20TH CENTURY GUITAR MAGAZINE - California guitarist Andre Marins blends his love of classical, jazz and progressive rock on his 2006 CD, Internal Dive. Combining well crafted arrangements, improvisational expertise with impeccable chops, Marins puts it all together and interestingly performs everything here all on one guitar. A well rounded performance, Internal Dive also sounds great. Describing it as "a real and surreal introspective into one of my voices through the guitar", Marins further comments, "When I put this album together, I wanted it to reflect a variety of compositions that would evoke different sounds on the instrument. And, I also wanted to have it played with a pick, on a six-string acoustic guitar, in order to give it a different touch than a classical guitar". April 2007. (USA)
http://www.tcguitar.com
BRIDGE GUITAR REVIEWS - Andre Marins started studying classical guitar at the age of 11 and then went to study jazz improvisation a few years later until both forces united in the context of progressive rock. Andre's compositions involve crafted arrangements as well as improvised passages touched by diverse time signatures. All cuts are played on 1 steel-string guitar. Divers styles are presented some with a touch of flamenco, like "Avant-Groove" others with a rock and experimental feeling like "Super Invocation" with fast chops and some with an introspective setup like "Circles of Cotton". "D Prelude" is played with a classical soothing setup. "Sailing through the Veins" has killer chops in a spontaneous setting. One can explore his guitar music at CD Baby! April 2008 (Holland) http://www.xs4all.nl/~guitars/
PROGRESSION MAGAZINE - Within the acoustic realm Andre Marins is a man who takes some creative chances. He's an obviously accomplished and well-versed artist confident enough to take the solo guitar and shakes things up a bit.
Here we have 11 original compositions of varied mood, tempo and structure designed to exhibit the panoramic spectrum of his talent. Each track is a fully realized slice of Marins' personality and employs specific flair and technique. "Avant-Groove" shows his flamenco side with a Spanish-sounding piece in the mode of Paco DeLucia or Al DiMeola. "Circles of Cotton" follows with an open and airy feel that's easy on the ears.
Marins kicks it up a notch on "Super Invocation", exhibiting spell-binding fretwork and tricky intervallic leaps. Perhaps one of the more significant pieces here is the title track "Internal Dive". The tune features several repetitive sections where he arpeggiates and integrates melody and chords seamlessly, and with passion.
Take the time and dive into the mind and music of Andre Marins and enjoy the journey! - Eric Harabadian. 15/16 stars. Issue 53, Spring 2008. (USA) - http://www.progressionmagazine.com
GUITARCLUB ITALIA - Internal Dive is a very interesting journey inside Andre's mind that gives us a whole album sounding almost live and with a single instrument - an Ovation acoustic guitar and a pick.
Here it is among various genres ranging from Classical to Jazz to Rock, but always reflecting the mind and soul of the musician who plot the main theme.
There is also to say that Andre plays really well, and leaving out the depth of the compositions, it is also a great pleasure to listen to him.
Recommended pieces: "D Prelude" and "Tender Touch". April 2008. (Italy) http://www.guitarclub.it
GUITAR NOISE - Who? Andre Marins started studying classical guitar at eleven, and went on to study Jazz improvisation. This album is a fusion.
Any good?Freight train rhythms abound in opener "Avant-Groove", "Circles of Cotton" creates a melodic line over a repeated arpeggiated pattern, and "Grooving in Blue" will have you reaching for your axe to copy what's going on. Marins is a technical master of his instrument and this a good album to listen to when you're in technical mode - after a day training paralegals in classroom it certainly worked for me. "D Prelude" is the most immediately accessible track and shows off his classical skills. Marins uses repeated patterns a lot, and all of a sudden will surprise you with scale runs played at speeds you wouldn't believe possible. There's intelligent use of silence between patterns and strummed lines too, especially in "Internal Dive" the title track and the longest offered here, as well as plenty of unexpected changes of direction. Alan Green. June 2008. (Canada)
http://www.guitarnoise.com/review/andre-marins