HARK!
I hear…a musical genius…
Tall and lean, perhaps built like a tightly-strung human guitar, Bill Dutcher takes off his floppy green fishing hat, revealing a shining pate–inside which are thousands and millions of musical notions; he puts on a big pair of sunglasses, tunes a series of bewildering guitars and gets to work, ready to entertain and educate a few dozen on the terrace of Janey’s Cave Creek, an oasis-in-the-desert setting for this insouciant master.
To call him a guitar virtuoso is like calling Batman a good driver; you have to see and hear Dutcher live, to understand he’s operating on a different plane than most musicians.
Then again, he’s only high-brow if you understand his hyper-advanced technique, bringing complex ideas to life as he swings between genres; even the casual music fan will say, “Not really sure what he’s doing–but sounds great!”
Digging in deep, whether it’s a free show outside or a ticketed event inside the Musical Instrument Museum’s acoustical heaven of a theater, Dutcher switches one guitar for another like a serial dater, going from a fairly standard acoustic to a muscular instrument he calls “a cross between a chainsaw and a howitzer” to a double-neck harpsichord contraption he calls Godzilla.
He mixes pleasing originals with intricate, “gypsy jazz” songs, covering Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and Neil Young. Even a relatively leisurely Harvest Moon rendition becomes an adventure, with Wild Bill finding new layers, cutting his finger strumming with wonky foot pedal work.
Pay attention, and you’ll learn the difference between a regular capo and one he modified (“a partial capo covers four strings…”).
Check out the HARK Valley live video of his show at Janey’s.
No wonder Paul Richards, of California Guitar Trio, marveled: “Over the 14 years of touring the world with the CGT, we’ve shared the stage with many great guitarists. Bill Dutcher is without a doubt one of the finest solo acoustic guitarists I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. Energetic, innovative, excellent compositions, great tone, great player!”
On his website, Dutcher describes his shows as “the fusion of six strings, ten fingers, unorthodox instruments and various electronics that blend into a unique cocktail of rock, blues, classical, middle-eastern and Celtic flavors.”
We here in and around Phoenix are a bit spoiled; for years, Dutcher has performed live every week–often with no admission charge.
I first saw him about 10 years ago, at a sushi place with a cool bar in Cave Creek. My jaw dropped like a grouper; as Dutcher did some tapping thing on a double-neck contraption, I told myself, “Is it the sake–or is this guy tripping me out?!”
Despite his unique talent, Dutcher comes across as humble, charming and funny. More a nice genius than a mad one...As one fan put it, “He has an uncanny way of making you feel like he is in your home performing a concert just for you.”
Another noted, “We have always been amazed and impressed to be able to hear you play. We think you are the best kept secret..”
He’s a regular at Janey’s and the Culinary Dropout locations in Tempe and Scottsdale.
But he also plays a few times each year at the stunning Musical Instrument Museum.
Dutcher is joined by Jake Allen at the MIM on Tuesday, June 7. Click here for tickets.
After a dozen shows in May, he hit the ground strummin’ in June, with another seven shows lined up:
6/3: Solo- Acoustic at Culinary Dropout (Tempe Farmer’s Market), 7-10 pm.
6/4: Solo-Acoustic at Culinary Dropout (Scottsdale Waterfront location), 7-10 pm.
6/7: Jake Allen and Bill Dutcher at The Musical Instrument Museum. Click here for tickets.
6/12: Solo-Acoustic at Janey’s Coffee Co. & Bodega (Cave Creek), 3-6 pm on the patio!
6/18: Solo-Acoustic at Culinary Dropout (7th St. Yard Location) 8-11 pm.
6/24th: Solo-Acoustic at Wigwam Resort 7-10 pm. FIRST TIME HERE!
6/25: Audio Farm at Janey’s Coffee Co. & Bodega (Cave Creek), 7:30-10:30 pm $10 at the door.
The MIM show will be a great chance to see Dutcher in an environment that is not only almost church-like (for those who worship the magic of music), but also a shelter from the heat storm. Tuesday’s high in Phoenix is projected at 107, as the oven that is June in the Valley fires up, with the temperature going up and up, sizzling like a Bill Dutcher chord progression….