Hear This

A self-professed guitar geek, Jack West likes to put all the notes in the right places. His clean, melodic riffs and savvy leads convey a clear sense of purpose that's ripe for a feature in Acoustic Guitar magazine -- a fate which may not be far off, considering how the respected boutique publication recently awarded West's fourth album, As We Know It, top honors in its self-released CD competition.

Details

Wednesday, Aug. 1

6 p.m.

Admission is free

675-5996

The band also performs on Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 10 p.m. at Cafe Du Nord, 2170 Market (at Sanchez), S.F.

Tickets are $5

861-5016

North Beach Jazz Festival, Lost & Found Saloon, 1353 Grant (at Green), S.F.

Related Content

• Charlie Hunter Headlines Yoshi's
  May 6, 2009
• Great Scott
  February 4, 2009
• The Zoo complex supports music synergy in Oakland
  March 18, 2009
• "Diaz Hope and Robinson"
  July 25, 2007
• Vinyl
  January 3, 2007

More About

• Jack West
• Charlie Hunter
• Joel Davel
• David Phillips
• Dan Foltz

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Music Newsletter: Keep your thumb on the local music scene with music features, additional online music listings and show picks. We'll also send special ticket offers and music promotions available only to our Music Newsletter subscribers.

Privacy Policy Cancel Continue

Like former Bay Area guitarist Charlie Hunter, West plays a custom-made eight-string with which he adds rich chords and bass lines to his solos. But he's less funky than Hunter, preferring a breezier, purer music that he calls "progressive acoustic jazz." His sound is smooth and unobtrusive, yet it's also deceptive in its mellowness -- thanks in no small part to his Curvature bandmates: pedal steel guitarist David Phillips, drummer Dan Foltz, and marimba player Joel Davel. Davel, who has logged "new music" hours with the Paul Dresher String Ensemble, creates a light timbral and harmonic backdrop from which West springboards, using his patented eight-string slide technique. Their interplay is the kind of thing that makes guitar rag readers -- and less initiated listeners -- go gaga.