Performing on May 5 at Evanston’s SPACE, 1285 Chicago Ave., finger-picking heavy weight guitarists Eric Lugosch and Phil Heywood will be performing together with special guests. The two bring together a unique blend of classic Americana with variations on folk, blues, and jazz playing both originals, instrumentals and standards alike. Widely lauded and celebrated artists in their own right, these close and longtime musical collaborators and friends of many years will be bringing something very special together to the stage at Space.
Both award winning guitarists of the National Fingerpicking Championships, (Lugsoch in ‘83 and Heywood in ‘86) came up in the finger picking tradition and met on the guitar festival circuit in the 1980s. The two have been musical confidants, collaborators, and general instigators ever since. Pulling from deep and rich pools of tradition, they find common ground in the diverse array of American music which they grew up with.
Names like Pete Seeger, Doc Watson, Mississippi John Hurt and Thelonious Monk come to mind and loom in the ear as Mssrs. Lugosch and Heywood fuse their diverse and eclectic influences into their own complimentary and distinct renderings of choice songs both rare and familiar.
Originally from Philadelphia, moving to the mid-west in the late 1980s, now an Evanston resident, Mr. Lugosch taught at the Old Town School of Folk Music for over 25 years. He sees curation and collaboration as important approach to presenting music. This performance looks to be a real treat. A little thrill to the ear, a balm in the soul, something to drift with for awhile. What better occasion for all this than a Sunday matinee? See you there.
More about their music and recordings can be found at https://www.ericlugosch.com and http://www.philheywood.com/