I love playing the Guo New Voice tenor flute!! The flute has an organic earthy sound, the mechanism is flawless and it is so easy to articulate well. It is very light. It has a killing low octave, very mellow middle register and the high register has a singing quality. Also, it is very easy to play the 3rd register. There is good stable intonation over the whole flute.
Also, it has Low B trill keys!! For the price, it is awesome.
Geni Skendo is a contemporary flute & shakuhachi player fluent in jazz, classical, and Japanese traditional music idioms. Originally from Albania, Geni came to the United States in 2002 to further his musical studies. Prior to leaving Albania, he performed with the Albanian National Folk Ensemble, various symphonic orchestras, and jazz bands.
Upon his arrival in the US, Geni began to study jazz flute and the Japanese five-hole flute known as the shakuhachi, completting a Masters Degree in Contemporary Improvisation at the New England Conservatory with a focus on jazz flute and shakuhachi performance.
Geni has performed with the Violent Femmes • Bob Moses • Matt Marvuglio • Allan Chase, Joe Morris, Jerry Leake, John Lockwood, Bob Gulioti, Bob Nitscke • Felice Pomeranz • Dave Clark • Elena Zoubareva • David Fiuczynski • Mark Walker • Sal Difusco • Joe Hunt • Dave Harris • Jerry Beaudin • NewPoli.
Geni's recording credits include CDs with Joe Morris, Dave Fuze, Newpoli, and Elena Zoubareva. As a bandleader, he released two CDs: “Portraits: Contemporary Duets for Shakuhachi & Piano" and “Stella,” a global jazz album.
In 2009, he published an instructional shakuhachi play-along book that teaches traditional Japanese Minyo folk songs, Geni is currently working on a woodwind book with exercises derived from Messiaen modes. Publishing date spring 2011.
Geni currently performs with these groups:
Geni Skendo World Jazz Septet
Geni`s music mixes his flute/bass flute & Shakuhachi sounds with the microtonal guitar of Ben Levin, the polyrhythmic piano playing of Takeshi Ohyabashi. The groves of master drummer Dave Fox & Noriko Terada, and the rock solid bass playing of Will Slater.
Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica
Referencing the exotica of Martin Denny, Milt Raskin, Tchaikovsky, and Shostakovich among others, Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica—as a vibraphone quartet—presents an original third-stream collection of updated jazz, chamber, and world music reaching towards the South Pacific via Asia, the Middle East, the Balkans, and Latin America. Led by multi-percussionist, vibraphonist and composer Brian O’Neill (Mr. Ho) with bass flute/woodwinds (Geni Skendo), percussion (Noriko Terada), and acoustic bass (Jason Davis).
Elena Zoubareva
Russian-born soprano Elena Zoubareva transforms the traditional classical voice recital into an emotional and theatrical journey. Her fearless approach has resulted in programs that combine remarkably diverse offerings of musical styles ranging from Russian Art songs to European operetta and French chansons to Morricone film scores and musical theater selections. Ms. Zoubareva performs with an ensemble of local internationally trained musicians (piano, flute, cello, and percussion). Such a colorful combination of instruments brings a nearly orchestral sense to her performances.