The Sid Williams Theatre Society presents the Montreal Guitar Trio on Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m.
When it comes to bridging diverse genres of music, the MG3, which CBC described as “the hottest guitar ensemble in Canada,” has quickly established itself as a force to be reckoned with.
For more than 14 years, the trio’s virtuosity, rigor, creativity, and dynamic stage presence — they are noted for the wit and warmth of their interactions with audiences — have been winning applause around the world.
Winner of the 2011 Opus Prize for concert of the year in the Jazz / World Music category, the trio have given hundreds of concerts in prestigious venues in North America, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia, including the BB King Blues Club in New York, the Rundetårnet in Copenhagen, and the legendary Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
After four years crisscrossing the globe, guitarists Marc Morin, Sébastien Dufour and Glenn Lévesque settled down in Montreal last spring to record their fourth CD, Cambria.
The result of a long musical introspection and the trio’s most accomplished and personal work yet, this album contains six original tracks and three covers — including the legendary While My Guitar Gently Weeps by George Harrison and The Mexican by Babe Ruth.
All the influences which, over the years, have marked the trio are reflected here. In Caminando, strains of flamenco and Argentinian tango blend with Cuban music. Nordic music mixes with Brazilian samba and progressive rock in Le Peuple des Glaces. The sounds of the orient subtly blend with those of Californian surf guitar in Surf sur l’Orient, and with modern pop in Marikéro.
Once again, the MG3 sails past the formulaic boundaries that usually limit guitar trios.
In 2011, MG3 took advantage of its performance at the Montreal International Jazz Festival to launch the CD +Live. For this album, the trio joined forces with the California Guitar Trio to record during their Guitar Summit 2010 Canadian tour.
The Sid gig is the only Vancouver Island stop on their latest tour.
The Montreal Guitar Trio plays the Sid Williams Theatre on Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Sid ticket centre, by phone 250-338-2430 or online at www.sidwilliamstheatre.com.
— Sid Williams Theatre