For too long, the idea of a “guitar hero” has been rooted in a distinctly masculine archetype. But pioneers like Nancy Wilson, Joan Jett and, more recently, Marnie Stern have all staked claims in a male-dominated arena.
Kaki King is a different kind of hero: Largely eschewing aural pyrotechnics, she’s widened the interpretive range of the guitar through exploration and collaboration. For her latest project, The Neck Is a Bridge to the Body—abetted at this week’s premiere by visual artists Glowing Pictures—she transforms her very ax into a projection screen.
From her 2003 debut, Everybody Loves You, to 2012’s trans-textural excursion, Glow, she’s never failed to astonish even seasoned innovators like David Torn with her fingerpicking, tapping and slide prowess. The Neck promises to be yet another fantastical feat.—Bill Murphy