Ottmar Liebert @ The Compound Grill

Ottmar Liebert makes smooth music, the kind of airy fare you might hear in a dentist's office. But though his tunes border on new age, his work ethic is resolutely hardcore: The German-born guitarist has been issuing "nouveau flamenco" guitar records since 1989, cranking out 25 albums' worth of live...

By Jason P. Woodbury

June 23, 2011

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Ottmar Liebert makes smooth music, the kind of airy fare you might hear in a dentist's office. But though his tunes border on new age, his work ethic is resolutely hardcore: The German-born guitarist has been issuing "nouveau flamenco" guitar records since 1989, cranking out 25 albums' worth of live and studio recordings at a prodigious pace. Digging farther into his catalog, however, reveals some interesting finds. In the '80s, before establishing himself as the king of mellow, Liebert played guitar in RED, a post-punk, synth-driven Boston band. According to MP3 blog A Viable Commercial (http://goutroy.blogspot.com), which specializes in forgotten post-punk and new wave, the group issued two 45s with hand-painted covers and tape-and-paper designs. The group's taut, funky leanings are a far cry from Liebert's flamenco work and collaborations with soft-poppers like Kenny Loggins, Diana Ross, Santana, and Celine Dion, but listening to the songs makes for an interesting contrast. It would be freaky to have dental work performed to a soundtrack of RED's spastic, twitching "Rooftop."

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Jason P. Woodbury is a music and pop-culture writer based in Phoenix. He is a regular contributor to the music blog Aquarium Drunkard and co-host of the Transmissions podcast.

Contact: Jason P. Woodbury

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Twitter: @Jasonpwoodbury