The Concert Hall was filled with eclectic music Saturday night as musician Dayve Huckett and friends took the stage. An affiliate artist with the College, Huckett’s solo performances included his own original music on classical, steel string and electric guitars. However, Huckett’s impressive repertoire usually runs the gamut from Frank Zappa to the Beatles or from Sting to Tommy Emmanuel. Guest artists included Peter Hamlin ’73 (accordion), Hannah Rose Rommer ’08.5 (viola and voice), Mark Christensen (guitar and chapman stick), Mia Fritze (French horn), Kara Krikorian (flute), Lindsey Selin ’10.5 (viola) and Rachael Elliott (bassoon).
The atmosphere of the performance was warm and cozy. A quaint rug lay across the stage, setting the scene for Huckett’s soothing strings, and the flyer for the concert even bore a “casual dress required” reminder, solidifying the notion that this was a concert where friends new and old could come together in song.
Huckett began the concert with a few solo numbers before his musical guests took the stage.
“You got me for now,” he said, jesting that he was just the preview of his band of amazingly skilled guest musicians.
Yet Huckett demonstrated right from the start that he was quite a skilled guitarist as well. It was easy for the audience to feel his passion and emotions within each of his songs, and the ease and dexterity he demonstrated in each piece evinced his love for music and guitar. He even sang a poem-like piece sans guitar, and though his singing ability was not as finely tuned as his guitar playing, his voice was still quite rich and conveyed the emotions of the poem well.
Huckett’s sense of humor was equally as warm as his musicianship. For instance, when a particularly rowdy audience member screamed wildly at the end of each song, the guitarist was quick to comment on it.
“Whoever’s screaming, keep going. It helps!” he said.
Yet Huckett needed no help during his performance; he is no stranger to the stage. He has been a performer since he was 12, and since 1980, he has been performing and teaching music in New England. He studied at the University of Vermont and has pursued and created other musical styles with guitarist Paul Asbell. In addition, Huckett is a resident guitar teacher at Saint Michael’s College and has been an affiliate artist at Middlebury College since 2005. He has recorded six albums and now performs regularly throughout Vermont.
Huckett is a member of the duo Purple Mountain with Hannah Rose Rommer ’08.5, and his current projects include collaborations with area musicians and incorporating viola, flute, bassoon, French horn and cello to his original compositions.
Huckett and Friends perform cozy concert
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