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Nick Charles Trio: finger picking good

By Latrobe City Council - 18th August 2005 - Back to News

The next act to visit Latrobe City in this year’s Café Concert Series is the Nick Charles Trio. Dubbed as ‘possibly the best finger picker guitarist on the scene today’ by Artstreams magazine, Nick Charles will be appearing at the Tyers Hall on Sunday 4 September at 7.30 along with Howard Cairns on double bass and Matthew Arnold on violin.

Latrobe City’s Performing Arts and Venues Co-ordinator, Kathleen Roberts said that Nick Charles was well accustomed to the life of a touring musician.

"He has been a professional musician for twenty-five years, writing, recording, performing and teaching in many musical settings. He was born in Sydney and spent his musically formative years in Melbourne where he was tutored by Les Adams, Australia’s King of Steel Guitar," Ms Roberts said.

"Nick was captivated by the electric blues and rhythm and blues revival of the 1960’s and, in the process, discovered the acoustic artists that have been his inspiration ever since. He is fond of that area where the roots of blues, jazz, folk and country collide, listing a diverse range of influences including Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Doc Watson, Merle Travis, Kenny Burrell, Norman Blake and Django Reinhardt," Ms Roberts explained.

Ms Roberts said that like many of his generation it was the sound and look of a guitar in a group that first hit the spot for Charles.

"However, it was the fortuitous purchase of a Big Bill Broonzy album in his early teens that left the truly indelible mark and let him glimpse into the world of a solo guitarist. That vision of the possibilities stayed with Nick through years of musical adventure, bands of various shapes and sizes, projects and illusions.

"The thousands of songs played, the miles travelled and the people met all have a meaning and an input into creating a musical voice. Along the way, the sincerity of players in many styles told him that there are only two types of music – soulful and the rest. As a result, Nick Charles’ music has probably become harder to categorise as he likes to draw from the dynamics of the classical masters and also from the rich American roots music heritage, particularly Doc, Merle and Chet," Ms Roberts explained.

Ms Roberts added that Nick Charles’ live shows are a diverse collection of tunes and songs that reflect his musical diary.

"He is not only a superb guitarist but happens to be a great songsmith as well, which is publicly acknowledged with his awards of first prize in the Australian Song Competition, jazz and blues category and also song of the year, Victorian and Tasmanian Blues," Ms Roberts concluded.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com