Kaki King spent plenty of time busking in subway stations, coffeehouses and small New York clubs in the '90s. But with two critically acclaimed CDs under her belt, she now has roadies to haul up on stage her largish collection of electric, acoustic and steel guitars. She plays all these with a sophisticated style in the best tradition of solo finger-picked guitar. A worthy successor to guitar masters like Leo Kottke, John Fahey and Michael Hedges, she brings her unique playing to Japan this week.
Though diminutive in size and unassuming in manner, King has killer chops. It's hard to imagine a small club, much less a coffeehouse, containing the immensity of her playing. On her second release, "Feet to Make Us Longer," and her debut, "Everybody Loves You," her unique double-handed tapping style goes in many directions. Playing both melody and bass lines, along with, somehow, a percussive beat, she creates complex musical patterns that gallop ahead with a huge sense of energy.
The tunes are not just there to show off her technique, though. She employs complex minor chords and varying dissonances to make powerful musical statements. This balance between visceral undertow and virtuoso style makes her string work special. Her subtle harmonics and interwoven sub-harmonies are drawn from traditions as diverse as European modernism, folk and Middle Eastern music.
At only 25, King may not quite fit the stereotypical image of a guitar monster, but that's just fine. The art of solo guitar has not sounded so good in a long, long time.
