Some say that Hong Kong is a cultural desert but perhaps we are blind and deaf and we don’t to see greatness where greatness is to be found. We line up to enter huge theatres with an horrible acoustics and expensive prices to listen to the likes of Elton John and Bocelli, just because they are famous and cool.
I was at the FCC with my wife, Donatella, last night and we went down to Bert’s to listen to Kevin Guffy: he had had started at 8 PM but at 10 PM there were several seats empty, because people had already left. Then the guitar and the voice of Kevin struck me, he was playing a soul-rock so well that I though it was someone’s else’s recording. But then I had to admit that it was all live and when one hour later it was time to close the performance I felt extremely sorry to see him go, because I had lost myself into his music. Kevin has the great American spirit in him: unaltered, untarnished. I stood up and I went to tell him what I had felt.
Back home I studied his website.
http://www.kevinguffy.com/
Kevin is from Portland, Oregona and had a guitar in his hands since when he was a kid. He began performing professionally at age 12 as a guitarist and violinist. He played with bassist John Mazzacco and with the great bassist Ben Wolfe, Diana Krall, Wynton Marsalis and Lester McFarland formerly with the band of Jeff Lorber and the Crusaders, Jim Pepper, Jeff Lorber’s bassist Lester McFarland and Ben Wolfe just to quote a few.
We are lucky to have Kevin in Hong Kong, where he plays, teaches, writes his own songs and performs regularly in several locations. Hong Kong is a desert no more!
By Ciriaco Offeddu
Thank you for sharing, Angelo, but let’s go together to attend Kevin Guffy’s concert! I like so much that kind of music!
By Angelo Paratico
Let’s check where he’ll be playing in Hong Kong. I have sent him an email because there is no indication on his website. He is really great.