by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
For a series of gigs around Northeast Florida, Arvid Smith and Lee Hunter, collectively known as Tammerlin, joined forces with folk legend Peter Lang. I caught their special act at the European Street last Thursday night. The show opened with Tammerlin playing a set with Drew Dixon on mandolin, guitar, and fiddle, followed by Peter Lang’s masterful artistry on the twelve and six-string guitar.
Arvid and Lee have been working on a new album, and they presented some of their new songs during their set. The new material is a return to Tammerlin’s roots music tradition, complete with Lee and Arvid’s precise harmonies and creative instrumentation. The songs are melodic jewels that stick in one’s mind.
Of course, Arvid has a reputation as a guitar innovator playing lap steel, Dobro, twelve and six string acoustic guitars. His interest in expanding the sound range of the guitar dates back many years. Arvid’s slide work and clever improvisations enhance Lee’s singing and guitar playing perfectly. It’s their love bond as husband and wife that seals their collaborative creativity. With Drew on mandolin and fiddle, Tammerlin sounded much fuller, which was a pleasant surprise. I’ve always enjoyed Tammerlin’s music, but the new material is much more melodic with catchy changes.
Peter Lang has been around since 1972, when he was discovered by John Fahey, who signed him to his label, Tacoma Records, along with Leo Kottke, George Winston, Tobie Basho, Bola Sete and others. Lang toured and recorded with Tacoma for ten years, building a loyal fan base and reputation as a master fingerpicker in the Kottke tradition. Lang has performed with Ry Cooder, John Fahey, Jerry Garcia, Chet Atkins, John Hartford, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and many other folk and roots music legends.
At his European Street show, Lang presented some of his own compositions as well as a diverse selection of folk and blues songs–some he sang while others he played instrumentally. During his show, he invited Arvid Smith up to the stage to join him. It was a magical and whimsical duo combination as Lang’s fingerpicking wizardry was accented by Arvid’s savvy electronic alchemy.
Like Leo Kottke, Lang has tamed the twelve-string beast, miraculously keeping the massive instrument in tune as he played the twelve-string like it was a six string, which like Kottke, really impresses me. His laid-back demeanor and funny stories added greatly to his roots music tribute. It was like he was playing on my porch, spinning folksy stories and playing intricate melodies expanded by his intelligent improvisations on his guitar. Arvid was playing his Dobro as a pedal steel, eking out violin-like sounds and other modulated tones that fit very well with Lang’s fingerpicking mastery.
Lately, there has been a resurgence of folk music among the younger generation. At the show, I chatted with Don Casper, who produces the Great Guitar Gathering every year. He said his students are interested in folk music, which is something new to them. He also told me he has made a deal with Eric Hart to produce the GGG at the Florida Theatre next year. So, the GGG will move into the big time with much more room and corporate sponsors. It was exciting news, since the GGG is one of my favorite events every year. Don books the top guitarists in their field every year, which gives the public and guitar enthusiasts a rare chance to witness the top artists in classical, roots music, and jazz guitar, which they would not ordinarily see.
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