The Alternative Guitar Summit announces itself as “a yearly festival of daring, inventive players who emphasize new and unusual approaches to the guitar,” and its Jazz-Rock-Funk Throwdown more than lived up to that promise. Held at NuBlu, on New York City’s Lower East Side, on June 22, the three-set bill boasted Dave Fiuczynski’s Micro Kif Jamz; Adam Rogers’s DICE; and Harriet Tubman, featuring Brandon Ross. Three-and-half hours of ear-bending, imaginative, guitar-centric exploration ensued, a celebration of some of the outer reaches of musical expression.
“Alternative” is one of those words that, I think, don’t mean much when applied to music. But, in this context, maybe it’s apt, since most of this music was out the broad wheelhouse of my listening. Some of it still is, while some it has found its place in my frequent listening. I found that writing about the individual performances required a noticeably different approaches, reflecting the state of my understanding and enjoyment of what each was up to.
All were totally worth the experience! It is good to have one’s ears stretched! This is the first in a three-part series. The pieces I’ve written here fall somewhere between reviews and reflections on the process of wrapping my head around new sounds or musical approaches. Please check out each short installment of the series, and be sure to click the links for performance videos, bios, and/or interviews!