Wednesday, March 04, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
North Central College to host guitarist Peter Mayer in Wentz Concert Hall
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (March 4, 2009)-Guitarist, singer and songwriter Peter Mayer comes to North Central College for a performance at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 22, in Wentz Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Ave.
North Central College to host guitarist Peter Mayer in Wentz Concert Hall
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (March 4, 2009)-Guitarist, singer and songwriter Peter Mayer comes to North Central College for a performance at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 22, in Wentz Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Ave.
Mayer has toured the world in his role as lead guitarist for the past 20 years with Jimmy Buffett's group, the Coral Reefer Band. He has collaborated with artists like guitarist Sonny Landreth and jazz fusion drummer Dave Weckl. He's also recorded 12 albums of material with his own band, the Peter Mayer Group, known earlier in its career as PM.
Mayer melds an eclectic writing style, a distinctive voice and virtuoso musicianship to create compelling and accessible music that is electrifying in live performance. He has studied and taught jazz guitar at Webster University, and he has shared the stage with such artists as James Taylor, Mac McAnally, Don Henley and others.
Mayer's life began in Tamilnadu, the far southern region of India, where his parents served as missionaries for 17 years before returning to their Missouri roots. Musical influences from that period can be heard in his playing: "I can remember Indian musicians giving Christmas concerts in my parents' house. Wildly playing drums and flutes, shakers and bells, they would go on for hours and hours."
The Peter Mayer Group boasts between them an extensive performing and songwriting portfolio with experience in any number of styles from jazz to country rock to classical. Mayer released his debut album for Warner Brothers Records in 1988. Working with producer Elliot Scheiner (Steely Dan, Aretha Franklin, Bruce Hornsby) the album contained the single "Piece of Paradise," which reached No. 8 on the Billboard singles chart.
Scheiner, who produced Buffett's "Off to See the Lizard" album, suggested that Buffett use PM for the recording sessions, and Buffett hired them as part of his own Coral Reefer Band.
Mayer talked about performing with his own band when he's not working with Jimmy Buffett's group in an interview published by Premier Guitar magazine in December 2008.
"I love to sing, I love to play and I love to write lyrics, too. It's all just an expression of who I am and what I do. I'd go crazy if I just had one thing. I just don't want to get stale, you know? Variety brings me peace. Ever since I heard the Beatles and I heard classical music and rock and roll and Bo Diddley, I'm just so jazzed by music-it's the way I think the world keeps its sanity," he said.
Mayer's band is based in the St. Louis area and includes versatile instrumentalist R. Scott Bryan on percussion, violinist Maggie Estes, and bassist Marc Torlina.
Tickets for Mayer's March 22 performance in Wentz Concert Hall are $25/adults, $15/students and senior citizens. Call the North Central College Box Office at 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit www.northcentralcollege.edu/show.
posted by Chicago Music Guide # 10:56 AM 
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