January 24, 2012
NEWS RELEASE FROM CAL POLY ARTS:
CONTACT: LISA WOSKE, lwoske@calpoly.edu
TICKET SALES: 805/756-2787
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Central Coast Favorite Alex de Grassi Returns to PAC Pavilion
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA – Alex de Grassi has been a unique voice in the world of acoustic guitar for over 30 years; his innovative approach to composing and arranging for solo steel-string guitar has influenced generations of players.
On Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 3 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center Pavilion, Cal Poly Arts presents master guitarist ALEX DE GRASSI in an intimate, all-new afternoon of exceptional musicianship. The artist himself will present a free pre-concert lecture at 2 p.m. in the Pavilion.
de Grassi’s compositions resemble orchestral overtures more than mere songs. “He merges intricate finger-picking technique with an uncanny gift for melodic invention.” (Billboard Magazine)
From his first solo performances in university coffeehouses and as a street musician, to his engagements at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Montreux Jazz Festival, de Grassi has followed his own vision and helped lay the foundation for contemporary fingerstyle guitar.
Inspired by American and British Isles folk and blues artists in his early teens, de Grassi’s musical pursuits soon expanded to encompass classical, jazz, and world music. He has since become known for his evocative compositions and arrangements, as well as for his sheer virtuosity. Using a broad palette of techniques and timbre in conjunction with his ability to weave together melody, counter-melody, bass, harmony, and rhythm into a highly-orchestrated canvas of sound, de Grassi’s performances take the listener well beyond the instrument.
His career has drawn acclaim for numerous studio recordings, as well as for live performances as a soloist and within ensemble settings. His 1978 recording, Turning: Turning Back (cited by Acoustic Guitar magazine among their top ten essential fingerstyle recordings), Slow Circle (1979) and Southern Exposure (1984), plus his Grammy-nominated The Water Garden (1998), are all considered classics of the genre.
de Grassi’s most recent solo guitar recording, In Concert, was recorded in front of a live Nashville audience and features compositions and arrangements spanning his career. His latest solo studio recording, Now and Then: Folk Songs for the 21st Century, features contemporary arrangements of treasured melodies from the American standards repertoire.
"In rediscovering these songs," he explains, "I came to appreciate the maxim that folk music is a ‘living’ tradition, and that each generation will find relevance and a way to reinterpret these songs.”
Student and adult tickets for the performance $22 and $28 and may be purchased at the Performing Arts Center Ticket Office, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.
To order by phone, call 805/756-2787; to order by fax: 805/756-6088.
24-hour on-line ordering is available at www.calpolyarts.org.
10% discount offered to groups of 10 or more. (Not applicable to student rates)
Sponsored by FRAME WORKS and NEW TIMES, with additional support provided by KCBX 90.1 FM.
For more information on all Cal Poly Arts events, including audio and video samples, please visit www.calpolyarts.org.
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