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08/14 Thursday
7:30 PM Michael McNeill Quartet Featuring Paul Smoker
Paul Smoker, trumpet
Michael McNeill, piano
Larry Kukers, bass
Francisco Molina, drums
For more information:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/damonshort/smoker.htm
http://www.myspace.com/mgmcneill
10:00 PM The Julien Kasper Band
Julien Kasper is a superb guitarist ... a dynamic and fluent player with a rich mind full of musical ideas. This is a terrific musician who should not be missed.
— Allan Chase The Portsmouth Herald
"Kasper's playing is authoritative and adventurous. With forays into jazz
phrasing and high-octane blues, his melodic attack combines equal parts of
Jeff Beck and Hendrix channeled through monumental tone."
-- Guitarist Magazine
"His second album continues to show he's is one of New England's real musical treasures. The CD is a sparkling sample of Kasper's versatility ... marvelous interplay... virtuoso fretwork... delectable melody... stunning command of tone and phrasing...
— Jay Miller Patriot Ledger
"Julien Kasper again proves he is one of the finer rock guitar instrumentalists around. He’s got great chops and feel and unquestionable tone. In fact, the sounds of the guitars are damn near perfect. And best of all, the compositions here are well-written."
— John Heidt Vintage Guitar
"Berklee’s ax-wielding professor of Hendrixian studies and Beckology puts the lie once more to the old “those-who-can’t-play-teach” canard with this ripping, live-to-tape date, his second. Grounded in jazz-rock and funk, featuring more guitar tones than a ZZ Top compilation, and all done with a minimum of crotch-grabbing, “The New Imperial” gives a good name to guitar heroics. Download: “8 to 11.”
— Kevin R. Convey Boston Herald
"Wes Montgomery greatly complicated my life by hipping me to jazz," writes Julien Kasper. Way to go, Wes! Kasper's ballsy - yet - breathy tone (think Holdsworth, Frisell) is grafted onto lithe, elastic compositions that breath fusion fire through Texas teeth.
The eclectic [guitarist] suggests that "John Coltrane and Miles Davis have far more in common with Hendrix and Beck than most jazz guitarists." Building his style from that perspective, Kasper displays the kind of righteous control, dead-on phrasing, progressive composition, and savvy ears that make Eric Johnson's music so appealing... This guy is really, really good - somebody give him a record deal quick!"
-- Guitar Player Magazine