonies, and counter-melodies,” Levin said. “He crafted intricate recompositions of these works, a testament to his genius. Scott is truly a masterful architect of musical arrangement.”
Levin hopes to make “Sessions: Rhode Island” an annual tradition in celebrating plucked instruments – bringing together new groups of musicians representing different instruments to create a “Silk Road-esque project.” “There’s a synergy between the missions of the festival and this project to celebrate plucked instruments and create a multicultural platform,” he said.
Like the album, the ninth annual Guitar and Mandolin Festival was a blockbuster success, he said. It saw large crowds and sold-out shows, created and continued partnerships with venues, created a family-like atmosphere, and provided a vibrant education program for guitar and mandolin lovers, and welcomed its strongest lineup of guest artists to date.
“None of this would have been possible without the University of Rhode Island’s unwavering support, from providing the recording space to encouraging me, as artistic director, to embrace boldness, innovation, and creativity,” Levin said. “This project invites the public into a musical realm that beautifully reflects the university’s spirit and values.”
You can listen to “Sessions: Rhode Island” here.