They call themselves Lambo Law: Guitar Duet, and they are terrific. Jazz guitarists Neil Lamb and David Lawlor will be playing a free concert at Wiscasset Art Walk on Thursday, July 28, from 5 to 8pm. Look for them on a sidewalk in Wiscasset Village.
Both guitarists have played previously at Wiscasset Art Walk, Lamb as a guest musician, and Lawlor as a regular gallery performer. Although each musician has developed his own playing style, with Lawlor playing a 6-string pick style and Lamb playing a 7-string finger style, when they come together, they speak the same musical language.
Lawlor explains that when he’s playing jazz guitar as a solo performer, he’s likely to interpret an arrangement very literally because he has to carry all the parts of the piece himself including the rhythm and the melody. “You have to keep the listener in mind and not play with breaks or lose rhythmic continuity,” he says. But when playing with a partner like Lamb, he can improvise more with a solo because he knows his playing partner will be providing that musical continuity.
In a previous career as Executive Director of Mobius in Damariscotta for 18 years, music was a sideline for Lawlor, but after retirement, “music is kind of the main thing now.” That means, in addition to playing, that Lawlor continues to take lessons when he feels it will help him gain new skills and improve what he already knows. “Maine is home to some excellent guitar players,” Lawlor says, and lessons with accomplished musicians help him push his music to higher levels. On the downside, there aren’t a lot of venues for jazz guitarists. And that brings Lawlor to Wiscasset Art Walk. “Art galleries are perfect,” he says, “there’s not a lot of noise, it’s a quieter environment, and coordinating music with visual arts feels right.”
One of Lawlor’s current musical projects is working with artist John Carnes to compose music that’s complimentary to specific paintings by the Gardiner artist. For Lawlor, composing gives him the opportunity to explore a new concept or solve a technical challenge, but he emphasizes that even a simple tune, a classic arrangement, can be added to and become more complicated. During a Lambo Law set, it’s usual to hear some original pieces mixed in with recognizable numbers by Lennon & McCartney, Sondheim, and Methany.
While the Midcoast abounds with talent, this is a rare opportunity to hear two exceptional jazz guitarists, playing together, in such an intimate and unusual setting.
Portrait of Neil Lamb and David Lawlor by Kathleen Mack.
