FIRST SATURDAY CONCERTS SERIES February 4, 2012 WOODY MANN Workshop & Concert

WOODY MANN Guitarist / Singer-Songwriter PHOTO BY RUTH SOVRONSKY Workshop & Concert “Don’t miss a chance to see him; you are unlikely to hear anything – or anyone better in the fields that Mann has chosen to master.” ~The Times of London “With impeccable tone, gutsy phrasing, beautiful harmonies, and cool dynamics, Mann is in a class by himself. Phenomenal.” ~Guitar Player Magazine The remarkable ease and grace with which Mann blends a wide pallet of influences was summed up in a recent Acoustic Guitar Magazine review of his recent recording Road Trip… ”Mann has absorbed so many guitar styles that he can change moods on a dime, weaving lyrical single string lines and chord harmonies that can take his tunes across the musical divides between genres…” Among guitarists and critics, Woody Mann is considered a modern master. While the blues are his touchstone, he seems to draw inspiration from every direction, blending a myriad of influences with ease and grace. Pioneering guitar legend John Fahey said it well: “You can hear classical, jazz and blues approaches somehow converging into a single sparkling sound – a sound completely his own. Woody takes a fresh approach to his blues re-creations and his own compositions defy category. If there was a category simply called ‘great music’ Woody’s music would belong there.” Woody Mann received his first musical schooling in the living room of Rev. Gary Davis, the now legendary blues, gospel, and ragtime guitarist. Though Davis died in 1972, his guitar mastery proved to be an indelible influence on his young student and friend. The passion, energy and artistry of Davis’ early work became a lasting influence for Mann as he embarked on his own musical journey. Visit his website: woodymann.com           Listen to his music — Music samples Workshop:   Blues, Roots and Beyond: Fingerstyle Technique and Repertoire Recognized as among the world’s elite acoustic guitarists, Woody has been a teacher to countless players worldwide through his seminars, books, instructional DVDs, and now at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. The pre-concert workshop will run from 4-6 PM and provide a hands on, practical lesson for guitarists who would like to gain a deeper understanding of blues & roots music to lift their skills to the next level. Although this is a group session, the focus will be on individualized instruction. Presented in conjunction with Long Island Fingerstyle Guitar Club – www.lifgc.com and Five Towns College – www.ftc.edu

PHOTOS BY RUTH SOVRONSKY   Tonight, Woody's spectacular concert performance shared the stage with his custom guitar made by John Monteleone, a reknowned luthier from Islip, NY. Above, Woody with John Monteleone and his guitar.

  Opening tonight were our featured open mike performers:

Rod Marden Ira Perlman Andy Romanoff Rick Brindell Estelle Henrich w/Gary Schoenberger Richard Barnhart Bill Scorzari Lois Morton w/Larry Moser Dave Jordan Cliff Ferdon Akiva the Believer Annie Mark & Chris James ... and Bob Westcott These open mike pictures were taken by Ruth Sovronsky, a professional photographer specializing in Photography For The Performing Arts. If any use of these images is desired for ads, web pages, publication, etc., — high-res versions are available from Ruth at rsovronsky@gmail.com, and permission should be requested and Ruth Sovronsky credited in any reproduction usage. Other photographs of the open mikers and the headline performer were taken by Robert Berkowitz. These can be seen as a slide show or as a collection on Flickr. If any use of these images is desired for ads, web pages, publication, etc., — high-res versions are available from Bob at RSBImageWorks@aol.com, and permission should be requested and Robert Berkowitz credited in any reproduction usage. If you weren't here tonight, you missed yet another of the very best programs of this century ...