If you google the name Antonio Forcione, the phrase that pops up instantly is ‘the Jimi Hendrix of the acoustic guitar’. Having seen him last night in concert at Manchester’s Band On The Wall, I find that description wanting. He has Jimi’s technical skill and imagination but his style of playing is, to my ears and eyes, more akin to a mix of John Martyn, Paco de Lucia and Stanley Clarke. At any rate, it’s quite astonishingly inventive and beautiful. This is the tune he played for his final encore last night, and it gives a flavour of the wonderful music he makes.
It’s all instrumental and contains much improvisation, but there’s always an underlying tune or two and some joyfully-syncopated rhythms to latch on to as his spider-fingers weave their webs. As a guitarist now forced to re-evaluate his own pitiful attempts at playing, I find what he does quite breathtaking. As a listener, I hope you do too.
He seems to play anywhere, with anyone (last night he had a percussionist and acoustic bass guitar player with him), and is not above doing covers of pop songs. His current concert schedule is here.
Ruddy hell, he is good. Agree that it is a very different style of play to Jimi, though the clever use of amplification to manipulate the sound is quite Hendrix like, especially the way it really lets him get full power out when “hammering on” But, although I can see similarities with other artists, it’s pretty original as well, structurally at least.
The John Martyn comparison is a good one I think – he actually reminded me a chap called John Smith who I saw supporting Martyn in Liverpool on his last tour (partiuclarly the manipulation of the tuning as part of the performance) and the excessive use of hammering on – I’ve been hoping Smith would pick up some traction but he doesn’t seem to, so am going to shamelessly plug him here – check out this live vid:
As for my own guitar playing – well, I’ve long since given up trying to please anyone but myself with it – after seeing so many people like this guy play, I’ve realised that I could quit my job tomorrow and practice for 15 hours solid a day for 10 years and never come close to matching him – that kind of natural talent is rare and wonderful. Thanks for flagging this up, am going to check out this guy.
There do seem to be a few inventive guitarrers around these days. I may well have seen your chap on that JM tour when it came to Salford. Richard Thompson also had a fantastic female solo acoustic player opening for him last time I saw him (also some time ago now).
Do you fancy a jam sometime, BB? I suspect we have a similar musical vocabulary and skill-set and, from memory, we only live a few miles apart (Northenden/West Didsbury).
Sorry Chris, missed this post – yes, we should definitely do that sometime – I warn you that I’m staggeringly rusty these days (to the point that my wrist can barely cope with extended playing) but it will all come back am sure!
He’s playing at Marsden? Well there’s a possibility, will look into it. Superb. Like the John Smith Foo Fighters cover too – interesting.
You might (MIGHT) enjoy some of my Spill Challenge next week.
You know i love guitars, Chris, but i have other stuff i have to listen to at the moment. I’ll get back here when i can.
Seeing him play with Sarah Jane Morris in March, plus special guests as it’s her birthday, should be a good night, her Cello Songs outing last Autumn was fab.