The California Guitar Trio – Bert Lams of Affligem, Belgium, Hideyo Moriya of Tokyo, Japan, and Paul Richards of Salt Lake City, Utah – bring together a whirlwind of instrumental styles, including classical, rock and roll, world music, jazz, and blues – oh, and let’s not forget that cherished California sub-genre, surf rock. These three virtuoso guitarists play everything from “Walk, Don’t Run” to Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor to a clever mash-up of “Ghost Riders” and “Riders on the Storm.” Since meeting in 1987 at one of Robert Fripp’s early Guitar Craft courses and touring with Fripp’s League of Crafty Guitarists, the trio has recorded 14 albums, including their latest, Masterworks, which gathers together some of the outstanding classical arrangements they’ve developed over the years. Their music was featured in the television coverage of the Olympic Games in 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2004, and the crew of the Space Shuttle Endeavor chose their music to wake up to in the “morning.” But you don’t have to go into space to enjoy them – just come on down to the Freight!

The website Jazz Times describes the music of New West Guitar Group as “well-orchestrated, cascading six-string work that falls somewhere between Leo Kottke and Pat Metheny, with a nod to the intertwining guitar arrangements of the Allman Brothers Band.” The group – Perry Smith, John Storie, and Jeff Stein – builds on a firm jazz foundation with elements of blues, rock, and folk. The group came together at the turn of the twenty-first century at the University of Southern California, where the original members were students in the Thornton School of Music’s Studio/Jazz Guitar Department. The lineup has changed over the years as the group has recorded four albums, including its latest, Round Trip Ticket, which reached #28 on the national jazz charts and has been featured on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

You can think of tonight’s show as presenting music without borders – it goes where it wants to go and has fun getting there!

Visit the California Gutiar Trio's website

Visit New West Guitar Group's website

Listen to a track from the California Guitar Trio:

Listen to a track from New West Guitar Group: