Hermanos Gutiérrez — NPR Tiny Desk, Washington, 2023

A filmed live session by the duo Hermanos Gutiérrez at NPR Music’s Tiny Desk in Washington, published on 31 January 2023. Brothers Alejandro and Estevan Gutiérrez, with roots in both Switzerland and Ecuador, perform four instrumental pieces — “El Bueno Y El Malo,” “Tres Hermanos,” “Thunderbird” and “Pueblo Man” — woven around interlacing guitars, lap steel and subtle percussion added with a loop pedal. True to the Tiny Desk’s intimate format, the recording highlights the inhabited slowness and precision of this twilight guitar playing, at the crossroads of Latin American bolero, desert rock and film music. Free of any glitter, this filmed live concert reveals the brothers’ rapport and sense of space, now one of the most striking names in contemporary instrumental guitar. For lovers of Latin American music, cinematic moods and strings, this Washington performance is an ideal entry point into a hushed, evocative world, served by NPR’s recording quality.