By VMF consultant Richard Newsham
Do you know acoustic guitarist Tommy Emmanuel? You should and now you can!
Eric Clapton flatly states he is “the world’s best guitarist.” And Steve Vai calls him “the most inspired acoustic guitar player I have ever seen.”
“Emmanuel needs to be seen maybe more than heard,” says one reviewer. The spectacle of Tommy Emmanuel live is “a true honor to experience.
“Every cell, every molecule in his body was born and designed to play guitar. He beams with pure pleasure while playing.”
His purity and grace is “quite possibly the finest demonstration of acoustic guitar playing I have ever seen.”
He’s performing on Thursday, January 20, 8 pm, at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center (OPAC), 800 Hobson Way in Oxnard.
It’s the 2022 opener for the 27th “Onward!” season of Ventura Music Festival, co-presented by OPAC/Sterling Venue Ventures.
The Australian native, now an American citizen situated in Nashville, received his first guitar at the age of 4—beginning his journey to become one of the globe’s most talented guitarists, accoladed with two Grammy nominations and a closing performance at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
Inspired by guitar legend Chet Atkins—who anointed him one of only five CGPs (certified guitar players)—Emmanuel knows how to coax the most expressive melodies, rhythms and array of sounds out of his guitar.
Creating an orchestra out of his ten fingers and single six-stringed instrument.
Exploring a galaxy of genres—jazz, blues, classical, Latin, rock, country and folk.
And projecting a profound sense of joy in performance and provoking delightfully humorous interactions with his audiences.
Don’t miss “one of the best solo acoustic players to ever touch strings.”
Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster, or save fees by calling the box office directly at (888) 645-5006 for will-call-only tickets.
Lots more info and music videos at VenturaMusicFestival.org.
