photo by Jesse Shepphard
Sunday November 5th, 8pm. $10 in advance, $12 at the door
GLENN JONES is a master of American Primitive Guitar, a style invented in the late 1950s by John Fahey, whose traditional fingerpicking techniques and wide-ranging influences were used to create modern original compositions. Jones, who led the post-rock ensemble Cul de Sac, brings his own made-up tunings, the use of custom-crafted partial capos, and a highly skilled picking style on both banjo and guitar, to create personal compositions that are lyrical, emotive and elegant.
In 2004 Jones complemented the release of his first album of acoustic 6- and 12-string guitar instrumentals, This Is the Wind That Blows It Out, with a month-long tour of Europe and the UK with guitarist extraordinaire, Jack Rose. Against Which the Sea Continually Beats followed in 2007. Recorded on Martha's Vineyard, the album runs the gamut from the Delta to Appalachia, from bastard classical to cinematic soundscapes. Graceful, subtle, resonating with confidence and power, the album was seen as a significant addition to the "guitar soli" cannon.
The Wanting was released as a single CD and double LP in 2011 on the Thrill Jockey label, making several year end "best of" lists. Glenn's next album was My Garden State (Thrill Jockey) which has garnered the best reviews of his career and made NPR's "Best Albums of 2013" list. He's also mad a trio album with Chris Corsano and David Greenberger and has toured frequently the last several years.
Jones has written extensively about the leading lights of the American Primitive guitar style, namely John Fahey (with whom he was friends for nearly 25 years), and Robbie Basho (Jones was friends with the guitarist until Basho's untimely death in 1986, and hosted the guitarist / singer's final tour of the East Coast).
Jones has also performed with Peter Lang, Steffen Basho-Junghans, Cian Nugent, James Blackshaw, Paul Metzger, Peter Walker, Meg and Laura Baird, Harris Newman, Sean Smith, MV + EE, Dredd Foole, Sharron Kruaus, Tom Carter, Yo La Tengo, Thurston Moore, Chris Corsano, and many, many others.
What sets him apart from the myriad guitarists playing today is his ability to tell stories with the guitar and banjo, and to convey a range of emotions. This process starts with the compositions themselves and carries through to his selection of recording environment and engineer. Jones turned away from standard tuning years ago, inventing tunings as a way of escaping the known. The pieces he writes in these tunings are his way of navigating new and unfamiliar landscapes. http://www.thrilljockey.com/artists/glenn-jones
SARAH HUGHES & NATE SCHEIBLE - Sarah Hughes is an alto saxophonist, composer, and music educator currently residing in Baltimore. She is a free improviser who enjoys creating within, and on top of, many genre frameworks. Recently she has begun working with drummer/percussionist Nate Scheible, who is a mainstay in DC’s improvised music community. Together they explore the possibilities of sound in positive and emotional expression.