The Last Gig of Lenny Breau

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/07/2011 (4819 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MTC Up the Alley (Venue 2), to July 23

If only Colin Godbout’s fingers were as adept at writing a musical biography of Lenny Breau as they are showing off his velvet touch on a six-string guitar.

Over the hour-long gig, the beret-topped Vancouver musician (Route 66, TransCanada ‘69) offers a reasonable facsimile of Breau — no easy feat when you are playing in your subject’s hometown in front of people who saw him perform. He’s no Breau but he gives the audience a sense of the guitar legend’s virtuosity.

The trouble is when Godbout’s not playing and is trying to awkwardly impart Breau’s tragic life story as some kind of jazzy Vincent van Gogh. At times the narrative feels like little more than name-dropping of Winnipeg musicians and locations as evidence he did his research.

— Kevin Prokosh

 From the official Fringe Festival program:

Chet Atkins regarded Lenny Breau as the greatest living guitarist. When Lenny’s bohemian lifestyle stifled his success, Chet introduced him to an attractive moralist. At Lenny’s last performance, music takes centre stage until morality forces a final bow.

“Godbout is a virtuosic musician, adept at complex fretwork and dazzling fingerpicking” – Georgia Straight, Vancouver

Best of Fest – Winnipeg Fringe ’09

http://www.colingodbout.com/

Recommended For: Mature Audience

Length: 60 MIN

Tickets: $8

Discount Tickets: $7 for Matinees, Students, Seniors