BELLOWS FALLS — Stone Church Arts presents Boston-based multi-instrumentalist Ian Ethan Case, best known for his innovative approach to the 18-string acoustic double-neck guitar, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 29, in the Chapel at Immanuel Episcopal Church, 20 Church St.
Case has been performing around the country for the past eight years and is increasingly gaining recognition both for his unique instrumental compositions and for the highly original playing methods which are required to perform them.
One of only about five musicians worldwide to tackle the double-neck guitar in earnest, he fluidly combines a variety of self-invented playing techniques necessitated by his multi-layered compositions, which, taken together, have begun to establish the instrument's musical validity.
Emmy-winning composer and producer Peter Bruce Wilder was one of the first to discover the young artist's talent and unique voice in the remote hills of northern Vermont, proclaiming in 2008: “Ian Ethan represents something so new in musical approach, that the result is near impossible to pigeon hole into a 'sounds like' statement.”
Case will be joined by world-class percussionist, Bertram Lehmann. While still completing his degree at Berklee College of Music in the mid-1990s, Lehmann started to become an integral part of the New England music scene.
Starting in 1992, he also received international exposure during tours to Israel (with pianist Sasi Shalom) and in Germany (with the trio of pianist Hiroshi Minami). In later years, Bertram performed with groups led by artists including Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza, Dave Samuels, Paquito D'Rivera, vocalist Mili Bermejo, and many others, while also appearing alongside other jazz and Latin music greats.