By Marilyn Delk
DCCA News
Patrick Woods, Doug Wood, and Darren Frate, are the guys with guitars who make up the Cleveland Guitar Trio; these extremely accomplished solo musicians have fun getting together to make music, resulting in a good time for audiences who partake of those get-togethers. Local music fans will have the opportunity to enjoy their eclectic output Thursday, December 7 when Darke County Center for the Arts presents those three talented guys with guitars at The Coffee Pot in downtown Greenville as the third presentation of DCCA’s 2023-2024 Coffee House Series.
Patrick Woods, influenced by progressive rock, has developed a unique brand of complex yet melodic uptempo acoustic sounds on his guitar, while group founder and premier acoustic guitarist Doug Wood brings contemplative, melody-driven music that can shift from sweet fingerstyle to energetic world rhythms. Bass guitarist Darren Frate, a Berklee School of Music grad who majored in film scoring and composition, has collaborated with Doug Wood since 1989 while also pursuing an active career playing and recording with a wide variety of musicians. The trio has planned a program featuring a broad mix of acoustic guitar music including folk, classical, and jazz sounds; the playlist includes familiar fun holiday tunes plus some original compositions by the performing guitar masters.
Although their style and set list is more reminiscent of guitar god Tommy Emmanuel than that of the legendary Chet Atkins, the warm feeling generated by the latter’s music will also be experienced at this show. “Our music is inspired by life, a sharing of our souls,” explained Doug Wood. “Imagine a family gathering around a blazing fireplace, sipping hot drinks, having a good time—that’s the feeling we plan to bring to our performance,” Doug stated. However, he warned that all of the cozy warmth generated should not obscure the fact that Led Zeppelin fans will not be disappointed in the music that they will hear at The Coffee Pot.
The affable musicans’s alliance with Darren Frate goes back to the late 80’s, when they played together in a jazzy folk/rock group cleverly named Watts Gnu, a phonetic pun on a generic oft-used greeting among friends. Unlike his bandmates, Patrick Woods does not live in the Cleveland, Ohio area, but resides in Warsaw, Indiana; his ambitious guitar playing has earned awards in various guitar competitions during the past two decades, as well as the respect and affection of his current bandmates. “We have fun, and do our own thing,” Doug Wood said, promising an enjoyable show appropriate for the holidays that will be serious while providing fun for all. Doug warmly remembers a previous visit to our community in 2011 when he performed for an earlier Coffee House show, and expects to create more happy memories for himself, his bandmates, and his anticipated audience.
DCCA’s Coffee House series was created to present first-rate entertainment in an intimate setting at a low ticket cost, offering an up-close and personal experience with extraordinarily talented artists; the Cleveland Guitar Trio provides the perfect artists to fulfill that mission. Only a few tickets remain available for purchase for the Coffee House Series performance by Cleveland Guitar Trio; they are available at The Coffee Pot for $15.
