Tuesday, June 26th marks the return of “Extreme Acoustic” to the Musical Instrument Museum! Please join Bill Dutcher, Mike Gallaher and Jay Poole for an evening of guitar music so good, it ought to be against the law! Please visit the MIM website for ticket information.
When BILL DUTCHER picks up an acoustic guitar, the music that fills the room cannot be branded with a simple sentence. When you see him play live you’re experiencing an event that shatters the pre-conceived notion of what a solo acoustic artist is capable of. You’re witnessing the fusion of six strings, ten fingers, unorthodox instruments and various electronics that blend a unique cocktail of rock, blues, classical, middle-eastern and Celtic flavors. Born and raised in Dublin, Ohio, Bill played electric lead guitar in various successful bands throughout the Midwest before making the journey towards performing as a solo artist. Bill has established relationships as an endorsee with major music manufactures such as L.R. Baggs Electronics in California and Lakewood Guitars from Germany. He relocated to Phoenix in 2005 to bring his music to new audiences.
Michael Gallaher, originally from Baltimore Maryland, is a passionate, fiery guitarist with a fine melodic sense. Michael left Baltimore at the young age of 18 to pursue his musical destiny, and spent the next several years on the road. A Texas stopover turned into a ten year sojourn, during which time he became a fixture on the Dallas music scene, recording and performing with a literal “Who’s Who” of modern music. It was during this time that he was voted a ‘Texas Tornado’ by the Dallas Observer as the year’s best jazz player, joining the ranks as such former Tornado winners as Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Johnson and Johnny Winter. Michael later relocated to Nashville where his playing took him even further, as the lead guitar player for superstar vocalist Joe Cocker, travelling the world for the ”No Ordinary World Tour 99- 2000.” It was during this time that superstar Leon Russell heard his CD Blue Paradise, and signed him to his new label. Eventually, Michael met up with Adrian Belew, who was so impressed with his skills, he added him as a member of his power trio. Equally at home with any number of contemporary musical forms, Michael has made a name for himself as one of the most versatile and multi-faceted players on the scene today.
Jay Poole: A Berklee College of Music alumni, Jay has called the Phoenix Valley home for the last 15 years. A consummate sideman, he’s played with some of the area’s most popular bands, including Delcoa, Easton Ashe and The Walkens. As an in-demand and versatile session player, his work can be heard on recent releases from Jay Allan, Ryan Sims, or any of his three solo albums. Jay is currently a staff session musician for the Conservatory ofRecording Arts and Sciences, and is wrapping up a fourth solo album, due in late 2018.
