Twin Cities Guitar Observatory: a nexus for the guitar-centric universe in St.Paul & Minneapolis
Welcome to a website and social media effort whose intention is to connect the guitar community in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area. You can expect to find here a number of items that may interest anyone who loves all kinds of guitar-centric information and events.
https://www.facebook.com/tcgtr.org/
https://twitter.com/tcgobservatory
https://www.instagram.com/twincitiesgtrobservatory/
Celebrating Carlos García Montoya (December 13, 1903 – March 3, 1993) in Madrid, Spain, a prominent flamenco guitarist and a founder of the modern-day popular flamenco style of music.
Celebrating Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012), an American guitarist born in Deep Gap, NC. His fingerstyle and flatpicking guitar skills made him an influential figure in the bluegrass and folk guitar world.
Celebrating Larry Eugene Carlton (born March 2, 1948), an American guitarist who built his career as a studio musician in the 1970s and ’80s.
Celebrating Norman Jeffrey “Jeff” Healey (March 25, 1966 – March 2, 2008), a Canadian blues-rock guitarist and vocalist who attained musical popularity in the 1980s and 1990s.
Celebrating Charles Henry “Charlie” Christian (July 29, 1916 – March 2, 1942), an American jazz guitarist born in Bonham, TX, and an important early performer on the electric guitar.
Celebrating Frederick William “Freddie” Green (March 31, 1911 – March 1, 1987), an American swing jazz guitarist who played rhythm guitar with the Count Basie Orchestra for almost fifty years.
Celebrating John Aloysius Fahey (February 28, 1939 – February 22, 2001), an American fingerstyle guitarist described as the foundation of American Primitive Guitar. John Fahey borrowed from the folk and blues traditions in American roots music.
Celebrating Raymond Kaleoalohapoinaʻoleohelemanu “Ray” Kāne (October 2, 1925 – February 27, 2008), one of Hawaii’s acknowledged masters of the slack-key guitar.
Celebrating Francisco Gustavo Sánchez Gómez (December 21, 1947 – February 25, 2014), known as Paco de Lucía, a Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist, and a leading proponent of the new flamenco style who crossed over successfully into other genres.
Celebrating Ryo Kawasaki (February 25, 1947 – April 13, 2020), a Japanese jazz fusion guitarist best known as one of the first to develop the fusion genre, and for helping to develop the guitar synthesizer in collaboration with Roland Corporation and Korg. In the mid-1980s, Kawasaki drifted out of performing music in favor of writing music software for computers.
