A critic's delight.
Reviewed by Ray Smith, Sunday 29th August 2021.
I rarely have the opportunity to visit the Holden Street Theatres, but the warm and intimate venue was the perfect place to see and hear a concert by Kathie Renner and The Search Party.The well-attended show was opened by guitarist Hugh Stuckley, a musician we don't see often enough on Adelaide stages but, hopefully, his relatively recent return to Australia from the United States will offer more opportunities for him to perform locally. He's a musician not to be missed.Stuckley sat quietly in front of his amplifier, stage right, and allowed his semi-acoustic guitar to do all the talking. His fluent and fluid hybrid picking was clean and precise as he seemed to blend classical and jazz feels with an unhurried ease. I had assumed that the evocative and emotion-filled pieces were originals, until three pieces in I was able to recognise the familiar strains of Bye Bye Blackbird amongst the complex chording and intricate melodic phrases that poured effortlessly from his instrument. It wasn't until he back announced the four pieces he played as, I Fall In Love Too Easily, Strange Meeting, Bye Bye Blackbird, and Throughout, that I realised that he was actually playing extant works by other composers. His performance was subtle, understated, and utterly enchanting. A highly skilled and tasteful performer, whose shows everyone should keep an eye, and an ear open for.Videos