Join Portfolio Coffeehouse [2300 E. 4th St., LBC; 562-434-2486], the premiere coffeehouse of Long Beach, for an intimate evening of fingerstyle acoustic guitar featuring Scot Ryder, Jim Earp and Kev, Saturday, January 26th, 7-9pm. Last January’s acoustic guitar event was a huge success, so get there early to guarantee a seat!
Every year in January the NAMM Show (National Association of Music Merchants) in Anaheim brings out some of the top musicians from around the world. This will be the 3rd year running that Portfolio has been the host to the Fingerstyle Acoustic Concert Series.
Scot Ryder is an energetic fingerstyle acoustic guitarist hailing from San Diego whose style can be described as a mix of folk, classical and flamenco, blended with harmonics, tapping, percussive guitar slapping. His playing has often been compared to guitarists such as Preston Reed, Michael Hedges and Stephen Bennett. Ryder’s debut solo recording, Inspiration, was released this past April. Previously, he’d been touring with medieval folklore band, Enchanted Realms, with two release to their credit including Enchanted Realms (2010) and Medieval Tales (2009). Ryder’s guitars of choice include a Taylor 712ce and 514ce for studio recordings, and a Taylor 414ce and 514ce for live performances. Ryder is a member of the AFM (American Federation of Musicians) local 325 and owns San Diego’s largest rehearsal & recording facility, Superior Sound Studios and Room 16 Recording Studio.
Jim Earp is a dynamic guitarist from San Diego, California who describes his style as noveau-celtic-classical-folk, as demonstrated on his latest release, Smiles To Go. His guitars of choice include a Custom Rosewood 6-String Cutaway and a Steinberger GM. Jim has been a two-time "Top Five Finalist" in the International Fingerstyle Guitar Competition in Winfield, KS, and his music has appeared in songbooks and CD compilations alongside such guitarists as Pierre Bensusan, Phil Keaggy, Andy Mckee, Doug Smith, Stephen Bennett, and Pete Huttlinger. Earp can be heard on the sampler, Acoustic Guitar Highlights Volume II, alongside cuts from, among others, Elton John's bandleader Davey Johnstone, The Hellecaster's John Jorgenson, and ex-Wings guitarist Laurence Juber.
Harp and fingerstyle guitarist KEV (Kevin Rones) is also based in San Diego and is an author and educator. His music is a fiery blend of slapping, tapping, picking and plucking, weaving in flavors of Celtic, Flamenco, Blues and Rock into his fingerstyle guitar compositions, and tying it together with his own style and sound. KEV is known for his high energy live shows. Among his many accolades, KEV is the founder of the San Diego Guitar Society, The School of Guitar Wizardry™, and is a Taylor guitar artist and guitar inspirer for the Taylor Guitars in Schools program. He is also a top competitor in the International Fingerstyle competition held in Winfield Kansas, a promoter of The Acoustic Underground Concert Series, and the author of QuickstartGuitar™ and Quickstart Ukulele methods. His latest projects include a new CD release, Guitar and Harp Guitar Inspired and a new Centerstream/Hal Leonard instructional book titled, KEV's Quickstart Fingerstyle Ukulele Set for international release in February 2012.
About Portfolio:
For nearly two decades, Portfolio has hosted legions of local coffee drinkers amidst the tree-lined neighborhoods of Midtown Long Beach. This premiere neighborhood, watering hole embodies the true essence of European culture, offering a welcoming setting for friends to gather, artists to collaborate, and business colleagues to meet. Offering a wide selection of handcrafted food & pastries—and of course enticing coffee/tea brews—Portfolio also presents live music, poetry readings, and fine art exhibitions regularly in an eclectic locale. With the Art Theater on the west end (near the intersection of 4th and Cherry), and Portfolio at the east end, this block of 4th Street provides a pedestrian-friendly shopping and entertainment destination for downtown residents and visitors.