guitarsociety

...new members, new styles, new sounds, more joy in the art

In the last week of April, the Wahkiakum Acoustic Guitar Society meeting was treated to a featured performance by one of our newer members, and our ranks grew a bit with the addition of another local guitarist bringing a bit of a European flair.

Our newest member, Alex Docker, played a number of oh-so-sweet Irish melodies utilizing an alternative tuning that gave the musical pieces a touch of Gaelic feel to the sound (Alex, care to post the tuning you were using here?)

Before we started the featured performance of the evening, each guitarist in attendance took a turn to play a song or so, demonstrating once again the impressive overall range and scope of guitar styles wielded by WAGS members.

As is our way here at WAGS, we regularly ask one of our members to do a featured performance, taking 30-45 minutes to do a set -- sometimes with a bit of description as to the history and styles, sometimes with more music and less talk, playing a only lightly interrupted sequence of songs. Tonight's featured performer was Glen Bristow (nephew of Rick, guitarist in his own right), whose writing, progressions, and fingerings amply demonstrated his own enticingly eclectic and innovative approach.

Glen's engaging performance highlighted his diverse exposure to musical genres, leveraging licks and chord patterns from multiple styles, blending classical and jazz influences that melded into some serious rock with an intense underlying drive to it.

Songs varied from some instrumental expositions, a country style song (complete with lost love angst), to expressive rock-styled constructions whose complexity was complemented by Glen's dexterity with the fingerings and chord patterns.

Glen's integration of familiar blues, jazz, rock, and folk riffs with his original compositions brought a fresh appeal with complexity and innovation.  It seems with each new member of WAGS we add dimension and scope to the styles of guitar being played at our meetings, and Glen was a wonderful example of this -- interesting, exciting, and refreshingly divergent!  If you haven't heard Glen play yet, you will just have to come to wAGS to hear him play...I guarantee that you won't be bored!

The next WAGS meeting has been moved to May 9th (instead of the traditional 1st Wednesday May 2nd) to make the logistics work a bit better for all involved.

See you there!

...a musical enchantment by a magical trio...

What a wonderful evening! Stewart and Betty Hendrickson and Jerry Middaugh came down to the Inn at Lucky Mud (in Skamokawa, WA) and treated us all to a concert of traditional & contemporary music.

Stewart kicked off the concert with a recital of a poem entitled 'There is music in the glen tonight', and then launched into a number of haunting 'Irish airs'. Between Stewart's fabulous fiddlin' and poignant Irish folk songs (some that carried a bit of well-delivered melancholy) the musical ambience was established and the audience was well captivated.

Building on the melodious introduction, Betty charmed us all with beautiful renditions of tunes on her hammered dulcimer, spanning styles from waltzes to ragtime. The sweet sounds of her melodious strings wafting through the acoustically bright room enchanted the room into still silence punctuated only by the enthusiastic applause at the end of each tune.

The enchantment was sustained and enhanced by the alluring songs performed by Jerry Middaugh, his dexterous guitar playing well matched to his engaging singing style. The selection of songs ranging from trains and hobos, to cowboys and philosophy kept us all ensnared in an auditory spell, and left us with toes a tappin' and quietly singing along.

The musical tapestry so creatively woven by the ensemble--Stew with his poetry, guitar, fiddle, and beautiful sonorous vocals, Betty with the delightful, delicate melodies dancing from her hammered dulcimer (joined by Jerry's quiet underlying counterpoint), and Jerry's precise guitar work complementing his resonant vocals--kept the audience mesmerized from start to finish.

Overall this was a great concert and a marvelous experience--an eclectic collection of traditional folk music from the British Isles and America played with sensitivity, expertise, and flair--if you ever have the opportunity to hear them play, jump at the chance, as it is an experience you will cherish!

The hootenany / jam session that followed the potluck dinner (after the concert) was also a heck of a lot of fun, with local musicians jumping into the musical fray, with a bit of fun guitar work and even a washtub bass! There were many superb musical contributions played around the song circle, with each cycle highlighting the depth of the rich musical histories of all those singing and playing late into the night.

...just another evening of heavenly strings...

The meeting of the Wahkiakum Acoustic Guitar Society was another open (read "unstructured") evening on April 4th.

We met, we played, we romped, we frolicked, we had a good time.

Ok, ok, so there was a lot more to it than that--we are graced by such an abundance of talent, it sometimes gets hard to come up with adequate descriptions without being totally redundant with previous posts.

As a partial reflection on this scrumptious smorgasbord of musical skill and experience, I would mention Rick with his range of expertise and repertoire of flamenco and jazz progressions, Sunrise with his extensive scope from years of professional performances playing rhythm and lead guitar and singing his expressive vocals, Randy playing impeccable classical melodies (with bits of Clapton et. al. thrown in), Jerry doing some fine picking of contemporary and folk songs, Andrew's exhaustive knowledge of traditional music, multi-instrument skills, and pristine vocal stylin's, Kerrie's sweet melodious renditions (of everything she sings), etc. etc. etc. I could go on and on (and sometimes do) but you probably get the idea.

If you haven't been at WAGS listening and or playing, you have indeed been missing out... *grin*

Upcoming Concert on Sat Apr 21st 5pm

The Wahkiakum

Acoustic Guitar Society

presents

Stewart &

     Betty Hendrickson,

        & Jerry Middaugh

              in concert

An afternoon concert followed by a potluck dinner and jamming into the evening hours. The concert will feature traditional songs from the British Isles & America, along with fiddle, guitar & hammered dulcimer.

And what a location for the concert! It will be held at a beautiful B&B - the Inn at Lucky Mud (Best Places Northwest, 2007) near the Columbia River in SW Washington.

Stewart plays traditional songs and fiddle tunes from the British Isles and America. He plays in local Irish sessions and open mics, and has performed at the Northwest Folklife Festival. For more info on Stewart, click here.

 
Betty plays traditional music on a hammered dulcimer--a lovely stringed instrument that is played with wooden hammers.

Jerry has been performing folk music for many years. Rooted in old fashioned music and folk songs, Jerry has played in various old-time string bands, bluegrass groups, and related folk music ensembles. His repertoire includes songs about work, trains, cowboys, hobos, loss, women, and philosophy.

When:          Saturday,  April 21, 2007

Starting:       5 pm       

Tickets:        $ 12

Where:         The Inn at Lucky Mud

Call 800 806 7131 or 360 795 8770 for reservations
       44 Old Chestnut Drive, Skamokawa, WA 98647

Also, don't miss the introductory hammered dulcimer workshop (led by Betty Hendrickson) on Sunday, April 22nd from 12-2pm (only $10)