see - Adam O'Connor, Contemporary Solo Guitarist

Adam O'Connor - Performing Mothers Day Market,
May 9th, 10am - 1pm

Adam is a contemporary guitarist with more than 20 years of playing experience. Since first taking up the guitar, Adam has engaged non-stop in what is most important to him - performing and composing.

He has a wide variety of musical experiences and styles to his credit and constantly seeks more to add to this list. He has played in Rock, Funk, Rockabilly and Top 40 cover bands and duos, Trad, Acid and Fusion Jazz ensembles, accompanied singers and instrumentalists in a variety of duo and trio settings and played and recorded in a number of other formats including Musicals and session work. Having been a guitar teacher for many years, Adam decided to extend his skills into the classroom and went back to University to attain a Grad Dip Ed. He is currently the Music coordinator for Rivermount College and this role constantly finds him acting as Musical Director for performances of all shapes and sizes.Adam has just completed recording his debut album which has now been released and is on sale.. Co-produced by John Freiberg, the full length album of original compositions is performed on a Yamaha AEX 1500 Guitar with no backing tracks or overdubs - just as it would be live. Three tracks were selected for entry into the 2008 MusicOz Awards, and Adam was honoured with a place in the Top 10 for the Instrumental category.

A second album is on the cards as there are more great tunes just waiting to be recorded. As if that's not enough, Adam is working on completing a book about exotic chords which involve open and fretted strings. "I have had a lot of influences so far, taking in all kinds of artists and styles. I think this affects the way I play solo guitar. I listen to a lot of great players and try to fit some things I like about them into this fingerstyle genre. I love blues players like Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, Robben Ford, Larry Carlton and plenty of others. I love Jazz players like John Scofield, Scott Henderson, Jim Kelly, James Muller, Wayne Krantz, Bill Frisell, George Benson, Charlie Hunter, Mike Stern and the list could keep going. I love solo players like Martin Taylor, Joe Pass, Tuck Andress, Tommy Emmanuel, Michael Fix, Masa Sumide, and lots of new Aussie players I'm discovering. That's not to mention the drummers, bassists, keys and horn players that contribute. I like a wide variety of pop/rock players including Mark Knopfler, Joe Walsh, Angus Young, Ian Moss and plenty of others. I have learnt an enormous amount from all of these players and their records."

listen to Adam here