Saturday, May 18, 7:30 Show (7 door): Don Latarski (acoustic guitar, banjitar, soprano guitar, baritone guitar) takes the Stage for a night of funk-infused acoustic jazz-grass, featuring Mark Schneider on bass, Jason Palmer on drums, and Jacob Pavlak on acoustic guitar Tickets $30 Now On Sale; drop by the store or call 541-345-8986 to reserve, or click on this link to go to our webstore.

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Don Latarski’s Acoustica Funkus

Jazz finger-style guitarist Don Latarski will be recreating a CD originally released in 2008 called Acoustica Funkus, which blends the instrumentation associated with a bluegrass band with the sensibilities of a jazz group. Seven of the ten songs are well-known jazz/funk tunes from the 70’s. Three of the songs are original. 

Latarski chose classics from this period because all of these songs are important crossover songs. Three of the songs were written by Herbie Hancock, whose cross-genre forays at blending funk and jazz have made him the single most important inspiration for all the aspiring jam bands on the scene today.

Latarski’s concept for Acoustica Funkus came about from a simple question: What would funk music sound like if performed by a bluegrass band?

Rather than assembling a band to make this dream a reality, Latarski decided to have a go at it himself. Through the magic of overdubbing, judicious use of loops, and a great bassist (Mark Schneider), he was able to bring some of the classic funk tunes of the 70s to life in a new guise. At the Tsunami Books concert, he will be joined by long-time bandmates Jason Palmer (percussion), Mark Schneider (bass), and recent addition Jake Pavlak (guitar, banjitar, and soprano guitar).

Not being much of a multi-instrumentalist, Latarski was faced with the dilemma of how to play the banjo and mandolin, two of the essential instruments in any bluegrass band. The Internet came to the rescue as a quick search turned up the 6-string banjo (also called a banjitar), and the soprano guitar: The latter being a 6-string mandolin-like instrument. Both the banjitar and soprano guitar are played like a normal guitar. (The soprano guitar is tuned one octave higher than a normal guitar.) To most people, the banjitar does sound like a banjo and the soprano guitar does a good job at approximating the sound of a mandolin.

The approach used on each song is best thought of as a combination of Americana meets jazz meets bluegrass. The overall sound is funk-infused acoustic jazz-grass. It is this new combination of elements that makes Acoustica Funkus unique in the world of acoustic music.

Don Latarski has been an institution in the Northwest since the late 70’s. His first group was formed while attending the University of Oregon’s School of Music and he’s been leading his own band ever since. His group always features some of the most versatile and talented musicians in the Northwest. This lineup is no different. 

Joining the group will be Jake Pavlak on acoustic guitar, banjitar, and soprano guitar. Jake brings a wealth of performance experience and he’s an awesome jazz and rock player.

Latarski was head of guitar studies at the University of Oregon and an author of 20 guitar instruction books published by Alfred Publications. He’s been playing the guitar since 1963 and is known as an outstanding fingerstyle guitarist. He is also a prolific composer and has penned numerous tunes in many different genres of music, from classical to blues. His playing is gutsy while being simultaneously sophisticated, funky, and soulful. He has recorded 15 different CDs that span the range of Americana, blues, pop, and jazz. https://youtu.be/uKJQ0iz7drM