BELLOWS FALLS — At only 31, Lyle Brewer is as accomplished as many musicians twice his age.
A sought-after guitarist for both studio and live work in his adopted home town of Boston, Brewer has released several albums of his own, the most recent of which, Juno, was chosen Best Local Album by The Boston Globe in 2015.
He performs at the Windham Ballroom at Popolo on Sunday, May 7.
According to a news release, his music is entirely instrumental “but in a unique way says more than pages of careful lyrics.” A versatile player and stylist, Brewer reaches across genres from blues to country to jazz. In fact, he studied jazz performance at The New England Conservatory of Music but it would be an error to call him a jazz guitarist.
He counts among his influences guitarists as varied as Joe Pass, Duane Allman, and John Scofield.
“Lyle can play anything,” says veteran songwriter and exemplary player, Peter Mulvey, “so the question with him is 'what, then, will I play?'” Mulvey says he loves how fearlessly Brewer chooses to play what's simple and pretty but, “of course he also shreds with the best of them.”
By 21, Brewer was a guest on Prairie Home Companion and went on to teach at Berklee College of Music. He teaches private lessons and keeps his touring to a minimum to work on composing, teaching, and caring for his young son.
Bellows Falls entrepreneur Josh Hearne notes that Brewer might be best known as guitarist for area favorite, singer-songwriter Ryan Montbleau.
Currently preparing to record compositions by J.S. Bach and funded by the Passim Iguana Grant, Brewer has made time for a few shows, among them this rare solo performance in Bellows Falls at the Windham Ballroom.