Tony McManus

Tony McManus Live in the Green Sanderson Hall at Hugh's Room, 296 Broadview Avenue with special guest John McMillan Show at 8pm, Doors at 7pm$40+ in advance, $47+ at the door Conjuring a unique but universal language from that most ubiquitous of instruments, the acoustic guitar, Tony McManus has both extended and transcended the parameters of contemporary Celtic music. Ranked by peers and predecessors alike alongside the guitar world’s all-time greats, his fiendishly dexterous, dazzlingly original playing draws on traditions from the entire Celtic diaspora – Scotland, Ireland, Brittany, Galicia, Asturias, Cape Breton, and Quebec – along with still further-ranging flavours, such as jazz and east European music. Long applauded for his uncanny ability to transpose the delicate, complex ornamentation characteristic of traditional bagpipe or fiddle tunes – even the phrasing of a Gaelic song – onto his own six strings, McManus is increasingly being acknowledged also as a pioneering figure in bridging the realms of Celtic music and other guitar genres. Joining Tony is John McMillan; an award-winning solo acoustic guitarist and composer best known for his atmospheric, instrumental music. Listening to John play live is like watching someone paint with sound. He weaves intricate emotions, shifting moods and even subtle shades of colour into song structures that feel deceptively simple, achieving a remarkable sense of effortlessness. John achieves wide tonal variety in his work, due in part to his use of a number of instruments, including the harp, tenor and baritone guitars, mandolin, dobro and Spanish laud. Thursday October 8.