12 Days a capella

I just found this clip of the group Straight No Chaser, an a capella group at Indiana University. Great stuff. When my friend Brad was at IU he clued me in to an annual musical extravaganza called IU Sing. Brad arranged an a capella medley of Def Leppard songs for his fraternity. Enjoy this one.

Adrian Legg: mild mannered guitar savant

Virtuosity is a rare thing that surfaces in unique places. In the fall of 1988 I spent a semester abroad in Cambridge, England, and while there I picked up a music magazine that reviewed an album called Guitars And Other Cathedrals by a guy named Adrian Legg. The review raved about his flexibility of style, attention to melody as well as outright speed when necessary. I immediately went to the record shop and snagged a cassette. It opened my eyes and ears to a type of guitar playing I'd never even considered, and the record remains a favorite. By the way, the US version didn't release until 1990 and had a horrible cover compared to the original UK version.

Just yesterday I found the clip embedded here of a beautiful piece from that record. I saw Adrian Legg play in Nashville about 10-11 years ago at the Bluebird Cafe and he was amazing, endearing and wholly inspiring. I'm not sure who the Brad Jones guy in the leather hat is on the tail end of the clip, but I'm glad to be able to spread the love about Adrian Legg. Enjoy.