Tev Stevig

Tev Stevig has taken on a rather daunting task. How does a Berklee music grad fuse Balkan, Greek and Turkish instrumental music on a fretless classical guitar using a rare American finger style technique called "clawhammer," which is more at home on a banjo? The answer lies in learning how to wait: playing the music so that the melodies shine through and the ferociously difficult time signatures relax into a naturalness that makes their playing seem easy. The beauty of this approach lies in how the music can transform its national origins. While it's easy to identify the sounds of those countries, Stevig has uncannily laid a distinct American stamp upon it. That influence isn't lost on him, as one of the four original pieces is entitled "Leo in the Morning," a homage to American guitar master Leo Kottke. This is stately and elegant music respectfully rendered and beautifully played.