A couple weeks ago, jazz guitarist and Brentwood resident
Larry Carlton performed at Sambuca restaurant here in
Nashville for an intimate evening of top-shelf jazz guitar.
There was just one problem: tickets were $40 per person and
dinner was required, which pushed the entire evening's
anticipated bill (for two) into the $180 - $200
territory—unattainable for most. If you couldn't afford to
see Mr. 335, don't fret, as there's another top-shelf jazz
guitarist in town with a smokin' Carlton/Burrell vibe. Eric
Normand and his trio are currently performing a series of
Wednesday evening sets inside 12 South Taproom.
Eric Normand is a Berklee grad who has played guitar for
Toby Keith, Vern Gosdin, Daryle Singletary and, currently,
Rhett Akins. However, when he's not on tour with Akins,
gigging at the Grand Ole Opry, or recording in his studio
(Music On A Hill) he is focusing on side-projects—one of
which includes an experimental jazz trio. The Eric Normand
Trio (Ger Hoffman on Bass, Ron Krasinski on Drums) often
begin their tunes with a bluesy Kenny Burrell vibe, and
transition into a slightly louder, borderline experimental
(yet still very melodic) Larry Carlton vibe, and back again.
Normand's guitar tone is pleasing to the ear, as his G&L
tele achieves a bright 335 tone (à la Carlton) while
retaining the warmth heard in Pat Metheny's hollowbody
guitars. Normand doesn't cloud his solos with notes for the
sake of notes. Rather, his solos are crisp, thoughtful,
appropriate to the tune, and flawlessly delivered.
The ambience at 12 South Taproom is very relaxed, and it is
the ideal place to sit back with your favorite beer and
become hypnotized by Normand's guitar-work. Look for a CD of
original music to be released by the Eric Normand Trio
within the next few months.