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If you haven’t made it out to see the Ted Ludwig Trio, I strongly encourage you to cancel your other plans tonight and head out to the Afterthought (8 p.m., $5).  Ted is a young (early thirties) jazz guitar virtuoso living in Little Rock after being chased out of New Orleans by the hurricane.   He can really light it up with his 7-string guitar, and shows some chops way beyond his years.

Disclosure:  Ted has been my son’s guitar instructor for a couple of years now and is one of the nicest guys around.  However, even if he was an insane jerk, I’d still be tempted to come out and see him play.  He’s really that good. 

Hope to see you out,

Glen

Arkansas Times has released the list of bands competing in their Musicians Showcase.  Some strong ones here (see list below). 

I’m partial to Kyoto Boom (Scott Cook, Dave Raymond, and Duke Boyne) and The Reds (Johnny Mac, Graham Cobb, and Jason Thompson), both of whom grabbed my attention hard in 2007.  The Reds album “Economy of Motion” (Max Recordings) is one of my favorite albums of the last year–heavy on the pop hooks and lyrically lush.   I’ve had the chance to see Kyoto Boom live a couple of times in the past few months and never ended up standing still for more than a minute.  They’re currently unsigned, but not for long.

Keep an eye out for the lineup dates–you won’t want to miss Kyoto Boom and The Reds.

 Sibilance,

 Glen

FROM ARKANSAS TIMES BLOG 

The Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase is just two weeks away. The first round kicks off on Thursday, Jan. 31, at Sticky Fingerz. Over the course of four consecutive Thursdays, 16 semi-finalists will battle for a spot in the Showcase finals on Friday, March 7, to be held at Revolution. Four acts will compete each Thursday; the line-up will be announced shortly. But here, we’re pleased to announce the semifinalists:
4X4 Crew
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Ace Spade and the Whores of Babylon
Benjamin Del Shreve
Brian Frazier
Brian Martin
Damn Bullets
Epiphany and One Night Stand
Kyoto Boom
Notion
The Reds
Red Zephyrs
Riverboat Crime
Rockst*r
The Running Back
Sean Rock & the Toltecs