An Die Musik: Celtic Guitar Masters Steve Baughman & Robin Bullock
In person: $25 ($10 student) | Stream: $15
- Robin Bullock, acoustic guitar, mandolin, cittern
- Steve Bauman, fingerstyle guitar, clawhammer banjo
The magnificently rich sound of two acoustic guitars conjures up the ancient musical landscapes of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Brittany in the hands of Celtic guitar masters Steve Baughman and Robin Bullock (founding member of Baltimore's legendary world-folk trio Helicon). These two virtuosos together in concert, surrounded by guitars – and the occasional cittern, mandolin, or banjo – and completely relaxed with their audience, form an irresistible onstage synergy. Traditional airs, jigs, and reels blend with the timeless harp compositions of Ireland's legendary bard Turlough O'Carolan, hypnotic Breton dances, rollicking Appalachian fiddle tunes, and soulful meditations from both sides of the Atlantic, as two of North America's leading Celtic guitarists join forces to create a uniquely beautiful sonic experience.
Steve and Robin met as instructors at the Swannanoa Gathering's Guitar Week in 2000, sat down to share a few tunes informally, immediately realized that something very special was happening, and proceeded to capture that magic on their debut duo CD Celtic Guitar Summit. Honored by Acoustic Guitar Magazine with three "Editor's Picks" awards as one of the top CDs of the year, Celtic Guitar Summit "sheds new light on O'Carolan's enchanting melodies and on the long history of Ce`tic music they inspired," according to the Washington Post. Sing Out! hailed Celtic Guitar Summit as "a shimmering collection of haunting melodies, ringing tones and consummate musicianship," while Dirty Linen warned that the CD was "guaranteed to lower your blood pressure. Other side effects may include uncontrollable smiling and blissful humming."
Since then, Steve and Robin have toured as a duo whenever their schedules would allow, on both coasts of the U.S as well as in Canada and Italy, made cameo appearances on each other's solo CDs, and finally, in 2014, teamed up in the recording studio again for their long-awaited second CD, Alone and Together, earning five-star rave reviews from Amazon to AllMusic.
Attending online: The link will be revealed to live stream participants 15 minutes before the show and will remain active for one week.
Attending in person: In-person attendees receive a link to the recording to view for one week. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is no longer required.
Donations welcome.
About Robin Bullock, acoustic guitar, mandolin, cittern
Hailed as a “Celtic guitar god” by Baltimore City Paper and “one of the best folk instrumentalists in the business” by Sing Out! Magazine, Robin Bullock is one of the preeminent acoustic music masters of our time.
His virtuosity on guitar, cittern and mandolin blends the ancient melodies of the Celtic lands, their vigorous American descendants, and the masterworks of the Baroque and Renaissance eras into one powerful musical vision. The 17th-century harp tunes of legendary Irish bard Turlough O’Carolan, the spirited jigs and reels of rural Ireland, the haunting ballads of the southern Appalachians and the timeless compositions of Bach, Dowland and Francesco da Milano all find a musical common ground in Robin’s music, where lightning-fast fingerwork one moment is perfectly balanced with tender, quiet intimacy the next. A warm, friendly presence onstage, Robin effortlessly creates a magical world for the audience with his multi-instrumental wizardry, taking them on an unforgettable journey into the deep heart’s core and through the music of the spheres.
https://robinbullock.com/bio/