When Don Ross was draped over a map earlier this year planning a route for a 10-show concert series with fellow musician, Kent Nishimura, he knew he wanted to close things out in Haliburton County.
One of the country’s most prominent and prolific fingerstyle guitarists, Ross returns to the Highlands April 20 – taking to the stage at The Music Room in Haliburton. It’s the same spot Ross admits to having been “blown away” by six months earlier, in October, when a raucous sold-out crowd made him feel at home performing in the County.
“It’s really quite a beautiful location – I enjoyed playing there. It’s a great space. Nestled in an antiques store, with memorabilia all around, it kind of feels voluminous and yet intimate at the same time,” Ross said, recalling how vintage items like an old piano and gramophone helped create a “nice vibe” for his show.
“When I’m planning these shows, I try to decide where I’ve played that I enjoyed, that the people enjoyed, and where it might not be too soon to play again – I remember thinking, after my last show, ‘this has been great, I need to get back here again soon’, so here I am,” Ross added.
Forging his own style and technique that incorporates blues, jazz, folk, and classical music, Ross describes himself as a heavy wood musician. He drew inspiration from acts like Bruce Cockburn, John Renbourn, Keith Jarrett, and Pat Metheny.
Most of Ross’ playlist is original work pulled from the 18 studio albums he’s produced over a career spanning five decades, the most recent Water – released last year.
Describing his sound and approach to music, Ross said being a composer first, and guitarist second, has helped.
“I wouldn’t call myself a guitar-head – I realized when I was quite young that the best way to showcase what I was doing as a composer was to get as good as I possibly could on at least one instrument,” Ross said. “Now, a lot of people think of me as one of the important personalities in the fingerstyle guitar world.”
Playing finger-style means Ross uses his digits, rather than a pick, to make his instrument purr. By utilizing that method, Ross said it allows him to treat his guitar more like a piano – creating some unique sounds and melodies.
“It’s not the way most people play… it’s akin to the way classical guitarists play, except you’re playing modern, popular music,” he said.
Ross said he’s excited to share the stage with Nishimura, a 21-year-old Japanese finger-style guitarist.
“It’ll be a completely different show this time – Kent is really fond of the jazz rock era. Acts like Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers, and Stevie Wonder. That kind of late 70s/early 80s sound,” he said.
Asked how a 63-year-old Canadian artist came to collaborate with a young up-and-comer from Asia, Ross said, “his manager is an old friend of mine who helped broker my first tour in Japan in 2000. He discovered Kent at a young age and has been helping him. Before the pandemic, we were talking about me working with Kent in Canada, and we’re finally getting that done now.”
It’ll be a nice chance for Ross to reconnect with Mark Christiano and Craig Titus – founders of The Music Room – too. Ross said he’d worked with Christiano before when he was presenting shows from his property in Carnarvon, while he remembers Titus from when he worked at Metalworks Studio in Mississauga.
“I think Craig was there when I recorded an album at Metalworks with another guitarist – we got to use the same room that Prince used to make his Musicology record… that was a big thing for me,” Ross said.
Tickets are available online for $35. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the show starting at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit donrossonline.com.
