Although you may not recognize his name, you know his playing; Sean Ashby is one of the Canadian music industry’s top guitarists. Now, his solo career is taking off, and he has just released his third solo album, Fantastico.
Sean was lead guitar for 12 years with Sarah McLachlan and has played in many bands including Jack Tripper and Delerium, as well as with well known singers such as Rita Chiarelli, Mae Moore and Sue Medley.
If you love guitar and the blues/rock genres, Sean Ashby’s show is a must see. Sean uses six different guitars on stage, including his “lap steel”, similar to a dobro, which he plays with amazing skill. He describes his performance as a “singer-songwriter, guitar-guy show,” and his musical style as “twang and slide – heavy on the twang.”
He plays his own material plus covers of Motown and rockabilly tunes, some country classics, and even old surfer tunes using a hollowed-out Gretsch guitar. On a busy 160-show North American tour now, Sean is traveling solo, singing and playing with backing tracks of live recorded bass and drums.
Sean Ashby’s Guitar Master Class at 1:30 p.m. is open for all ages and all levels of guitar students.
“It’s a chance for people to play in front of each other talk about music, share ideas and take some pointers from an experienced pro – also talk about song writing and live performance,” said Sean.
This workshop is subsidized by the BC Arts Council, which takes a bite out of the costs for interested listeners and musicians. For more info or to register, contact Carla at 250-358-7198 or silvertongallery@gmail.com.
