Guitar Trio

[Nov 11]

The Ukiah Community Concert Association presents Guitars without Borders on Sunday, November 11 at 5 p.m. at the Mendocino College Center Theater, featuring Grammy award-winning classical guitarist Andrew York, National Fingerstyle Guitar champion Muriel Anderson, and steel-string virtuoso and local luminary Alex de Grassi. These three internationally recognized guitarists/composers will offer a program of their original guitar solos, duos, and trios.

Guitar Player Magazine states, “Andrew York’s eclectic writing and playing constitute one of the hippest styles in American classical guitar.” Acquiring a keen interest in folk and jazz music from his musician parents as a youth in his native Virginia, Andrew eventually relocated to Los Angeles and received his Master’s Degree in guitar composition and performance at the University of Southern California. He has since performed in over 30 countries and has recorded several albums, both as a solo artist and as a member of the groundbreaking Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. His compositions have been recorded and performed by some of the most well-known names in classical guitar including Christopher Parkening, John Williams, and Sharon Isbin. His latest recording, Equations of Beauty, was released earlier this year to great acclaim. He has won Grammy awards for his work with both the LAGQ and his performance of Osvaldo Golijov’s opera Ainadamar recorded with the Atlanta Symphony.

Formerly a student of both Chet Atkins and Christopher Parkening, Muriel Anderson has received commissions from the Nashville Chamber Orchestra and had her music placed in the Woody Allen film Vicky Cristina Barcelona. The Chicago Tribune writes that "she has justifiably gained a reputation as one of the world’s best, and most versatile, guitar instrumentalists” and the late guitar legend Les Paul has called her “[J]ust one hell of a great player.” A Midwest native, she received a music degree from DePaul University in Chicago and has since relocated to Nashville where she is known for hosting the All Star Guitar Night. She has toured extensively throughout the world and released over a dozen instrumental CDs as well as numerous instructional videos and books with various publishers. Her most recent recording, Nightlight Daylight, has received 11 awards including a Global Music Award Best Instrumental for her composition "A Bakers Dozen."

Mendocino County’s own Alex de Grassi has been called a “national treasure” by New York Guitar Festival founder David Spellman and the Los Angeles Times has called him "an acoustic guitarist of virtuosic strength and ability.” Born in Japan, and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Alex began playing folk and blues as a teenager, and continued studying music while pursuing a BA in economic geography at UC Berkeley before launching his 40-year-long career recording and performing his solo guitar compositions. Alex’s early Windham Hill recordings Turning: Turning Back and Slow Circle are often cited as landmarks that have influenced a generation of younger players, and his 1998 recording The Water Garden received a Grammy nomination. His compositions have been widely published and he has received film scoring commissions from the New York Guitar Festival and a commission from String Letter Publishing. Alex shares with Ms. Anderson the distinction of having their CDs accompany astronauts into zero gravity on the space shuttle Discovery.

In addition to performing their own solo guitar compositions, the trio will be performing original works and arrangements for two and three guitars. As a duo de Grassi and York will likely be performing York’s tongue-in-cheek composition "DissFunkShun," as well as de Grassi’s tribute to space travel, "Zero Gravity." Along with other surprises, listeners can expect to hear a three-guitar arrangement of the Rolling Stones’s classic "Paint it Black." Anderson will also delight audiences with her unique compositions for harp guitar, which has additional bass strings.

These three uniquely talented performers have shared the stage in different combinations, but will be coming together as a trio for the first time. De Grassi, who has played separately with both York and Anderson, comments, "What makes this concert so unique is that although our musical education and backgrounds are all distinct, we share a common ground in integrating different traditions into our compositions, arrangements and performances." He and York have both played on Anderson's well-known All Star Guitar Night events over the years. De Grassi notes that Anderson "also brings together the techniques and musical influences of both classical and more popular styles of music." The result is sure to be an evening of rich and diverse guitar music by three of the most recognized guitarists performing today.

Ukiah Community Concert Association has been presenting nationally acclaimed talent since 1947. This all-volunteer nonprofit’s mission is to build and maintain a permanent concert audience and cultivate an interest in fine music among the citizens of the community and surrounding area. It is also their goal to encourage music appreciation in the schools of the community.

In addition to the concert and as part of its educational outreach, UCCA is sponsoring a master class led by Alex de Grassi and open to the public from 12:30 to 2:30 on Tuesday, November 13, in room 5430 of the College Performing Arts Building.

Advance tickets to Guitars Without Borders are available at Mendocino Book Company in Ukiah, Mazahar in Willits, and online. Single tickets for this concert are $30 in advance and $35 at the door (adult) and $10 in advance and $15 at the door (youth under 18). Free tickets are available at the door to Mendocino College students with ID, space providing. Schat’s cookies, Black Oak Coffee and Rivino wine will all be available. More information is at 707-463-2738, or online on Facebook and at www.ukiahconcerts.org.