"Simón Díaz"
"Simón Díaz"
Through their internationally popular recordings, televised concerts, and live performances, Young & Rollins have established themselves as one of today's most innovative Latin guitar groups.
Dan Young and Lawson Rollins began collaborating after a chance meeting in a Washington, D.C., flamenco guitar shop in 1998. They came from different musical backgrounds - Lawson started out as a classically trained guitarist before moving into Latin American guitar styles, while Dan holds a degree in jazz from the New School University in New York City - but they immediately realized that they shared a similar musical vision. Both had a profound love of Latin music, particularly the Brazilian, salsa, and flamenco traditions, as well as an appreciation of the contemporary developments in those genres. But in their own work, they sought to move beyond the often confining boundaries of musical genres.
"Basically, we're striving to break down artificial barriers that have evolved in music. We've tried to open ourselves up to a diversity of influences and to explore new paths for creative expression," Dan explains. Lawson agrees: "Working together has really forced us to combine elements of our very different musical backgrounds and has resulted in a natural fusion process. Young & Rollins is really a hybrid of different styles that joins our enthusiasm for experimentation with a respect for different musical traditions."
Focusing on originality and experimentation, they perform only their own compositions, which draw upon an eclectic mixture of salsa, Latin jazz, blues, samba, bossa nova, flamenco, and classical styles. Through collaboration with several acclaimed musicians, they have recorded four successful studio albums as a five piece band, in which percussive Latin rhythms and bass lines highlight the fast-paced interplay between the two guitarists.
Their debut recording, SALSA FLAMENCA, on Baja/TSR Records, received immediate critical acclaim and achieved significant radio play both nationally and internationally, entering the Billboard top 25 charts shortly after its release in 2000. The Washington Post labeled their captivating mix of musical influences a "fiery fusion of styles" and declared, "Young and Rollins display a shocking breadth of skills on the album. Live, they are absolutely riveting." Young & Rollins’ second album of original music, SEVILLA, was heralded in Esquire magazine as "dynamic world music", while Jazziz magazine wrote: "They have done their homework, mastering an eclectic variety of styles that are combined in their compositions and improvisations - Latin jazz, blues, Flamenco, classical, even reggae."
In 2005, Young & Rollins joined with the successful label Bolero Records - home to legendary Nuevo flamenco guitarist Armik and a roster of other renowned artists - and released ESPERANZA, another stunning collection of original music that showcases the duo’s prowess as both composers and performers. “Seductive guitar sounds with just the right amount of technical guitar virtuosity”, writes 20th Century Guitar Magazine in its review of ESPERANZA, while the All Music Guide's review states, "Proof that music can be technically flawless without lacking wit or soul, ESPERANZA is Young & Rollins' best album to this point."
Following the success of ESPERANZA, Young & Rollins' latest album, MOSAIC, finds the duo in top form. The boldly melodic compositions on MOSAIC represent a new level of artistic achievement for the duo and exemplify their deep and multi-faceted creativity in a musical language that is impossible to categorize in a single genre. Veteran music critic, Jonathan Widran, describes MOSAIC as "uniformly engaging and brilliant" and writes, "As engaging as the tunes and the bright productions are, those who listen closely are bound to find themselves intoxicated by the intricate weavings of the two guitars."
In addition to their work in the studio, the Young & Rollins Quintet has performed at several international venues and festivals, including the prestigious Perth International Arts Festival in Australia, the New Zealand International Arts Festival, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., the Utah Arts Festival, the Salisbury Festival in England, and the Sydney Opera House. In concert, Young & Rollins unleash a bold virtuosity and improvisational flair that infuses each performance with uniqueness and spontaneity.