As Steve Howe started playing the guitar over 50 years ago in the 1960’s “guitar boom “, he was given some encouragement by his siblings to listen to other styles of guitar playing which lead him to see the broader and more credible approaches that then diversified his own style, quite considerably. Jazz, classical, folk & country where then added to his interest in rock, pop & blues. He listened & watched as Segovia & Julian Bream, Wes Montgomery & Kenny Burrell, Big Bill Broonzy and Albert Lee took the guitar further than what was riding high in the pop charts.
On hearing Chet Atkins album ‘Teensville ‘, he noticed the compelling mix of technics & approaches that made categorising Chet almost impossible, yet defined the versatility that was brought together in one player. In particular Steve was impressed with Chet’s solo arrangements of well known tunes and his own compositions. On the birth of Steve’s first child, Dylan on 4th August 1969, he composed “Clap “, partly in tribute to Chet, but also inspired by his son’s arrival. This was then released on “The Yes Album “, his first with the band, then performed on most tour dates. ” Mood For A Day ” followed on “Fragile ” and Steve’s ambition to write solo guitar pieces was established. Until the release of “Motif Volume 1, his tunes were spread across group & solo releases, often live renditions. The Motif series is an attempt to bring together his compositions and shed light on how they fit together, telling his personal writing story, differing from his contributions to The Syndicats, Incrowd, Tomorrow, Bodast, Yes, Asia, GTR, ABWH & his own Trio.
Following a hugely successful return tour in 2014, this year sees him return to the UK in April to support the release of his solo anthology on Rhino Records. Steve will play some of his more familiar pieces plus several new tunes like “Solitaire ” from Yes’s “Fly From Here” album, “The Golden Mean” and others from “Motif “, plus various arrangements of Yes songs and other tunes he’s picked up along the way. A few stories and songs thrown in for good measure should ensure a great evening.
Steve enjoyment for all this should be clear and pronounced, as he explores this territory that has helped define him as a world renowned guitar player.
Date: Tuesday 14th April 2015
Venue: Gorilla
Price: £22
Buy Tickets: http://gorilla.seetickets.com/event/steve-howe/gorilla/836350
