Almeida's classical solo recording career on Capitol Records began in 1954 with "The Guitar Music of Spain". Almeida made a series of highly successful classical recordings produced by Robert E. Myers. Among Almeida's notable classical recordings is an album widely considered to be the first classical crossover album, the 1958 Grammy winner "Duets with Spanish Guitar" with mezzo-soprano Salli Terri and flutist Martin Ruderman. In this recording, Almeida arranges standard classical and folk repertoire through the prism of several Latin musical forms, including the modenha, charo, maracatu and boi bumba. The result, according to "Hi-Fi and Music Review" was "...a prize winner in my collection. Laurindo Almeida's guitar playing captures the keen poignancy and rhythmic élan of Brazilian music with superb assurance and taste...". The recording was nominated for two Grammy Awards and won for Best Classical Engineering for Sherwood Hall III at the first Grammy Awards ceremony. In her recent memoir "Simple Dreams", singer Linda Ronstadt discusses "Duets With the Spanish Guitar" and notes that her aunt, the renowned Spanish singer Luisa Espinel was a friend of vocalist Salli Terri: "Knowing I wanted to sing, Aunt Luisa had sent me a recording, "Duets with the Spanish Guitar", which featured guitarist Laurindo Almeida dueting alternately with flautist Martin Ruderman and soprano Salli Terri. It became one of my most cherished recordings."