Old Town Center for the Arts ~ Cottonwood, AZ

The Old Town Center for the Arts ~ Cottonwood, AZ

Guitar Summit III

Featuring:
William Eaton, Anthony Mazzella and Fitzhugh Jenkins

and a Tree Harp?

Friday, February 11, 7:30 PM
$18 adv, $20 door, $25 priority seating

Visionary guitarists William Eaton, Anthony Mazzella, and Fitzhugh Jenkins join forces to play acoustic, electric and electric harp guitars in solo and ensemble configurations for Guitar Summit III on Friday, February 11th, 7:30 PM at Old Town Center for the Arts. You will also hear William Eaton’s tree harp one of the largest stringed instruments on the planet. What is the sound of one hand clapping? What is the sound of an 18-foot tree with strings attached? The first question, a Zen koan, is a paradoxical riddle that begs contemplation. There is not a definitive answer. The second question may well be a koan, but you can actually hear this tree harp for yourself at the Guitar Summit III event.

Since the initial Guitar Summit event in September 2009, Anthony Mazzella has created a new solo album, William Eaton has built several new instruments and, Fitzhugh Jenkins has journeyed to India and the Andes to perform and explore new music territory. The trio initially formed several years ago to become the Electric Harp Guitar Group (EHGG), playing three of William Eaton’s original 18 string electric harp guitars. The trio spent time at Wisdom Tree Studio in Sedona to record their self-titled Electric Harp Guitar Group which was honored last year as one of the Top 25 Essential CD’s by Echoes, an internationally syndicated radio program. EHGG will perform several songs from this acclaimed album and will also collaborate on several new unplugged acoustic guitar songs. Each artist will also perform solo, providing a glimpse into the unique guitar styles that have propelled their individual careers.

Each musician brings diverse talent and creative technique to this ‘one night only’ concert. Anthony Mazzella is recognized as one of the most innovative and technically proficient guitar players in the world, and was voted as “one of the top ten guitarists in the U.S.” by Guitar One magazine. Anthony performed his solo album Heavenly Guitar to a sold out audience at OTCA. Fitzhugh Jenkins has become renowned for his versatility on acoustic, classical, and bass guitars and his performing and recording career has taken him around the U.S., Europe, India, Canada, and Hawaii. William Eaton is acknowledged as one of the world’s great designers and builders of unique guitars and stringed instruments. He is a four time GRAMMY nominee and will travel to Los Angeles on Saturday for the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards telecast on Sunday, February 13th, for his Best New Age Album nomination with R. Carlos Nakai and Will Clipman for their CD release Dancing Into Silence.

A special feature for the concert will be a tribute entitled Beyond the Trees our symbiotic planetary relationship to this species, and the gifts they give, complete with a slide presentation broadcast on the cyclorama screen at OTCA. The tree harp built by Eaton was created from a paradise tree grown on the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery property in Phoenix. William is a co-founder of the school and is the present director.