Tag: Cutaway Acoustic Guitar Series

This event is postponed until further notice.

Crosstown Arts presents The Cutaway Acoustic Guitar Series, a monthly concert series showcasing internationally acclaimed guitarists in partnership with the Little Rock-based Argenta Acoustic Music Series. November’s performance features guitarist Brooks Robertson in an intimate, solo performance.

Tickets: $20
Doors at 7 pm | Show at 7:30 pm

Brooks Robertson just doesn’t need much more than two thumbs, eight fingers, and six strings on a wooden box to carry his listeners away.

Hailed by prominent exponents of his instrument like Nokie Edwards, Thom Bresh, John Jorgenson, and Mason Williams, the young fingerstyle guitarist embodies the creative vision of a postmodern world: It’s the music that counts. Brooks utilizes his superb technical abilities to play bass, rhythm, and melody simultaneously and surpass the borders of conventional genres. He merges hauntingly beautiful compositions, country rhythms, and jazzy harmonies with funky licks into his very own art form – sometimes delivered with a punch, sometimes with a smile.

Brooks was born in Eugene, Oregon, in 1989. Seeing Buster B. Jones perform at a festival near his hometown became a life-changing experience for the kid from the sticks. At just eleven years old, he was immediately inclined to pick up the guitar. Soon, the world-renowned fingerstyle virtuoso and instructor dedicated his spare time to introducing his new fans into the secrets of the fretboard, and after six months of lessons the natural talent performed his first show with his mentor.

When Buster B. Jones took him under his wings, Brooks began playing high-profile gigs such as the Nokie Edwards Festival, the NAMM Show in Anaheim, the Montreal Jazz Festival, or the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield among others. By the time he was a teenager he had become the youngest endorsee of Godin Guitars and traveled to several states and foreign countries to perform. Brooks went on to play on Garrison Keillor’s National Public Radio classic “A Prairie Home Companion” in 2004, where he won first place in a talent competition for 12 to 20 year old participants.

In recent years, while still appearing regularly at prestigious events like the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society (CAAS) Convention in Nashville, Brooks focused on perfecting his craft, soaking up new tunes, styles, and techniques, as well as blending them into his own groovy and soulful original music. He entered the “Yamaha Six String Theory Guitar Competition,” which drew participants from more than 40 countries all over the world. Brooks was invited to perform in the finals at the Broad Stage in Los Angeles in March 2010. A star-studded jury, including Steve Lukather and Lee Ritenour, eventually chose him as winner of the country category and second place winner overall.

Although he is deeply rooted in the powerful tradition of the genre, founded by the likes of Merle Travis, Jerry Reed, Thom Bresh, and Buster B. Jones, Brooks also draws inspiration from the elegant mastery of the legendary Chet Atkins and other phenomenal players. His own compositions and arrangements have even been compared to fingerstyle jazz champions Lenny Breau and Earl Klugh. Now, as energy and maturity come together, this young man is ready to step out of his mentor’s shadows and electrify the world with the sheer acoustic beauty his fingers create, when touching a set of strings.

“The future of American fingerstyle guitar” – Buster B. Jones

“I’ve always loved playing with Brooks. He’s a joy to be around!” – Tommy Emmanuel CGP

“I was completely knocked out with the acoustic guitar virtuosity of Brooks Robertson! Brooks has a very original touch and sound, plus monster chops. He’s always making great music with his guitar. I’m sure Brooks will be sharing his music with the entire world and have an incredible career.” – Lee Ritenour

“Brooks Robertson plays like the house is on fire.” – Thom Bresh

“All guitar players are like Frankensteins. Their music is made out of bits and pieces of other players. In Brooks’ case, he’s a son of a Frankenchops, the well-known monster picker Buster B. Jones. Buster and Brooks are both so scary … the legend continues.” – Mason Williams

“Brooks Robertson has one of the very best techniques in fingerstyle guitar. You can hear the influences of Buster B. Jones, Jerry Reed, and all the great fingerpickers past … and he’s writing some fabulous new material. An amazing guitar player who’s showing the rest of us how it’s done! Nobody whops Brooks Robertson!” – Richard Smith

This event has been postponed until further notice.

Crosstown Arts presents The Cutaway Acoustic Guitar Series, a monthly concert series showcasing internationally acclaimed guitarists in partnership with the Little Rock-based Argenta Acoustic Music Series. October’s performance features Canadian guitarist Don Ross in an intimate, solo performance.

Tickets: $20
Doors at 7 pm | Show at 7:30 pm

In 1988, Don became the first Canadian to win the U.S. National Fingerpick Guitar Championship. He won again in 1996, still the only two-time winner of the competition. He signed a recording deal with Toronto-based Duke Street Records and released three CDs for them between 1989 and 1993. He then recorded three CDs for Sony/Columbia between 1994 and 1997, and then three more for Milwaukee-based Narada Records between 1999 and 2003.

With the collapse of the conventional recording industry in the early 21st century, Don entered into a new venture with Milwaukee-based CandyRat Records and its founder, Rob Poland. The move to a completely internet-based model of releasing recordings resulted in the first ever CandyRat CD, 2005’s Music for Vacuuming. Don has released numerous CDs and DVDs for the new label, including his new album, A Million Brazilian Civilians, on CD and see-through orange vinyl.

Don has toured regularly since 1989, across Canada, the USA, a dozen European countries, Japan, Taiwan, China, Australia, Russia, and India. He has played with symphony orchestras in Canada and Germany and collaborated live and on recording with U.S. guitarist Andy McKee, Canadian singer/guitarist Brooke Miller, Canadian guitarist Calum Graham, and Toronto bassist Jordan O’Connor. He also composes scores for television, radio, and film, and does production and recording engineering for a variety of other musicians. In addition to acoustic guitar, Don also plays electric guitar, slide dobro and lapsteel guitar, harp guitar, voice, piano, keyboards, bass guitar, and drums. He has just started learning to play the Kelstone, a 9-string guitar developed by Belgian musician/inventor Jan Van Kelst. At this point, Don admits that learning a new instrument from scratch at this point in his career is “humbling. I’m a rank amateur Kelstone player, and I still completely suck at it!”

Don Ross grew up in Montreal, has lived at various times in Ontario, Nova Scotia, the USA, China, and Quebec, and now resides in Halifax.

This event has been postponed until further notice.

Crosstown Arts presents The Cutaway Acoustic Guitar Series, a monthly concert series showcasing internationally acclaimed guitarists in partnership with the Little Rock-based Argenta Acoustic Music Series. September’s performance features Pearl Django in an intimate performance.

Tickets: $20
Doors at 7 pm | Show at 7:30 pm

With a performance history spanning more than two decades, Pearl Django endures as one of the most highly regarded Hot Club style groups working today. Although the band’s roots are firmly in the music made famous by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, its extensive repertoire includes traditional jazz classics and original compositions. Pearl Django has performed at festivals, dances, and nightspots throughout the U.S. and abroad. They have played at the prestigious Festival Django Reinhardt in Samois sur Seine and have been featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” The band’s signature style is marked by pristine and dexterous string work, colors of Bal Musette, the steady pulse of rhythm guitar, and an unmistakable swing that delights audiences of all musical sensibilities. Throughout the years, Pearl Django has cultivated a devoted and enthusiastic following and they continue to play to packed houses wherever they perform.

“Pearl Django play(s) gypsy jazz … and they do it with such verve, skill, and pleasure that they’re pretty much irresistible to jazz and non-jazz listeners alike.” — Seattle Weekly

“Pearl Django: The gypsy jazz of Django Reinhardt done to perfection!” — Paul de Barros, The Seattle Times

Members: Tim Lerch & Jim Char, Guitar; Michael Gray, Violin; David Lange, Accordion; Rick Leppanen, Bass

The group’s inception was as a trio in Tacoma, Washington in 1994. The focus of Pearl Django was, and is, to incorporate the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli with American swing music. They quickly expanded to a quintet, adding a violinist and a third guitarist. In 1999, along with the release of their third and fourth CDs, the group incorporated their own record label, Modern Hot Records. At about the same time, MHR signed a national distribution agreement with City Hall Records in San Rafael, California. The October 2000 release of Avalon put the group on the national map with seven weeks of Gavin top-forty airplay and current sales of over 17,000 copies. In May 2001, Pearl Django was featured on All Things Considered. In June 2002, Pearl Django performed at the prestigious Festival Django Reinhardt in Samois sur Seine, just outside of Paris, France. As of 2007 Pearl Django is working as both a quartet and a quintet (with accordionist, David Lange). All of the members are contributing original compositions to the band’s expansive repertoire. They have released 13 CDs to date.

“If Paris is the city of love, then Pearl Django’s music is the flirtatious accompaniment.”
— 6Moons.com, review of Under Paris Skies.

This event has been postponed until further notice.

Crosstown Arts presents The Cutaway Acoustic Guitar Series, a monthly concert series showcasing internationally acclaimed guitarists in partnership with the Little Rock-based Argenta Acoustic Music Series. August’s performance features Irish virtuoso guitarist Shane Hennessy in an intimate, solo performance.

Tickets: $20
Doors at 7 pm | Show at 7:30 pm

Irish virtuoso guitarist Shane Hennessy has established himself as one of the leading guitarists on the world stage, known widely for his fingerstyle, flatpicking, and percussive guitar-playing approaches. With a unique style of solo guitar playing that encompasses the range of a whole band – covering drums, bass, rhythm, and lead lines – Shane builds a complete sonic world entirely on his own.

Billed as “one of the most exciting live performers of his generation, with an ability to move between styles and genres with ease” by Irish Music Magazine, audiences can never be too sure what will come next during the exciting mix of jazz, blues, country, soul, traditional Irish music, and world music he offers. With the addition of some smooth vocals, genre-hopping improvisations, and well-arranged covers, it makes sense why music legend super-producer Nile Rodgers (CHIC) thinks that “his style is killer, it’s really cool stuff,” and why guitar legend Tommy Emmanuel says that Shane “is one of the most engaging musicians in the world today.”

Over the course of a performance, Hennessy brings the audience from elated highs to the depths of reflection, delivering stories, anecdotes, and off-the-cuff remarks with the same passion he holds for the music he performs. He says that it is hard to describe in words what he does on stage without experiencing it in person, but it becomes clear upon witnessing his performance why his tour schedule is so hectic. In 2019 alone, he will visit much of mainland Europe, Russia, China, and the United States, the pinnacle of this world tour being a solo set at the prestigious MerleFest in North Carolina, widely recognized as the mecca of Americana and Roots music in the USA.

A musician from a young age, he credits his background in Irish traditional music as the base on which he has built his genre-defying musical explorations. Initially a concertina player under the tuition of the renowned Mícheál Ó Raghallaigh, Hennessy first turned to the guitar when he was inspired by the music of James Taylor. Becoming more interested in songwriting and in music in general, it was when he discovered the styles of Tommy Emmanuel and Chet Atkins that his interest in solo performance blossomed. From that point on, he has toured the world, with thousands of shows under his belt, and a proven track record as a performer, songwriter, arranger, accompanist, and session musician.

A highlight of his career to date has been a sold-out a solo show in The National Concert Hall in Dublin, Ireland, for the release of his latest CD ‘Marrakech’. Another milestone in 2018 was when Shane worked with Bill Whelan, Grammy-award winning composer of Riverdance, on a piece of music commissioned for guitar, piano, and string quartet. He has also given numerous lectures and guitar workshops all over the world for guitarists and musicians eager to learn more about his unique musical approach.

Still, given his successes to date, he is always eager to keep pushing the boundaries of what he can do on one guitar. To quote RTÉ Radio host Marty Whelan: “There was part of me that didn’t really believe that he could do what he does on one guitar until he came into the studio, sat down in front of me, and played. I thought there had to be loops, or extra tracks, or recording tricks, and there was none of that – my jaw dropped! What a talent!”

This event is postponed until further notice.

Crosstown Arts presents The Cutaway Acoustic Guitar Series, a monthly concert series showcasing internationally acclaimed guitarists in partnership with the Little Rock-based Argenta Acoustic Music Series. July’s performance features guitarist Pierre Bensusan in an intimate, solo performance.

Tickets: $20
Doors at 7 pm | Show at 7:30 pm

“The way the guitar would want to sound if it played itself.”

“Bensusan is very much his own animal. It’s like listening to a butterfly, to dappled sunshine coming through quaking aspens. His music flits and darts around like fish in a pool. And his compositions manage to encompass both the calmness of the pool and the flashing of the fish. It’s an entrancing, almost hypnotic thing to watch and hear, as he seems eager to share his journey, his light. I was struck by how the aim of each song was to be beautiful. Not witty, not avant-garde, not new, necessarily, but beautiful. A great craftsman plying his trade. A shepherd with his flock. As I left, I felt all of a sudden that I’d been to temple after all. My own sort of temple, and by the end of the service I felt purified, cleansed, and ready for the new year.” — Nyack News and Views (USA, Dan Cohen, Oct 4, 2015)

Winner of the Independent Music Award, in the Live Performance Album category for his latest triple live album “Encore” (2014), “Rose d’Or” of the Montreux Festival for his first album, “Près de Paris” (Switzerland, 1976), “Best World Music Guitar Player ” by the readers of Guitar Player Magazine (USA, 2008), Pierre Bensusan is recognized as one of the premier musicians of our time.

If “World Music” is music that pays tribute to the spirit of a collection of human beings through distinct rhythms, traditional instruments, and harmonic colors, French-Algerian guitarist, singer, and composer Pierre Bensusan can be recognized as one of the most eloquent and world musicians today.

Born in Oran, French-Algeria in 1957, when France was decolonizing its Empire, Pierre Bensusan’s family moved to Paris when he was four. He began formal studies on piano at the age of 7, and, at 11, taught himself guitar. Influenced in those early days by the folk revival blooming in Britain, France, and North America, Bensusan began first to explore his own diverse musical heritage and then moved to the horizons beyond.

At 17, he signed his first recording contract, and one year later, his first album “Pres de Paris” won the Grand Prix du Disque upon his debut at the Montreux Festival in Switzerland.

Described by the L.A. Times as “one of the most unique and brilliant acoustic guitar veterans in the world music scene today,” Pierre’s name became synonymous with contemporary acoustic guitar genius, long before the terms New Age, New Acoustic Music, or World Music were invented. He has the ability to make a single guitar sound like an entire band as he brings the audience on a mesmerizing musical journey. And yet, Bensusan is more than what any musician or music lover expects from a guitarist. He is a composer as well as a bilingual and a brave improvisational vocalist, melding whistles and resonant low notes with something like his own scat technique.

There is a sense of something both playful and serious in his work, an unparalleled sense of freedom in his compositions and his improvisations. His “manner” of playing defies classification – crossing world, classical, jazz, traditional, folk and more. None can be isolated as simply “Brazilian”, “Arabic” or “French”; rather, they represent our world in its current state, a world sharing itself, fusing cultures together in ways we have never experienced. A great ambassador of peace. Not to be missed!

This event is postponed until further notice.

Crosstown Arts presents The Cutaway Acoustic Guitar Series, a monthly concert series showcasing internationally acclaimed guitarists in partnership with the Little Rock-based Argenta Acoustic Music Series. June’s performance features guitarist Pat Kirtley in an intimate, solo performance.

Tickets: $20
Doors at 7 pm | Show at 7:30 pm

Combining Kentucky tradition with contemporary style, Pat Kirtley is a solo guitarist with a wide repertoire known for its honesty, humor, and depth. He has penned a virtual library of fresh lyrical compositions enjoyed by audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Pat’s performing skills won him the title of U.S. National Fingerstyle Champion, and in 2006, he was inducted into the National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame. His music has taken him around the world from quaint concert halls to large events, such as headlining Japan’s National Fingerstyle Festival. As a featured performer, Pat has toured across the USA and internationally in Asia, France, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Netherlands and Austria. His warm, personal stage presence garners smiles and praise wherever he goes.

Pat has produced numerous instructional videos and books. He co-produced and appears in the respected “World of Celtic Guitar” DVD series from Vestapol Videos, which spawned accompanying books from Mel Bay and CDs from Rounder Records. Pat’s newest project is a two-volume instructional DVD on the vintage tunes of Chet Atkins.

Pat has produced five albums that are perennial staples of the acoustic guitar world. Among other projects, he appears on Narada Records’ landmark CD “Guitar Fingerstyle,” which has sold over a quarter million copies.

“He is among the new trailblazers — the bold ones who will take the guitar into the next century.” —John Schroeter, “Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine”

“Kirtley is one of those all-too-rare musicians able to transcend his influences to create a distinctive, natural sound all his own.” — David McCarty, “Walnut Valley Record Reviews”