King's Head - August 9th Guy Tortora
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Born & raised in Pasadena, California, Guy Tortora is now settled in London, in the UK.
What he does as a songwriter and performer is what people like to call Americana these days -- a hard term to define as it seems to mean different things depending on who you're talking to. But if to you it means original songs, well constructed and well performed, in some of the various musical idioms that originated in the USA -- blues, jazz, folk and roots -- and also interpreting the work of other writers in these genres with depth and feeling, then you should check out his work if you haven't already.
Over the last few years he has laid claim to a unique niche on the Blues 'n' Roots scene in the UK and European Continent, from small clubs and theatres to festivals. His two recent solo albums received a warm welcome in the Blues 'n' Roots reviews, a third album was released in 2008 to great acclaim from reviewers and audiences alike. When travelling light, he performs in stripped down acoustic mode either on his own, or accompanied by bass or keyboards. At many UK gigs he appears with the Guy Tortora Band, his own four-piece outfit of accomplished musicians from the UK and Europe. With this band he has performed live with artists as diverse as Eric Clapton, Pee Wee Ellis, John Cleary and Eric Bibb.
Guy is a guitar player of some accomplishment. On both acoustic and electric guitars he plays finger style, and is a fine bottleneck and slide player. His playing is not the flashy guitar-slinger style beloved of bluesrockers everywhere, but understated, and leaves room for the songs to make an impact, whether his own or the "covers" he performs that include many old standards and traditional tunes as well as songs by more recent American writers such as Eric Bibb or Kreig Viesselman.
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King's Head 10th September Pierre Bensusan
If “World Music” is music that pays tribute to the spirit of a collection of human beings through distinct rhythms, traditional instruments and harmonic colours, French-Algerian guitarist, singer and composer Pierre Bensusan can be recognized as one of the most eloquent and diverse world musicians of our time.
Born in Oran, French-Algeria, Pierre Bensusan‘s family moved to Paris when he was 4. He began 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 Bensusan was voted "Best World Music Guitar Player in 2008“ by Guitar Player Magazine Readers' Choice.
His 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 takes 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 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. Not to be missed !
"Pierre’s music gives me the shakes. No other guitarist shares his strange gifts of sophistication, accessibility and downright joy. Even at its most complex, Pierre’s music only needs ears to be enjoyed.“ Leo Kottke
"Listening to Pierre Bensusan is rejuvenating. Beside his extraordinary touch and tone, the notes and melody appeal directly to the tender side of our human nature.“ Steve Vai
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King's Head 8th October Rory McLeod
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Rory Mcleod - ex-circus clown and fire eater. A one man soulband, poet and storyteller, singing his own unique upbeat dance stories. A modern travelling troubadour using tap shoes, acappella, harmonica, guitar, trombone, spoons, finger cymbals, bandorea, djembe and various percussion instruments!
Rory has travelled the globe for different reasons at different times, from Asia to the middle East from Gambia to Cuba, Central America, Australia, North America, Canada, Europe and other nooks and crannies of the earth.
"You don't listen to McLeod you travel with him"
City Hub, Sydney (Australia)
"I've travelled to look for work, to mend a broken heart, to be with someone I longed for. I'd travel to visit friends and on the way I'd make new ones, I'd roam because I was curious to see what was around the next corner, sometimes I travelled to follow the warmer weather and migrate... like the birds and the big whales and fishes do".
Rory
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King's Head 12th November Dick Gaughan
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A professional musician and singer since the 1970s. Though Dick focuses on Folk and Celtic music he has played everything from free jazz and rock to country music and has recorded extensively. He plays most stringed instruments but is happiest with an acoustic guitar.
To visit Dick Gaughan’s website go to www.dickgaughan.co.uk
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