I am, primarily a solo guitarist.

That that basically means that as a solo guitarist, I don't play with bands like most guitar players do.

And as a soloist and not a vocalist.

In other words, an instrumentalist.

It is my job as a guitarist to play all the parts, and I actually play the bass and.

The rhythm guitar part and the melody line, the part that is normally sung.

So as a solo guitarist, I go out there and I do a full arrangement of the songs that you're familiar with.

My job as a guitarist is to perform all styles of music for all types of people all ages, young, old, all genres.

Classical, Latin, rock, pop, jazz, easy listening country.

I know that this is what I was put on this earth to do is to play for all these different peoples, all these different types of settings.

I truly believe that, yes, I was, gifted with this talent of playing guitar.

This is what I was meant to be a guitarist.

Hole.

I've been playing the guitar for 28 years now.

Happy birthday to you.

Thank you.

Happy birthday.

I play restaurants, I play, festivals.

I do, concerts.

They do you many.

And this is how I make my living.

Until I get a real job.

This is what I do.

It.

I know turn around, turn around.

Like this silly.

Yeah, yeah.

I've been married to Danielle for nine years, and, we have a four year old, and her name is Sadie.

All the way over saying.

You know, she's a sweetheart.

And, I love my family to death.

It's very hard to balance my life, with the family and the guitar, because there's certain times of the year and especially, you know, Christmas, June weddings.

There's certain times where I'm just booked all the time.

And I have to sacrifice that time spent with my family.

Oh, you want to go push Mom and Daddy on the swings?

You know, and they have to realize it, and they have to understand.

And then there's slower time.

So we keep a kitty cat.

We actually make up for the busy times with the slow times.

Hey, I'm too old for this.

Oh, on your mark, get set, go.

Danielle understands how hard it is being a musician, a professional musician.

What about these?

Can we practice these?

Bless her heart, though, she has to tolerate a musician's schedule.

It's very inconsistent.

And not only were we not going to have a regular job, but sometimes we're going to stay at home.

Sometimes we're going to be on the road, sometimes we're going to be on the plane, sometimes we're going to be renting a car.

She has learned to tolerate it because she understands that I'm a musician, and to be a successful musician.

This is what you have to do.

The reason I feel like I'm so successful at this is because I have found a niche that, like any type of entertainment, you have to find what it is the people like.

You go with that formula.

In my case, it's it's playing songs that they recognize in the style that is unlike most any other guitar player they've ever seen.

In 20 minutes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I truly believe that, my talent was, inherited from my father because his father was a mandolin player.

And even though dad was never taught, he was self-taught.

He was very good at what he did.

He was very highly respected for many years.

And in Oklahoma City, as a guitar player.

Notes that.

His uncle, Luis Alvarado, opened up El Cerrito.

They had several restaurants, about seven at one time, and then eventually was purchased by Al Chico.

And we'd go to these restaurants and he'd take us there to eat.

And dad struggled many, many times that many of those El Cerrito restaurants.

So he, was one of the first in Oklahoma City to do the Mexican music.

No, Mel B, this mi vida porque.

Te quiero.

No, olvidas.

Ah, There is a lot of my music that is Hispanic, a Latin flair.

Because of my heritage, I all these songs that I grew up listening to, they're very important to me.

And and this is my way of showing you this is what I'm supposed to do as a Hispanic.

When I look at these tables, I remember as a youth me playing the guitarran on in Sterling with my father, Manuel, we used to go table to table, take requests and, play those old Mexican songs.

Age 14.

I'll never forget, un parrido jitos negros cielito lindo.

De contrabando known that.

I would accompany him while he played the guitar.

I would taking it out by adding those bass notes and making it fuller.

Un parrido.

Okay, but, the biggest influence I got from him was, watching him, you know, earn a living at playing this and watching him please the people and and, of course, if they were pleased, they would tip.

And for me, it was always a dream of mine to become a professional guitarist, to actually get paid to play guitar.

Los coracones.

Ay, you.

My dad didn't teach me how to play physically.

He he educated me on the importance of building a repertoire.

If you're going to play for this guy and that guy and that mom and that baby, you need to know the songs that appealed to them.

So that taught me the importance of building up a repertoire.

I'm gonna be this.

Unfortunately, my father passed away last, February of 2003.

The last song my dad recorded, was No Mi Olvides, which means don't forget me.

No mi olvides.

That song, touches me when I hear it because, when when he says no mi olvides is just.

I know Dad.

I'll never forget you.

Of course I won't.

Es para mi.

My dad never made it, professionally to the degree that I have.

And that's where I differ from him.

I went and studied Oklahoma City University and majoring in classical guitar.

Gotten a bachelor of music in classical guitar performance.

The biggest thing I learned from Oklahoma City University as a classical guitar major was the correct techniques.

I thought I was pretty good as a guitarist because I was playing all this stuff that made people happy and they enjoyed it, but, I wasn't doing the right fingering, and the right fingering makes a better arrangement, which makes a better performance.

And that's what I love about the guitar.

It's a little orchestra that you can take anywhere you want.

What a pleasure it is to see everybody here.

Tonight I'm going to offer a wide variety of fingerstyle guitar for you.

By the way, CD’s will be available here in this red case.

One of my, recent reorders is the Art of Edgar Cruz.

Art stands for acoustic Rock transcriptions.

Some of my favorite classic rock pieces play on solo guitar unplugged, unsung, unaccompanied and unattended.

That's for you.

I think the style that gives me that extra edge is just the ability to perform some of these songs in it with such good groove.

That sounds so full.

You know, I'm not singing.

I'm not.

I don't have a band.

I'm doing all these notes.

It's just the way I do it.

It's.

It's a unique.

It's very hard to do it this way.

These solo guitar arrangements, that's what I truly believe.

That has led to my success.

I think Edgar is one of the most, probably advanced exponents of a variety of styles.

And I think that's one of the things that separates him from a lot of guitarists and I've met is his ability to orchestrate a piece and play not only the bass riff, but the lead line as well.

Very difficult to do.

I play guitar a lot, and keeping two polyphonic melodies going at the same time is not an easy task.

He seems to make it.

It seems to come natural to him.

I don't even think he has to work at it.

It requires a lot of technique to do it correctly, just like any artist in his field.

And in the only way you're going to get better is with years and years and years of experience.

There's, every artist develops his own style and his own form, and playing this guitar the way I do it has become that style for me.

I learned to enjoy the show.

So thank you for comming.

The biggest thing I want the crowd to leave with is, going away saying, I really heard something that I've never heard before.

Enjoy that.

I really want them to walk away thinking that they have the seen anything like that.

And it may be a while before they ever see anything like that.

So when I come back, hopefully they'll come see me again, bring some extra friends.

To call John Bolton in Tennessee.

Here.

Hey, Joe, how are you doing?

I'm doing just fine.

I wanted to touch base with you.

I don't know if it's not as easy as it, looks.

It's a lot more difficult because there's a whole business side to this.

Eddie says that the Wood Songs old time radio show starts about seven.

Most musicians are full artistic and very few of us have half art and half business.

500 minimum right?

Or percentage of the door.

Okay.

And what where did you decide to.

But it is it is a business.

It has to be run.

If I'm not playing, then, then the income goes down.

It's just like any other field.

Go up and.

Right now I'm adding, harmony notes to this guitar arrangement of the Franz list.

Hungarian Rhapsody number two.

I've been doing this for 20 years, and I think I have at least 400 songs transcribed to a guitar solo.

Versions.

Let's take two.

Most guitar players don't one read music, and most don't know how to arrange for solo guitar.

So there's, very few of us in the world that can actually do this.

I like to make my arrangements, as close to the original as possible, because that's how I was raised listening to the song.

And I think that's how people enjoy.

I think that they enjoyed the one that went.

I really enjoyed going to these schools.

The reason I like going to these is because most of these children have never heard a guitar played this way.

On this song, I'm going to play a, technique on the guitar.

We call pizzicato.

Can you guys say pizzicato if you have a teaching the history of the guitar and I teach him, I play the songs from those different areas.

Baroque, classical period.

Renaissance And when you plug it, you get a muted sound like this.

And, and I give him just little excerpts.

Here's this piece called In the Hall of the Mountain King.

Just enough to leave them knowing that.

Oh, I didn't know that song came from that period.

And I've never heard it on a guitar either.

And then I go into the popular music.

I think, music can enrich any person's life because it's proven that if you study music, you are becoming better at other fields mathematics and, general classes.

But music is very important.

A lot of times at these performances, I do let them know that this is how I make a living.

And my wife always jokes to me.

She says, I can't believe I'm married to a guy with better hair and nails than me.

So this little, blues career, Stevie Ray Vaughan burns, So I think it touches some of these kids, and hopefully some of them will actually go into it more professionally.

And.

Yeah.

Got it.

Okay.

That's a little cruise plays Blu ray.

Oh, this is definitely the way I give back, the talent that I know that God has given me, it's it's it's without a doubt that it's my calling.

This is such an honor to have you here today.

Was.

It was very happy to do it, kid.

Any time you get it.

I'll be glad to.

It takes a while to sort this out.

We don't want to get too watery, you know.

Mobile meals is a maintenance lunch program.

We try to provide hot lunches every day.

We normally have about 40 on the ground for the, senior homebound of our community.

Give me a kiss.

A lot of people ask me, how am I able to stay here in Oklahoma with all these towns.

So, you know, it's funny that they ask me that, you know, I didn't hadn't, hadn't even crossed my mind to move from the state.

I think I need a bigger spatula.

So many of our people over 60 that are homebound do not have relatives or anyone within the community to assist them with lunches, and that's what we do.

Sadie, you ready to do mobile meals?

There's just so many great, things about Oklahoma that make me happy to stay here.

I have no reason to go.

Are you guys doing.

Oh, yeah.

So what do you got today?

Well, my wife Danielle and I have been doing mobile meals for eight years.

I think I've lost count.

Just about gone.

Okay.

Her parents used to do it, and, one day they needed some extra help, and we were available.

Thanks.

You're welcome.

So we were able to, deliver a route to about 20 elders and seniors so that, they were capable of either cooking or they can afford extra food.

Oh, careful.

Watch your step.

How are you?

Okay honey.

You staying out of trouble?

Sometimes they give a dollar out of donation, and they don't have to, but it, it means a lot to them, honey.

And Sadie's got lemon cake for you.

Yeah, that's my angel.

That's my angel.

What do you say?

Thank you for?

Thank God.

Love all of you.

I bless you too, Mr.

Manor.

Take care.

Oh, God bless you too.

Every week he delivers with his wife.

And sometimes they take the baby.

You like delivering mobile meals.

You like helping mama.

You take it for them.

It means everything.

And I think it's teaching Sadie you know how to appreciate the elders and, respect them and and see that there are some people in this world that just need a little extra help.

Okay?

If you need anything, call us.

Or mobile meals.

He is, contact to them.

He also helps them by going to the stores and pharmacy.

I know that on his own time, I feel that it just keeps me humble food that I wouldn't fix from myself otherwise.

I live on a sandwich.

Say that you've never met Mr.

Jamison there?

Quite a blessing, aren't they?

It’s the only thing I have their blessing.

I'm going to be them someday.

And, I would love it if somebody did that for me if I was going incapable.

So it's just given in return.

We have a table for Edmontonians, and three of us are here.

But I couldn't pay for all five of them.

And $14 a meal for two.

And you take personal checks, cash or credit card?

Just make the check out to UCO please.

Hello girls.

Excuse me.

How you doing?

Fine.

Thanks for coming.

I travel all over the United States doing mostly concerts and festivals.

I think my fans are kids.

Teenagers, college students, workers, professionals.

$14.

Tonight I'm going to be playing with Ruben Romero and, even invited my, student, Jocelyn Yohe to join me on guitar.

I'm trying to be serious here.

Okay.

You know, I really do enjoy performing, and I really can't see myself doing anything else.

Always my my minor playing with other people.

It's opening up new doors for me.

I hope they see that I'm not just a solo guitarist, that I don't just do these solo guitar albums, that, wow, this guy can do the whole shebang.

I'm a good Spanish guitarist from, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

It's nothing but a pure joy to work with someone like Edgar, whose virtuosity and, knowledge of the instrument is really a joy for myself because we're constantly any guitarist, any musician is always discovering.

Edgar's got a lot of, avenues.

It not only does he perform various styles, but his technique is so incredible.

It's it's really a joy to work with him.

Any time, Ruben and I play on the stage together.

We have this, magic.

There's, like, two guitars that know exactly what's supposed to happen.

But we also have an affinity because we both were raised in the Latin world, where I was in Santa Fe, of course, and Edgar being in Oklahoma.

But we both have a great familiarity with all of the Latin repertory.

Latin influence, on my life was really deep because, I know that, just like my seventh album says Spanish Blood.

I know this, this Spanish is in my blood, and it has to come out.

I have to let it out in the form of strumming in plane and all the songs that are from that Latin genre, they're just they just come out naturally.

The number one greatest guitar lick of all time.

No, it's not stairway to Heaven or Freebird, Chuck Berry, Johnny Be Good.

I'm going to play the guitar till I die.

Until God tells me I can't do it anymore.

I love the music I play, and I love knowing that those people walk away hearing some of their favorite songs.

I want people to remember me.

Remember Edgar Cruz as that that guitar player that really did more than most any other guitar player has ever done.

He really took a lot of chances.

It was really brave with that solo guitar.

That's what Dad did, that’s what I’ll do.