{"id":144003,"date":"2024-04-21T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-21T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/?p=144003"},"modified":"2024-11-08T08:38:05","modified_gmt":"2024-11-08T16:38:05","slug":"four-young-fingerstyle-guitar-players","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/four-young-fingerstyle-guitar-players\/","title":{"rendered":"These Four Young Players Are Advancing the Art of Fingerstyle Guitar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Clockwise
Clockwise from top left: Janet Noguera, Jontavious Willis, Muireann Bradley, and Hayden Pedigo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fingerstyle guitar is in good hands, judging by the diverse talents of Jontavious Willis, Janet Noguera, Hayden Pedigo, and Muireann Bradley. Whether offering a fresh take on traditional styles (Willis and Bradley) or pushing modernist ideas into new territory (Noguera and Pedigo), each one of these rising stars has found a voice of his or her own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then synthesis is the sincerest expression of respect\u2014and demonstration of mastery. And it\u2019s safe to say that all four of these artists have synthesized their influences. Willis brings a contemporary mind and wit to country blues that make the music relevant and fun. Noguera\u2019s energy and drive add the adrenaline needed to jump fast and far off of her classical-cum-new-age foundation, while Pedigo\u2019s cinematic mindset makes the guitar the centerpiece of an evolving soundtrack. And Bradley\u2014the youngest of the bunch\u2014slips so comfortably into her blues-folk that it sounds as fresh as anything on TikTok.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s interesting to note that they\u2019ve all come of age artistically in what some think of as a post-guitar era\u2014or at least, post-guitar-hero era. It\u2019s not that the instrument has lost anything as an expressive tool, nor is there a dearth of excellent players finding new ways to make it speak. But the guitar\u2019s totemic image has changed; where virtuosity was once a destination (one with relatively narrowly defined inhabitants), the instrument is now more of a vehicle for expression. A vehicle can not only take you places, but it can help you discover new sights on a familiar path. That\u2019s especially true when driven by four young pilots who clearly know the way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Jontavious
Jontavious Willis. Photo: Willam Pirandello<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jontavious Willis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Born and raised in rural Georgia, Jontavious Willis<\/a> is steeped in the traditions of the early blues pioneers, both from his home state and outside it. His love for performance began in his childhood, singing gospel at a Baptist church with his grandfather, but his devotion to the blues took hold at age 14, when he found a video of Muddy Waters\u2019 \u201cHoochie Coochie Man\u201d on YouTube.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Willis, now 28, says that while Waters led him to pick up the guitar, his earliest inspirations were closer to home\u2014he was particularly inspired by his grandfather\u2019s singing ability and his father\u2019s impeccable taste in music and impressive collection of recordings. Willis\u2019 other primary influences are a who\u2019s who of early blues. He says, \u201cI love Big Joe Williams, Tampa Red, Memphis Minnie, Ma Rainey, and Blind Lemon Jefferson for their various regional styles and songwriting and performance skills.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tampa Red in particular got Willis focused on slide playing. \u201cHe had such a clear sound on his tricone, and his playing really varied in emotions among his songs,\u201d Willis says. \u201cMemphis Minnie was a badass Black woman who was playing guitar in the early 20th century, and she was a trailblazer. I really enjoy her style, and I like to hear the blues that women played. Memphis Minnie is one of the best guitar players ever, male or female.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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