Pierre Bensusan

“It’s like the guitar has been given free rein to play itself!” French acoustic guitar virtuoso, vocalist, and composer Pierre Bensusan, surnamed “Mister DADGAD”, has taken his unique sound to all corners of the globe. Winner of the Independent Music Award  for his triple live album "Encore", voted  Best World Music Guitarist  by Guitar Player Magazine readers’ Poll,  winner of the Rose d’Or  at the  Montreux Festival  for his debut album, Pierre is recognized as one of the greatest guitar players of the 21st century. When Michael Hedges titles one of his compositions “Bensusan”, you know that the inspiration behind it must be special, and Pierre Bensusan certainly is. Guitarists from Leo Kottke to Larry Corryel, to Tuck Andress, Tommy Emmanuel, Mark Knopfler, Andrew York, Andy Timmons, Pat Metheny, and Steve Lukather… have sung his praises, and Steve Vai released three Bensusan albums on his label Favored Nations. And it's not just guitarists who are so inspired by Pierre's music, as a recent studio collaboration with him on Donny Osmond’s latest album “Start Again” goes to show. If World Music means the fusion of traditional, contemporary, jazz, classical, and pop music, then Bensusan is one of the most eloquent World Music musicians of our time. A pianist in his beginnings, then self-taught on the guitar, the originality of his style makes him one of today’s greatest guitarists and composers for the instrument. Also called “The Prince of DADGAD”, his story is far from trivial, and it is on stage that this artist has earned his stripes: among others, the Rose d'Or of the Montreux Festival, and being elected Best Guitarist of World Music by the readers of Guitar Player Magazine! His triple album "Encore" won the Grand Prix at the Independent Music Awards in the Best Live Album category... Since his first performances in 1974 in France, the guitarist has sold half a million albums and given thousands of concerts around the globe, both solo and through numerous collaborations. Pierre Bensusan is an adventurer of unusual lands. His music is an intimate and orchestral hymn, a solo crossing on a multi-shell Lowden guitar subjected to the natural elements with sound molecules and finger pulp on an ebony fingerboard for open tuning - a unique and transparent technique, under the fingers of an adventurous pilgrim. Photo  Credit: Luke Richardson Dinner and cocktails starting at 5:30 pm. Showtime is 7:00 pm. Reservations highly recommended.