The zeitgirl of instrumental guitar, Kaki King could hardly be expected to just stand still.  Lately she’s swapped her acoustic for an electric and her own voice.  Still fully capable of jaw-dropping pyrotechnics, King is self-assured and irreverent but not afraid to be vulnerable and disarmingly sweet. The New York Times said King’s earlier “percussive, super-fluid style” was “the kind of thing that makes people say ‘Wow’ as an involuntary reflex,” going on to note, “now she’s making music that more often sounds like the abstract, dreamy and hypnotic end of alternative rock.”

Dan Zane picked up the guitar when he was only eight and started listening to Lead Belly records as soon as he could snag a library card. In the 80s, he found fame with the Del Fuegos, a group dubbed the “Best New Band” by Rolling Stone in 1984. But it wasn’t until a few impromptu jam sessions with other musical fathers and their kids that he discovered his latest calling — creating music that could be enjoyed together by every member of the family.

Guitarist/composer Dominic Frasca and visual artist Roy Wiemann will present a preview of "Fixations.” a collaboration combining the visual art of Wiemann, who will present a series of new paintings/constructions along with music and film by Frasca . The event also serves as the opening for Mr Wiemann’s exhibition of new work entitled "newsuffering", which will run at The Monkey January 19 to February 16.

Guitarist/composer Gyan Riley will play an evening of music from his latest CD release, Melis Mantra. He will be joined by  Tracy Silverman on electric violin and Scott Amendola on Drums. Gyan’s awards include First Prize in the Portland International Guitar Festival Competition and First Prize in the San Francisco Conservatory Guitar Concerto Competition.  He played in the American premiere of John Adams’ El Nino with soprano Dawn Upshaw and the San Francisco Symphony.  This concert will be a CD release party.

A very special tribute to the music of Bob Dylan, honoring Dylan’s storied 1966 concert - long the Dylan bootleggers' favorite, and released legit by Sony on CD in 1998. Critic Dave Marsh reviewed it in Creem magazine, writing "It is the most supremely elegant piece of rock 'n' roll music I've ever heard” The recording includes Dylan's now-legendary confrontation with a heckler calling out "Judas" from the audience.

Elizabeth Cotten was a true original and among the most influential guitarists to surface during the roots music revival era. Turning her instruments upside-down to play them left-handed, she developed a truly distinctive guitar style and sound. Her song “Freight Train”has become a fingerpicker’s classic.

One of the most original vocal artists to emerge from West Africa in decades, Julia Sarr honed her reputation as a backing vocalist in Paris for Lokua Kanza, Manu Dibango, MC Solaar, and other luminaries. Her and Patrice Larose’s first album, Set Luna (So I’ve Observed), and their recent U.S. concert debut at Carnegie’s Zankel Hall, are unlike anything else from the rich Senegalese and Flamenco traditions.  Hailed by Youssou N’Dour as “the fresh face of African music”, and by The NY Times as a probing source of “introspection” in a revitalized African tradition.

Since landing in NYC two years ago, the Italian classical guitarist Marco Cappelli  (a student of Oscar Ghiglia) started to develop a unique style which includes avant garde compositions, improvisation, live-electronics, hard rock sounds, classic licks, and much more.  This melting pot of sounds, is rarely heard on a classical guitar.  At The Monkey he will present a program of his own through-composed/improvised music using the so-called Extreme Guitar, which has 8 sympathetic steel strings running under the regular 6 nylon strings.

Praised by Gramophone for his "stunning technical skill and unfailing musicality" and characterized by Classical Guitar magazine as "a fully enlightened musician of our time," Michael Nicolella is recognized as one of America's most innovative and eclectic classical guitarists. He will perform music for classical and electric guitar, including works by Steve Reich, J.S. Bach, Hans Werner Henze, Jimi Hendrix and himself.

Kevin Gallagher, winner of both the 1993 Guitar Foundation of America Competiton and the 1997 Francisco Tarrega competition, will premiere his new “avant-pop” group, Electric Kompany. The group arranges, composes and commissions music for rock quartet. For this concert, they will perform compositions by Arvo Part, Jacob Ter Veldhuis, Marc Mellits, and others. www.guitar69.com

Celebrated guitarist, singer, songwriter & producer Daniel Lanois brings his music and experimental film images to NYC for the first time. Glorious pedal steel guitar playing and innovative sonics will make for an electrifying night. Of his last NYGF performance, The NY Times wrote: "In a rare performance playing solo pedal steel guitar, Mr. Lanois, who has produced albums by U2 and Bob Dylan, used the instrument for hovering meditations. Liquid chords welled up behind folky melodies, making music that was expansive yet humble, as if contemplating wide-open spaces."

Guitarist/composer Stephen Griesgraber will present Redhooker, an evening of music for guitar and live electronics. Inspired by his interest in hypnagogia and the altered auditory experiences reflected in various dream states, Stephen will perform music for solo guitar, guitar with live electronics and samples, as well as music for guitar and ensemble. The work will be representational as well as interpretive in its exploration of states of semi and unconsciousness.

A giant in the field of Delta country blues, Charley Patton (1887-1934) was an acknowledged celebrity and seminal influence on musicians throughout the Delta. His music embraced blues, ballads, ragtime, to gospel, and his influence can be heard in the music of Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Son House, and Robert Johnson. Five amazing artists will interpret the music of this great blues figure.

Learn how chamber ensemble Slow Six integrates live audio processing intoits performances via custom applications designed on a Mac using the Max/MSPenvironment.

The Grammy Award-winning guitarist and composer Bill Frisell performs new work for his string ensemble & special guests plus the world premiere of a new, short multi-media piece created in collaboration with visual artist Jim Woodring. Deceptively mild-mannered and soft-spoken, Bill Frisell has been described by Spin magazine as the “Clark Kent” of electric guitar who “coaxes and slams his hovering split-toned ax into shapes of things to come.” Jim Woodring has been called everything under the sun, but we like "Nuts" and "Genius" the best.

Guitarist/composer Alex de Grassi (“The level of de Grassi’s accomplishment is astonishing” wrote Jazziz Magazine) performs music to accompany the 1934 silent film A Story of Floating Weeds. Celebrated Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu weaves a tragic tale of rekindled love, showing how it profoundly changes the lives of a retired actor, his present girlfriend, his ex-lover and the son he never knew he had.

Guitarist and research diver Henry Kaiser joins us to share exciting work captured while exploring the Artic. Henry will discuss how his PowerBook is essential in both his scientific and creative endeavors.

As part of ourAlternative Guitar Summit, we present a tribute to the jazz guitar legend Jim Hall. Each act will perform either Jim Hall compositions, tunes associated with him, or improvisations in his spirit.