Ben Woods On Flamenco (and Heavy Metal) at NAMM

The second of our CG performance/interview shorts from the January NAMM show in Anaheim, California, features the talented and charismatic Southern California guitarist and composer Benjamin Woods, a musical omnivore who plays flamenco and world music on classical guitars, but is also known for his nylon-string excursions into what he calls “progressive metal,” tackling tunes by the likes of Megadeth and Metallica, and also penning his own songs in the hybrid genre.

The day before his performance at our booth, we found him outside of Córdoba’s perennially busy convention space, playing impeccable flamenco, joined by the marvelous dancer Arleen Hurtado. The duo’s incendiary performances stopped foot traffic on the busy show floor, creating a logjam of fascinated spectators.  Things were a bit calmer when he bopped by our booth to play and talk the following afternoon…


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The Summer 2015 issue of Classical Guitar, out in late May, will feature and interview with Woods.