Muriel Anderson, Chet’s Pet Hen & A Baker’s Dozen

I’m a fingerstyle guitar enthusiast! So much so that I volunteer to write the Toronto Fingerstyle Guitar weekly newsletter. I’ll post my articles here for your musical pleasure. Be sure to check us out online at http://www.fingerstyleguitar.ca

After a few bumps and twists in the road, the Muriel Anderson concert in Toronto went on as planned this afternoon.First, a big thanks to Randy Finney for all the work he does to put these shows together.  He truly works hard to ensure that great guitarists grace the fingerstyleguitar.ca main stage and that their shows are affordable for our members.  Sometimes the road to the stage is easy and sometimes, like with the recent Muriel concert, things loom at every corner threatening to derail the show.  But the show went on it and was a success thanks to Randy’s passion for what he does.

So thanks Randy… for everything you do!  We’d all be lost without you!

And a thanks to all the people who helped put together the shows in Ottawa & London.  Those shows were a success thanks to you and your efforts.

Back to Muriel.

Yesterday was the first time I’d seen Muriel in concert.  My introduction to fingerstyle guitar came courtesy of Tommy Emmanuel two years ago.  Since then, I’ve seen almost every main stage artist that has passed through Toronto and enjoyed every performance: Doyle Dykes, Thom Bresh, Gareth Pearce, and of course Tommy.

Muriel was different than every single one of them.  For one, she’s female.  That already means she has a different energy.  She looks smaller on the stage (especially when the stage is under construction and especially because she’s tiny to being with).  But not only that, she has a softer energy.  She’s quiet.  She’s low key.  She’s laid back.

But boy can she play that harp guitar.

The music she played yesterday were beautifully executed - both on the harp guitar and a regular accoustic.  Her playing has softer edges than the other performers I’ve seen.  Her voice, both when she’s singing and speaking, has a breathy lightness that just floats through the room.  But there’s no doubt that she can play fingerstyle.

She was lucky enough to have had Chet as a teacher (though she had to crawl into a chicken coop and wrestle Chet’s pet rooster so that it could be treated for feather mites).  And with Chet’s influence, she quickly moved from the chicken coop to the penthouse of fingerstyle guitar.  Chet was very encouraging of young musicians and there’s no doubt that his lessons had some influence on her style.  But to say that she’s the female Chet Atkins is a bit of a misnomer.  She plays fingerstyle guitar but with a classical influence.

Or the influence of the Danforth here in Toronto.  The last time Muriel came to town, they went for dinner on the Danforth.  A few guitarists, some good food and lots of memorable laughs.  After the meal, she wrote in the Greek style.  When she went to transcribe it, she realized that it was in 13/8 time, hence the name of the piece - A Baker’s Dozen.

The performance in Toronto marked the end of a tour that began in early August.  She heads home today for a week vacation before hitting the road again.  It seems like she’s always on her way home.

Muriel, we wish you a safe journey from your Fingerstyleguitar.ca friends - hope we’ve made Toronto a bit more like home.