The Marc Atkinson Quartet will fire up the 2011-12 season of high-quality musical performances, presented by Quadra Cultural Committee, with sizzling, Django-style, finger picking fun.
“He picks in the same kind of league as Chet Atkins,” said Loudon Wainwright, of Maverick Magazine about B.C.’s Marc Atkinson. Atkinson will bring his outstanding technique, his fluent and graceful style and a set of new compositions to the Quadra Community Centre on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 8 p.m.
Atkinson is a multiple award-winning, world-touring, West Coast Canadian, whose guitar playing and composing has been described as “jawdropping,” “stunning,” “dazzling” and “flawless.” He has performed at festivals from Celtic Connections in Glasgow, to the Montreal International jazz Festival, to California WorldFest, to Tonder Festival in Denmark and even for the Queen.His self-titled CDs have garnered much critical acclaim: Marc Atkinson Trio II was voted one of the top five albums in North America by Acoustic Guitar Magazine and Marc Atkinson Trio III was nominated in 2006 for an Outstanding Album Award at the Western Canadian Music Awards.
Multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and producer, Atkinson is one of Canada’s most talented musicians. His catchy compositions take guitar beyond the usual repertoire and sound into a fiery but elegant musical style infused with a blend of influences from classical and jazz to rock, while maintaining the laidback humour and casual ‘good time feel’ of Canada’s West Coast.
The new Quartet includes Atkinson on acoustic guitar and mandolin; Adrian Dolan co-founder of the Bills and touring artist with such names as Ridley Bent and The Chieftains, on fiddle, accordion, viola, and piano; Joey Smith also in the Marc Atkinson Trio and formerly with the Glen Miller Orchestra on stand up bass; and Kelby MacNayr on percussion.
Jurgen Gothe from CBC’s Disc Drive includes Marc Atkinson solidly in a top-10 list with the likes of the Rosenberg Trio and Iceland’s Guitar Islancio. Victoria News describes one of Atkinson performances: “...punching out lively tunes with technical prowess, yet still interspersed with episodes of emotionally charged improv...he darts up and down the length of the fret-board, plucking out a barrage of well-timed notes with amazing dexterity.”
Tickets for the Marc Atkinson Quartet are available at the usual outlets: The Music Plant in Campbell River and on Quadra at Hummingbird Office and Art Supply and at Quadra Crafts. Advance tickets are $17. Door: $20. For more information: www.marcatkinson.com or 250-285-2580.