The Pjazza Teatru Rjal has seen quite a few memorable performances ever since its (re)inauguration, and without a doubt, last Wednesday’s concert from TAO Productions was one of them. Kicking off with a lively display of Gypsy Jazz from the formidable Hot Club of Valletta, the best was yet to come and, as expected, Tommy Emmanuel delivered a performance that was riveting and highly entertaining at the same time.
Having attended previous TAO concerts featuring Andy McKee and Don Ross, both incredibly talented and engaging in their own right, I kind of knew what to expect, but what Tommy delivered on the night was beyond any expectation, as I'm sure everyone who was present will concur. Not only did he mesmerize the audience with his playing, he brought everyone on board with his story-telling, not forgetting that essential winning touch of humour and his down-to-earth personality. For one young man in particular, namely the prodigious Maltese guitarist Chris Tanti, it was all the more special as he got to perform alongside his favourite guitarist and pull it off amazingly well too.
These kind of concerts may not appeal to the wider audience, but judging from the turnouts for all of the concerts so far, it seems that fingerstyle guitar-playing is picking up a healthy following on this little rock of ours; a good sign of course, as this should encourage Frankie Calleja and his team at TAO Productions to keep bringing us quality performances as they have done without fail!
Thank you Tommy! Thank you TAO!