Cumbria Vintage and New Guitar Show
24th and 25th  of August 2008, 10am till 5.30pm

   The James Birkett/Rod Sinclair Jazz Guitar Duo was formed in 1997 with the express purpose of rediscovering and recreating some of the most influential guitar music recorded in the 1920s and 1930s. Since then, the guitar duo have developed the repertoire to include nine decades of guitar music, spanning from the music of the earliest acoustic guitar duets by jazz and blues artists such as Eddie Lang, Lonnie Johnson, Carl Kress and Dick McDonough through the work of contemporary performers Pat Metheny and Chick Corea, to original compositions composed specifically for the Jazz Guitar Duo. The Duo’s first album release achieved critical claim across the global guitar community. Michael Simmons in Acoustic Guitar Magazine (USA) said that ‘British guitarists James Birkett and Rod Sinclair have done a magnificent job of reviving the acoustic jazz guitar duet style’, describing the album as a ‘primer on the history of the jazz guitar in the 20th century’. Ed Benson in Just Jazz Guitar magazine, USA (Summer 2001) described it as “Outstanding...”           

       The Jazz Guitar Duo projects a very positive energy and spirit drawing together elements of jazz, blues and classical music to play music that will appeal to all lovers of guitar music.

The Duo has just completed a second album that will be on release in Autumn 2008.

CD reviews - International Publications

“Beautifully played and recorded...”

                                                Nevil Skrimshire, Jazz Journal, UK (September 2002)

“British guitarists James Birkett and Rod Sinclair have done a magnificent job of reviving the acoustic jazz guitar duet style- a primer on the history of the jazz guitar in the 20th century.”

                                                Michael Simmons - Acoustic Guitar Magazine, USA

“Excellent... very well recorded.” Shirley Klett - IAJRC Journal, Germany (Summer 2001)

“Outstanding...”       Ed Benson  - Just Jazz Guitar magazine, USA (Summer 2001)

“The North East’s premiere jazz guitarists in an acoustic setting which recreates the great duettists of the 1930s.... dazzling playing, beautiful recording.”

                                                Alistair Robinson - The Sunderland Echo (March 2001)