06/05 - Saturday :: KJ Denhert & the New York Unit

Web Site: KJ Denhert

KJ Denhert is a unique artist, singer, guitarist and songwriter who calls her music Urban Folk and Jazz. Her voice is powerful, her lyrics full of intelligent insight, and her musicianship is impeccable. Her eclectic yet unified performances reach out to many different types of audiences without compromising her music and beliefs. She is heard at her best on her most recent recording, Lucky 7 and is known to be especially good live. She performs the unusual feat of being both highly individual and quite accessible.

KJ remembers, “I picked up a guitar when I was ten and immediately I started writing music. I loved Sergio Mendes’ songs, liked John Hartford on the Glenn Campbell Show and really got into James Taylor and Joni Mitchell who I still consider my two main influences. I also loved the singer-songwriters of the time including Carole King and Laura Nyro and later fell in love with Steely Dan’s music, and just wore out my copy of Hubert Laws’ Rite Of Spring. I was completely self-taught, by llistening to records and playing them over and over, teaching myself tablature from a great James Taylor book and modal tunings from Joni Mitchell’s For The Roses song book. I didn’t really do anything but play guitar through my teenage years.”

Vicki's Website

Sometimes the revolution begins quietly and only later does the full impact sink in. That’s how it was when Vicki Genfan won the title of "Guitar Superstar" in the 2008 competition sponsored by Guitar Player Magazine. One of the 5 'celebrity' judges, Steve Vai said, "If I could play like Vicki, I'd stay home and entertain myself."

Using 32 alternate tunings and the percussive technique she calls 'slap-tap', Vicki creates waves of sound with two hands and her voice. Drawing from folk, jazz, pop, soul and world music, whether covering the tunes of others or presenting her own compositions, Vicki has a distinctive style that is pushing the boundaries of the singer/songwriter genre. Vicki has joined the world’s greatest guitarists and musicians at festivals such as The International Montreal Jazz Festival, Germany’s Open Strings Guitar Festival and Italy’s Soave Guitar Festival. Most recently, Genfan has released an instructional DVD breaking down her percussive techniques and Luna Guitars designed the 'Vicki Genfan Signature Guitar' which will be available in late June or early July 2010. Check out the Superstar Win and other videos at