November 15 will bring two of the world’s premier guitarists, Sungha Jung and Trace Bundy, to Garland’s Granville Arts Center. Each has a unique style of playing but they blend very well together.
The men met ten years ago, when Jung captured Bundy’s attention by playing one of Bundy’s arrangements so well Bundy became determined to meet Jung face-to-face. Out of that encounter grew a professional relationship and friendship.
Both are “fingerstyle” players. With fingerstyle, the musician plays all the musical parts – bass, rhythm, melody, percussion – at the same time on an amplified acoustic guitar. Each is literally a one-man band. Together the two guitarists give the impression of a full orchestra.
An internationally acclaimed guitar virtuoso from Boulder, Colorado, Bundy uses harmonics, looping, multiple capos, and his unique banter and stage presence to deliver an unforgettable live concert. Listening to his recorded intricate arrangements is one thing, but seeing the fan-dubbed “Acoustic Ninja” play live confounds the most accomplished music lovers as to how one person can do all that with just two hands and ten fingers.
Bundy’s career has taken him to 28 countries. He has played in high-tech performance halls in South Korea and Italy, to remote villages in Zimbabwe and Guatemala. He has independently sold over 110,000 albums on his record label, Honest Ninja Music. His video clips circulate virally, with over 36 mi
llion YouTube views.
Bundy was named by Acoustic Guitar Magazine “Most Promising New Talent” in 2008. That same year he also won third place in the magazine’s “Best Fingerstyle Guitarist” category. During his years of touring, Bundy has shared the stage with Brandi Carlile, Olivia Newton-John, Neko Case, Judy Collins, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, David Wilcox, David Knopfler (Dire Straits), Bill Nershi (String Cheese), Laurence Juber (Paul McCartney & Wings) and Chris Hillman (the Byrds), among others.
Jimmy Leslie at Guitar Player Magazine called his guitar performances “thrilling stuff.”
Audiocast Magazine from Austin agrees: “Bundy’s live show is without a doubt an event that needs to be witnessed rather than told about. With such a jaw-dropping performance, Bundy’s live concert is a slap in the face that would leave a palm print on the memory of everyone in the audience.”
Jung, 20, is from South Korea. He took YouTube by storm when his father started posting videos of him playing guitar. He is mostly self-taught, learning even the most difficult pieces by watching videos of the top fingerstylists. His goal at 10 was to become a professional fingerstyle guitarist. By age 12 he reached his goal and had toured much of Asia and had his first European tour. Along the way he also met Bundy.
At age 10 Jung had mastered what was then one of Bundy’s most difficult arrangements, Pachelbel’s Canon in D and that captured Bundy’s attention. He wondered “who is this kid and why is he playing my music so well?” Bundy asked Jung to open for him on a Korean tour and then became one of Jung’s mentors and close friends.
Bundy began bringing a 13-year-old Jung to the U.S for tours. Jung now tours throughout the Asia/Pacific region, Europe, Scandinavia and the U.S. and regularly plays with many of the world’s best guitarists. He has shared the stage with Tommy Emmanuel, Andy McKee, Preston Reed, Uli Bogenhausen and more. He was a special guest of Jason Mraz at an Olympic Stadium concert in Seoul.
Jung’s YouTube fame is incredible. His channel, jwcfree, has had more than 1.2 billion visits and four million subscribers. This prolific composer writes much of his own music and arranges most of the music he covers.
Jung and Bundy will visit with the audience after the show.
Tickets: www.garlandartsboxoffice.com or Granville Arts Center Box Office, 300 North Fifth Street in downtown Garland, 972-205-2790. $27.
Time: Doors open 6:30 p.m. Show starts at 7:30 p.m.