Guitar Summit, which will be held at Spaulding Auditorium tonight, features four distinct guitar styles performed by noted masters of the instrument. Each brings a distinct style to the guitar, and virtuosity is hardly a question with any of them.
Featuring Steve Morse, Jorma Kaukonen, Maneul Barrueco and Kenny Burrell, the Summit brings together a diverse range of sounds and musical interpretations.
Morse, the recipient of six Grammy nominations and numerous other honors, is best known for his work with rock and roll groups such as Dixie Dregs, the Steve Morse band and Kansas.
Blending spectacular technique on the electric and acoustic guitar, Morse posesses both versatility and unmatched technical facility.
Barrueco, primarily a classical guitarist, has brought an innovative approach to interpreting classical music. Playing everyting from Bach to 20th century Spanish compositions, Barrueco's elegant artistry continues to be one of the best-kept secrets among classical guitarists. He has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, Washington DC's National Symphony and the Tokyo String Quartet.
Bluegrass guitarist Kaukonen is probably not most famous for gigging with Janis Joplin in the 1960s. He joined one of the first acid-rock bands, Jefferson Airplane, in 1967 and has been a prolific recording artist since then.
After Jefferson Airplane broke up in 1974, Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady went on to form the instrumental duo Hot Tuna.
Jazz guitarist Burrell is one of the few musicians still alive from the "renaissance" of jazz. Having played with saxophonist John Coltrane, pianist Oscar Peterson, trumpeter Thad Jones and saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, Burrell has a lyrical, highly melodic style approach to the guitar. Called the "perfect guitarist" by the Washington Post, Burrell has definitely attracted his share of music afficionados.
Tickets for tonight's 8 p.m. concert are available at the Hopkins Center box office. They are $16.50 for general admission and $8.50 for Dartmouth students. A pre-performance discussion will be held in the Faculty Lounge of the Hop at 7 PM.
