Richard Gilewitz in Concert
"Fingerstyle Guitar through Time"

Richard Gilewitz is an internationally acclaimed solo guitarist who forges a new voice to include the expanse of his influences. His complex and energetic original works become stories from the guitar and deliver invitations to each listener to take a journey with him through the past and present realm of guitar music.

Fingerstyle Guitar through Time is a magical voyage of instrumental music, tales from the road, and a few laughs along the way. As Richard incorporates his own personality and orchestration into a sound tunnel of timeless musical history, he delivers a musical platter filled with colorful imagery of samples from European, Contemporary, and Spanish Classical works to the Traditional Folk, Blues and American Primitive eras. Charming his audiences with a mixture of tunes peppered with stories about the composers who have influenced acoustic guitar music and insights into life itself, Richard speaks through his guitar as a master of moods who is always at the service of his inner voice.

Samples of European and Spanish Classical works of J.S. Bach, Andres Segovia, Alonso de Mudarra, Fernando Sor and Isaac Albeniz are interspersed among songs of a modern persuasion, while Traditional Folk selections encompass the American Primitive sounds of John Fahey and Leo Kottke.

Stories of the origins of "Freight Train" by Elizabeth Cotten, "Mrs. Firecracker's Place" and "The Maison Blanche Exit Song" by Richard, and the Woodstock era of Arlo Guthrie tease the listeners with little known facts, enticing them to yearn for more.

The Blues sounds of W.C. Handy, John Hammond, and Ry Cooder incorporate the use of both Delta Blues and Hawaiian Slack guitar slide, while the snappy banjo patterns of Eddie Adcock and bluegrass influences of Bill Monroe and Doc Watson are evident in Richard's own compositions.

Traveling with his audience into the present, Richard's fingers zip out tunes that could be classified as a new acoustic dimension captured by incorporating his own personality and orchestration into this sound passage of timeless musical influences.

As Relix Magazine affirms, "…player with incredible dexterity and imagination." Couple this remarkable playing with Richard’s "tickle your funny bone" offbeat humor and you experience a performance like none other! Richard’s ongoing efforts and talent have been noted in such publications as Washington Post and Option Magazine as "graceful facility" and "seems to embody the traditional values of the guitar and shows what can be accomplished when you do." And as Michael Davis of Option Magazine states, "He begins splendidly with a version of Jefferson Airplane's Embryonic Journey, a tune many a late '60's guitarist used to get up to speed, so to speak. Gilewitz ignores the challenge, as he slows the piece down, accentuating rhythms that were only implied in the original."

States Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine, "To say Richard Gilewitz has a unique personality would be an understatement. His quick wit and twisted sense of humor has made him an entertainer as well as a fine guitarist. He interacts with his audience as he puts it; ‘the whole room is in concert.’ Whether it’s a workshop or concert, Richard leaves his audience with a unique experience."

As one of the most graceful fingerstyle guitarists on the contemporary acoustic scene, Gilewitz stands out in his command of the 6 and 12-string guitar. His wit and humor fascinate audiences, whether he is playing a solo performance or sharing the stage with other artists. He has appeared in concert with John Renbourn, Mose Allison, John Fahey, Leo Kottke, Norman Blake, Kenny G, Adrian Legg, The Little River Band, David Bromberg, Taj Mahal, Greg Brown, John Hammond, Steve Morse, Patty Larkin, The Indigo Girls, Joe Ely, Rory Block, America, Mike Cross, Sonny Landreth, Maria Muldaur, Jane Siberry, and Jorma Kaukonen. More information and photos for downloading can be found at www.richardgilewitz.com.