Bay Area fingerstyle guitarists Teja Gerken and Doug Young released their long-awaited joint album, Duets, in the spring of 2020, and just like everything else, a CD-release show at The Back Room scheduled for last May was put on hold.
Inspired by the examples set by instrumental guitar duos ranging from folk-baroque legends John Renbourn and Bert Jansch to the sophistication of the Duo Assad, Teja and Doug create arrangements that are larger than the sum of their parts. The duo takes advantage of the timbres available through a dazzling array of tunings and by pairing a wide variety of guitars, which include steel-string acoustics, low-tuned baritones, metal-bodied resonators, full-size and miniature 12-strings, nylon-string classicals.
About Duets, Alex de Grassi says, “Employing an impressive battery of artisan guitars, Teja and Doug produce a wonderful range of sonorities and musical directions that updates the classic chemistry of the "Bert & John" (Jansch & Renbourn) recordings of the sixties--a treat for fans of both acoustic guitar music and the art of lutherie.”
Acoustic Guitar magazine says, “Duets represents modern fingerstyle at the highest level,” and Germany’s Gitarre & Bass magazine says, “...fingerstyle guitar at its best, with open tunings, picking, strumming, and melodic playing, somewhere between folk and jazz, with a little blues thrown in.”
Pete Madsen is an acoustic blues, ragtime and slide guitarist from the San Francisco Bay Area who blends skillful technique with thoughtful writing skills to produce wonderful guitar excursions. His latest solo CD, Rooster Eggs, showcases his instrumental prowess on 6, 12 string and National resonator guitars. He is also part of the duo, From the Delta and Beyond, with vocalist Celeste Kopel, an educational and entertainment project presenting prewar blues from artists such as Robert Johnson, Skip James, Big Bill Broonzy and others.
A SPECIAL NOTE FROM THE BACK ROOM
Thank you for your interest in this show. It is part of our outdoor concert series, which is very different in atmosphere and logistics from our indoor shows. We did this in October, so we have a bit of experience at this point.
Although our collective COVID restrictions are coming closer and closer to an end, and more and more vaccinated folks are now able to relax with each other mask-free, we cannot yet treat our public spaces in that way - not even outdoors - and we therefore want to be elaborately and redundantly safe in our procedures. So, masks will be required (except for singers on stage) and seats will be properly distanced. Audience members are welcome to un-distance the seats of those with whom you would otherwise be mask-less with - but you must keep your masks on.
The seats will be standard folding chairs - no comfy couches this time, but they will be comfortably shaded. Only 60 tickets will be sold, and we expect all or most of them to be bought in advance. (Reimbursement for cancellation is guaranteed with 24-hour notice, and rain may cause a cancellation from our end).
Please keep in mind that late afternoons can be chillier than expected, even on a warm spring day, especially when sitting still, so bring an extra layer! Cups of water will be available, but it might be a good idea to bring your own drinks/snacks.