The talents of two extraordinary solo artists are showcased in this evening of traditional Celtic and Appalachian fiddle and banjo music, beautifully rendered on guitar.

Described by leading folk music magazine Dirty Linen as one of America's the best Celtic guitarists, the Bay Area's Steve Baughman is a pioneering fingerstyle player who balances impeccable technique with great emotional depth. With a smooth, lyrical style reflecting the influence of British Isles fiddlers, Steve brings alive the broad range of Celtic traditional music, from joyous jigs to soulful laments. Steve's performances, though best experienced live, can also be found on recordings like his duo CD with Robin Bullock, Celtic Guitar Summit (voted one of the best albums of 2003 by Acoustic Guitar magazine) and his recent The Almost Whiskey Waltz.

Pacific Northwest native Alec Stone Sweet has an extraordinarily sparse, soulful style. Long known for his fingerstyle interpretations of Celtic tunes, Alec has more recently been gaining attention with music like that featured on his new album of traditional Appalachian material, Tumblin' Gap (Solid Air). Applying the "clawhammer" picking techniques used by old-time banjo players to his steel-string guitar, Alec produces a unique, entrancing sound that Radio National Australia described as "Spacious, haunting and exquisite."