Australian-born Owen Van Larkins burst onto the international guitar scene last year with the release of the critically acclaimed duo album, Myriad, produced by guitarist Andrew White and released on Candyrat Records label in 2011. His highly anticipated new solo album Wandering Hands has also earned him recognition in the finger-style guitar world since its release in May 2012 and he will be a featured guitarist at the Canadian Guitar Festival in August for the second year in a row. Raised in the outback of the Gold Coast, Van Larkins brings his love of nature into his compositions and has quickly established himself as the next bright new star on the North American finger-style guitar circuit.
Trevor Gordon Hall is an acoustic instrumentalist whose compositions range in style from driving rhythms to soft melodic phrases. Hall caught the eye of nine-time Grammy winning producer Joe Nicolo (James Taylor, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, etc.), who produced two of his releases entitled Finding My Way and Let Your Heart Be Light. His debut album Entelechy (Candyrat) climbed the iTunes Singer/Songwriter charts and his music has been featured on various radio stations including NPR and television programs including NBC.
Over the last few years, Maneli Jamal has been making quite a name for himself, mostly thanks to his powerfully evocative music which is a reflection of his life. Born in Iran and raised in Germany, Jamal moved to the States in his adolescence, immigrating to Minnesota before relocating to Austin, Texas until his late teens. At this time, his family was issued a deportation letter by the immigration office, and they were forced to claim refuge in Canada within thirty days of receiving the notice. Taking literally only what they could fit in their hands, Jamal and his family arrived in Toronto after establishing their lives in Austin. It was at this time that Maneli got an acoustic guitar from his father, which has scarcely left his hands since. Both a solo act as well as an instrumental guitar player, Jamal manages to play with conviction that transcends words and obvious melodies.
As a group, Van Larkins, Hall, and Jamal bring to the stage an evening of jaw-dropping guitar playing and exquisite technique. Each artist explores the rich tapestry of their individual approach to acoustic finger-style guitar music and leaves audiences spellbound. For any guitar enthusiast, this is a show not to be missed.
