The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States
Voted Guitarist of the Decade by Guitarist magazine and Best Acoustic Fingerstylist four years in a row by readers of Guitar Player, Adrian Legg dazzles audiences with an unclassifiable mixture […]
The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States
The universe of guitar knows no boundaries for The California Guitar Trio. Since 1991, the group has enthralled listeners with a singular sound that fearlessly crisscrosses genres. The trio’s questing […]
The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States
Internationally acclaimed guitar virtuoso Trace Bundy must be seen, not just heard. His music is poetry in motion, using harmonics, looping, multiple capos, and his unique banter and stage presence to deliver an unforgettable live concert experience. Listening to his intricate arrangements is one thing, but seeing the fan-dubbed “Acoustic Ninja” play live confounds even the most accomplished music lovers as to how one person can do all that with just two hands and ten fingers. Trace has played about 30 countries and counting—from high-tech performance halls in South Korea and Italy, to remote villages in Zimbabwe and Guatemala. In the hands of Trace Bundy, says Guitar Player, “the acoustic guitar is an imagination station, and there was no telling where he is going to take the audience at any given turn. Thrilling stuff.”
The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States
In the words of the Boston Globe, Darrell Scott “is to Nashville what Richard Thompson is to Britain and what Paul Brady is to Ireland.” Most artists fall toward one side or the other of the divide between great songwriting and instrumental virtuosity, but in the songs of Darrell Scott words, music, and instruments are inseparable. Darrell has written some of the sharpest country songs of the 21st century (like the Dixie Chicks’ “Long Time Gone”), and he can play just about anything with strings. Darrell’s song “Hank Williams’ Ghost” was named Song of the Year at the 2007 Americana Music Awards. Darrell has toured with Robert Plant and The Zac Brown Band, and, as a singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist he’s been an artist to whom many in Nashville turn for a shot of inspiration. His music features guitars (including lap and pedal steel), keyboards, electric and acoustic bass, harp, bouzouki, harmonium, mandolin, banjolin, cello, glockenspiel, drums, and various other percussion instruments. Darrell has two recent albums, “Darrell Scott Sings the Blues of Hank Williams” and “Jaroso.”
The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States
Tony Furtado’s banjo and slide guitar range over the entire landscape of American roots music. He puts together traditional string styles, blues, and rock into fusions that have a haunting quality yet seem perfectly natural. Equally at home as a solo act or as a collaborator, Tony has played with musicians as diverse as Alison Krauss, David Grisman, Galactic, Leftover Salmon, and Widespread Panic. Lately he has focused his energy on songwriting. Says Paste: “He mixes bluegrass roots with a mainstream pop streak, easily holding the spotlight, thanks to his restrained virtuosity on acoustic and slide guitar and a warmly engaging voice reminiscent of T Bone Burnett, sans preachiness.” All the music of America is in Tony Furtado’s music, and Relix hit the nail on the head when writing of Tony: “True talent doesn’t need categories.” Tony comes to town with a new release, “Decembering,” and it’s been too long since we’ve heard what he’s been up to creatively!
With Special Guest: Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams
Royal Oak Music Theatre 318 W 4th St Royal Oak, MI 48067 United States
“If you like guitar playing, it simply doesn’t get any better than Tommy.” – Jason Isbell Tommy Emmanuel has achieved enough musical milestones to satisfy several lifetimes. Or at least […]
The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States
Ever since his days with the pioneering folk-rock band Fairport Convention, Richard John Thompson OBE, the product of a working-class London family, has gone his own way. If he so desired, he could spend his time as a singer-songwriter, performing and peddling his grim, brilliant songs of love gone wrong. If he chose to, he could just play his guitar; he’s one of the best guitarists on the planet, and when it comes to making a guitar part of a song, he’s unmatched. But what really gets you about Richard Thompson is the sheer creativity of the man. Will he play a 14th-century ballad about the Battle of Agincourt? a Britney Spears cover? a rockabilly or Cajun rave-up? Named one of the top 20 guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone, Richard Thompson is the recipient of a BBC Lifetime Achievement Award, and a longtime favorite among audiences in southeastern Michigan. It’s been hard to catch him lately in an intimate show, so don’t miss this chance! Come out and pick up a copy of Richard’s new book, Beeswing: Losing My Way and Finding My Voice.
The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States
Once a year, Mark “Mr. B” Braun, Ann Arbor’s own wizard of blues and boogie piano music, comes together with other top piano players from around southeastern Michigan and beyond. Call it a piano summit, or perhaps a meeting of the minds! Audiences in southeastern Michigan tend to think of Mr. B as a local hero, but in fact he’s well known among fans and practitioners of blues and jazz piano music all over the country and around the world. In the past, Mr. B’s Piano Celebration concerts have brought great sets by otherwise hard-to-find performers from New Orleans, New York, and Europe, and they’re by no means confined to boogie and blues.
The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States
British guitar legend Albert Lee, regarded by many as one of the world’s finest guitar players, with a career spanning more than 50 years, needs no introduction for country music, blues, and rock fans. Widely hailed for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique, Albert Lee helped to redefine country guitar for a whole generation of players with his song “Country Boy.” Albert’s many career highlights include two Grammy wins, five years in the Eric Clapton band, and stints with the Rolling Stones’ Bill Wyman, The Crickets, the Everly Brothers, Joe Cocker, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell and many more.
The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States
The Los Angeles Times calls Leo Kottke “an American legend in the guitar world, and a king of his own private musical world.” If you haven’t heard Leo Kottke for a while, though, you may have missed how one of the fastest 6- and 12-string guitar players around has also become one of the most innovative and least musically classifiable. His music encompasses influences from all over the world, and players from outside the folk world closely follow what he does. Leo Kottke is a legend of the guitar who’s still full of surprises after all these years. His shows are displays of captivating mastery of a sort that’s rare in any genre of music. Don’t miss him, and get tickets early for this one—Leo’s Ark shows have been consistent sellouts.
