No matter if you want more than traditional background music at your wedding or just something extra special at a party, acoustic guitarists offer plenty of services that can add something special.
Tommy Emmanuel is one of the premier fingerpickers ever. His technical excellence makes his guitar playing enjoyable to listen to no matter the song or style.
Al Di Meola
Al Di Meola has built up an outstanding career as one of the most inventive and inventive guitarists of today. As a jazz fusion guitarist, he has earned recognition for his intricate rhythmic syncopations and sophisticated harmony compositions; they have garnered multiple Grammy Award and nomination nominations, along with four Guitar Player magazine Reader Poll wins for Best Jazz Guitarist.
Al Di Meola began playing guitar as an early child in Jersey City, New Jersey and later studied both jazz and rock music. His initial influences included blues rock guitarists such as B.B. King and Buddy Guy as well as R&B/soul artists like Chuck Brown and Joe Tex.
In 1971, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. Two years later, Chick Corea invited him to join Return to Forever as keyboardist; three albums later, Chick asked him back into the group after which time he parted ways.
After his time with Return to Forever, Di Meola embarked upon a string of highly successful solo projects. His 1976 debut as leader Land of the Midnight Sun became an instantaneous success while subsequent Columbia releases Elegant Gypsy and Casino solidified him as an internationally-recognized jazz and fusion artist.
Di Meola’s early solo efforts were heavily influenced by jazz and fusion; however, he soon began exploring Mediterranean cultures and flamenco music as well. His 1976 album Land of the Midnight Sun provided a stunning showcase for his Latin-tinged compositions and signature chops while 1980’s Friday Night in San Francisco (featuring Paco de Lucia and John McLaughlin) sold more than two million copies worldwide.
Though best known for his electric work, Al Di Meola also holds a deep passion for acoustic instruments – although at different points throughout his career he has played both electric and acoustic guitars.
Al has spent much of his career touring with his signature acoustic guitar. Recently he released Elysium, an album which marries six and twelve string acoustics with his famed ’71 Les Paul Custom. Additionally, in fall 2015 Al completed a tour with an electric band.
John Mayer
John Mayer is an award-winning guitarist, singer, and songwriter known for writing melodic yet literary songs that span jazz, pop, and blues genres.
Born October 16, 1977 in Bridgeport, Connecticut and starting playing guitar at 13 years old due to an interest in music and passion for Stevie Ray Vaughan’s music, he learned guitar at 13 and quickly progressed through its fundamentals.
Once he had learned the instrument, he took guitar lessons before joining his local band. Soon thereafter, he started performing in bars and concert halls across his city.
Mayer started writing songs at 17 and soon moved to Atlanta where he met Clay Cook who would become both co-writer and guitarist for him.
At 21, Mayer released his debut album, Room for Squares. This project received critical acclaim due to its moving lyrics and expert guitar work.
He embarked on an extensive tour throughout the early 2000s, winning several Grammy awards for his albums. Additionally, he collaborated with blues and jazz artists including Buddy Guy and Herbie Hancock.
Each album showcased Mayer’s broadening sound, adopting elements from blues and rock genres, including his 2006 release Continuum which blended pop sounds with blues influences for which it earned him yet another Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album.
During this time, he also began touring with Grateful Dead drummer Bob Weir in a group known as Dead & Company that would go on to tour extensively worldwide and gain wide renown.
Mayer first found success after performing at Austin, Texas’ South by Southwest music festival and signing an agreement with Aware Records to release his debut album.
Room for Squares was predominantly an acoustic release, yet that didn’t limit his creativity. He filled his songs with more instruments and created new arrangements that made them radio-friendly.
Since then, Mayer has continued recording and touring. He has released five studio albums as well as being honored with numerous awards and nominations.
Michael J. Fox (Marty McFly from Back to the Future), as well as blues and jazz music are major musical influences for him.
Billy Strings
Strings is one of the most promising and captivating acoustic guitarist artists to emerge from the bluegrass scene in recent years. His music draws upon both traditional and contemporary influences that combine elements from bluegrass with elements such as rock, jazz, and psychedelia – earning multiple albums including winning numerous awards including Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album in 2019.
Strings’ music is driven by his deep understanding of bluegrass music, which is evident in his ability to effortlessly merge traditional styles with newer melodic structures. On his latest record Renewal, Strings has taken inspiration from diverse sources while adopting more rock-oriented production techniques.
Renewal is predominantly an acoustic album, yet Strings and his team of talented musicians add energy and flavor to his live performances by mixing elements of classic rock with heavy metal and jam bands for an engaging set of songs that demonstrate his skill as both composer and guitarist. The resultant album stands as testament to Strings’ talent as an artist.
Grammy award winner Kevin Hart has been touring around for more than a decade, garnering critical acclaim and amassing an ever-expanding fan base. Additionally, he has collaborated with several acclaimed artists such as Luke Combs and Post Malone to form some incredible partnerships.
Strings enjoys spending his free time relaxing at his Nashville home. Recently he purchased a log-cabin style house outside the city and spending time on nearby lakes.
Even as a busy professional, Strings always makes time to practice his guitar. At home he likes playing with his grandfather who built the instrument Billy has been using since childhood.
He uses a Shubb C6 capo as it is easy and versatile, giving him greater pitch control on-demand.
As the Grammy winner reflects back on his journey, he expresses his thanks to fans and for being given the chance to explore his musical vision. Currently working on his third album and intends to tour it within months,
Molly Tuttle
Molly Tuttle stands out as one of the youngest and most accomplished acoustic guitarist artists around, possessing an extraordinary gift for weaving her personal narrative into traditional songs with ease. Her voice can both lilt liltingly while remaining boldly audacious.
She has become adept at playing different styles, including crosspicking, flatpicking and clawhammer guitar. Additionally, she plays banjo and mandolin, and is part of the bluegrass band Golden Highway.
She performs both her original music and classic covers for her most recent album, But I’d Rather Be With You. For this project she chose songs from folk, country and bluegrass genres which reflect her influences, adding her signature voice nuances into them for an enhanced listening experience.
Her songs on…But I’d Rather Be With You showcase her smooth voice and powerful guitar playing, while her lyrics offer subtle social commentary and reflect a desire to live fully.
Tuttle graduated from Berklee College of Music and moved to Nashville shortly thereafter in pursuit of her dream of becoming a full-time musician. Since then she has made appearances on A Prairie Home Companion as well as touring with various musical acts.
Tuttle has quickly made her mark as an emerging star, winning various accolades such as the Hazel Dickens Memorial Scholarship from the Foundation for Bluegrass Music in Nashville, a music and composition merit scholarship at Berklee, and first place in Chris Austin Songwriting Competition at Merlefest. Additionally, she has made appearances at major festivals like Bonnaroo and Newport Folk Festival.
Since her career began, she has earned praise for transforming classic songs with her unique voice and signature guitar playing style into contemporary ones. For this feat alone she earned numerous accolades, such as IBMA Guitar Player of the Year and Emerging Artist awards; in addition to being recognized for her work with bluegrass group Golden Highway.
Crooked Tree, her debut solo LP, garnered her the Best Bluegrass Album award at the 65th Grammy Awards. This exemplary recording showcases her exceptional talents across different musical styles with guest performances by Margo Price, Billy Strings, Old Crow Medicine Show, Sierra Hull and Dan Tyminski all making appearances on it.