Who says you need banks of effects, racks of synthesizers or the complexities of a laptop computer to make incredible music. Certainly not the wave of guitarists who’ll be pouring through the Echoes Living Room in the next two weeks. These are musicians who create symphonies on 6 strings.
On June 16, Tommy Emmanuel comes in to play live. Tommy has a nice new CD out called The Mystery and he’ll be performing tunes from that.
On June 22, legendary guitarist Ralph Towner walks in. Probably one of the most influential musicians around, he’s affected just about anyone playing acoustic guitar. He’s a member of the group Oregon, but his new CD, Time Line is solo acoustic.
He’s followed the next day by Michael Manring, the virtuoso bass player whose most recent CD is Soliloquy. Michael combines jaw-dropping technique with a sensitive melodic touch and he may regain his spot of the most Echoes Living Room Concert Appearances.
And the following Monday, it’s Richard Leo Johnson, the madcap, two-hand-tapping guitarist who usually plays a double-necked acoustic but his new album, The Legend of Vernon McAlister features the national steel guitar. 
Click on the album cover to see my review on Amazon.com
Both Richard and Michael will be stopping on their way to and from Nearfest, The Northeast Art Rock Festival in Bethlehem, PA.
Click through to check out their website. I’ll have some more blogging on that next week.
On the next day, three guitarists from the Imaginational Anthem Project come in. This is an ambitious collection of acoustic guitarists and we’ll have three of them, James Blackshaw, Jesse Sparhawk and Jack Rose coming in to play and talk.
The Nightly Music Soundscape
