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Ottmar Liebert to perform 2 NM shows before leaving state for tour
There are no slow days for Ottmar Liebert.
At home in Santa Fe, he’s busy getting prepared for all of his coming tour dates.
Before he ventures off from the Land of Enchantment, Liebert will perform two shows in the state.
The first is a Friday, June 2, show at the ABQ BioPark Zoo. The performance will be presented with the New Mexico Philharmonic.
It’s been about five years since the two shared the stage at the zoo.
“It was one of their biggest crowds there,” he says. “There’s something really special to have a bunch of people playing strings. I love playing in small ensembles, yet there is something magical about an orchestra.”
Liebert says performing with an orchestra has its own set of challenges.
One of them is sticking to the changes that are going to happen.
“We try to build in the improvisational pieces,” he says. “One of the other things is that my bassist, Jon Gagan, arranged all the music for the orchestra. He often cues the orchestra, and we’ve been doing this for a while. Because we’ve done this type of show before, there’s a little bit more of an ease to it all. I get to relax a little more.”
Liebert is known for his Spanish-influenced guitar recordings. He’s been nominated for five Grammy Awards and has 38 gold and platinum certifications for his albums.
He’s back with a new album called “The Complete Santa Fe Sessions,” released on May 1.
“It’s not exactly new music,” he says. “It’s material that was recorded in 2002 and never digitally released. I wasn’t happy with how the album sounds and thought, ‘Why not change it?’ Last September or October, I began to take the songs and radically change it. It’s not often that you get a chance to go back and revisit old music. I’ve been able to turn it into something that I really like.”
Liebert doesn’t perform too often in New Mexico, but when he does, he sets a few dates back to back.
After the Albuquerque show, he will travel south to Alto and perform at the Spencer Theater.
“The set will be different, because we won’t have the orchestra with us,” he says. “This is a traditional show that we’re known for. It’s great out to get out into New Mexico and perform a bit. I’m all over the place with performances that these help keep me grounded in a way.”