Michael Chap de Laine, Richard Smith and Julie Adams, three nationally acclaimed string musicians, displayed their unique talents during a show at the Outpost Performance Space Friday.
Chap de Laine, a classical guitarist and head of UNM's Guitar Studies program; Smith, a national thumb-picking champion; and classically trained cellist Adams split their acts between solo segments and duets, finally performing together at the night's end.
Chap de Laine took the stage first with a sound that was extraordinary. He delivered everything you would expect from a guitar virtuoso: sweeping melodies, romantic rhythms, crisp tones and incredible arrangements.
His first set contained a number of pop songs from his album Replay, along with several classical arrangements. The most electrifying song of the evening was his rendition of the Beatles' "Come Together." The complexity and precision was overwhelming. Everything about his performance shone with brilliance, natural skill and the ability to play the most complex pieces.
Smith, who took the stage next, played a Kurt Sand nylon string electric guitar. His performance was brilliant, showing his expansive range, from country, bluegrass and rock to classical guitar.
Smith also played a marching song by John Philip Sousa, which sounded as if the entire marching band - drums and all - were right there with him on stage.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Adams then joined husband Smith. The cello's haunting melody and vibrato layered with the guitar's sharp notes created a sound that was rich and deeply moving. The duo played four songs together. From the romantic glow of "Carmichael" to the upbeat "Blue Angel," it felt as if this duo could play anything well.
It was disappointing that Adams did not have more stage time because what she gave the audience was truly memorable.
Later, Chap de Laine and Smith took the stage for a few duets. Their fusion on stage was wonderful. Smith's rhythms and Chap de Laine's sweeping tunes mixed to give a diverse sound.
Finally, Adams joined the men on stage for the finale. The combination of the haunting cello layered with Chap de Laine's classic guitar and Smith's thumb-picking showcased their talents in a very romantic, moving final song.
Coming from a generation and state of mind where most of our anthems can be written in tablature and played by even the most novice guitarist, it was an honor to speak with Chap de Laine and Smith about their influences.
"My biggest influence was Chet Atkins," Smith said. "Chet was always a big influence, he helped me to get into different styles as well. He played a bunch of classical stuff so that's what I started listening to."
Chap de Laine added that his musical tastes ran toward Jimmy Hendrix and Eric Clapton when he was younger, but changed later on.
"When I was 17 it was time to go to college and I became a classical guitarist," Chap de Laine said. "I suppose my idol then was (Andres) Segovia. Now it's everyone. I like them all."
We also spoke about the state of popular music today.
"It's good stuff," Smith said with a shrug. "(There's) so much new music coming out that's got so many different influences. There are some terrific bands out there that are totally unknown, and some very well known bands that are, shall we say, not as good as they ought to be."
Smith also said that the producers and the musicians surrounding today's popular music icons are very talented and often overlooked. Chap de Laine approached this subject from a classical perspective.
"I like it all. I mean look once you've heard (Gustave) Mahler everything sucks comparatively," Chap de Laine said. "But we can't measure everything against the greatest musicians that ever lived. We all suck, but we're all great, it's all relative."
For more information on any of the artists, you can visit Chap de Laine at his Web site, www.michaelchapdelaine.com and Smith and Adams at www.richardsmithmusic.com.
