I enjoyed the concert in Hartford last night. The venue was a little strange as it was part of the Hartford Insurance campus and security was over the top. But the audience was great. Afterwards I met a large high school group of classical guitar students that came on a bus from Virginia with their guitar teacher. One of them asked me about Jesse Cook and I replied that I didn’t know much about him – I failed to recognize him during Echoes’ blindfold test last week – but that I do not enjoy the sound of playing nylon string guitar with a pick. The student answered that Jesse Cook does not use a pick. Well, he does and does – I should have bet money…

Regarding the sound of a pick on a nylon-stringed guitar, my ears have been fooled only twice. Stevo sometimes uses a pick and does it in such a way that it is really hard to notice, and during the blindfold test John Diliberto played me a piece where I recognized John McLaughlin and Paco after one or two seconds each, but failed to recognize Al Di Meola, who appeared to play a nylon-stringed guitar with a pick. Usually I notice the harsher treble sound of the pick-plucked string and one can also clue into the playing itself, which can at times sounds more mechanical – the pick goes back and forth and that’s a narrower movement than two fingers would make.

Today we drive to Cambridge for the last two shows of this little tour.

Started working on a new slideshow using Keynote yesterday.