Steppin' Out
Story
Guitar Society season opens with a flying start
By Heather Zimmerman
These days South Bay Guitar Society is giving guitar fans an earful, but that's a good thing, as the society launches its 2007-08 season with two back-to-back weekends of music.
Audiences can whet their appetites for the season and get a taste of a variety of guitar styles at the Tapestry Arts Festival, where the society is sponsoring the Classical Stage. The festival takes place over Labor Day weekend on the streets of downtown San Jose. The Classical Stage, at the corner of Park Avenue and Almaden Boulevard, features guitar groups and soloists performing everything from flamenco to classical, jazz to Mexican folk music. Performances take place Sept. 1, 11:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m. and Sept. 2,11:30 a.m.-2:15 p.m.
The society's season opener the next weekend features classical guitarist and composer David Grimes in a solo concert Sept. 8, 8 p.m., at West Valley College, 14000 Fruitvale Ave., Saratoga. He will play a mix of classical works from the 19th century to more contemporary times, with a program that includes works by Sor, Torroba, J. Bautista, H. Sato and Castelnuovo-Tedesco.
Grimes has been influential in bringing new works for guitar to more prominence, as both a composer and a champion of other artists' new pieces. He is also a respected teacher and coach and is the director of guitar studies at Cal State Fullerton. Grimes teaches a master class, also at West Valley College, on Sept. 9, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Guitar fans can also catch performances Sept. 7-8 by classical guitarist Daniel Roest, a board member of the South Bay Guitar Society. He performs as part of the "Music of the Spheres" series at Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton. On Sept. 7, the bill features Roest and Grammy-winning guitarist Mark Hanson and the Sept. 8 program includes Roest and top jazz guitarist Mimi Fox. An astronomy talk is offered at each concert.
Admission to Tapestry Arts Festival is free. Tickets for the Grimes concert are $15. For more information about either event, call 408.292.0704 or visit www.sbgs. Music of the Spheres tickets are $30-$150; call 831.459.2159 or visit www.ucolick.org.
