Refusing to be pigeon-holed and some what of a wild card as far as "classical guitarist" go, Brent Bassham is constantly pushing the boundries as one the most exciting young concert guitarist today.
His performances are not just for the musical connoisseur as he includes popular music in his programs. Any musical style finds it's way onto his guitar; jazz,country, flamenco, rock, etc. Regardless of the genre, Mr. Bassham performs on a single guitar with the sound of a "one man band" that gives his audience the illusion that they are listening to an ensemble. His current repertoire includes anything from Irish and Scottish folk, Scott Joplin,The Beatles, Chet Atkins, to the mighty Gran Jota: a piece that exploits every sound the guitar can make including sounding like the snare drum of a marching band while at the same playing a playful melody simultaniously. From one piece to the next, you may find yourself hearing the splender of Spanish guitar then suddenly you are in the wild west. Brent is always eager to speak to his audience and ask for audience participation such as hand clapping, foot stomping, and perhaps even ask for an assistant from his audience. In addition to being a soloist, Brent has also performed with choirs, ballets, flamenco dancers, and various ensembles.
Recently, Mr. Bassham has turned his attention to incorporating more American music into his program including that of jazz-fusion guitarist Ralph Towner, Scott Joplin, and the cinematic orchestrations of Elmer Bernstein. Seeing the relative lack of American music performed on the classical guitar, he has made it a personal goal to celebrate, with his audience, the wonderful array of our homeland's composers.
Brent Bassham
Solo Guitarist Extraordinaire
