The Exchange’s Listening Room hosts Four Great Guitarists on February 22nd

On Wednesday, February 22nd, The Exchange in Bloomsburg will feature Four Great Guitarists at their monthly Listening Room, beginning at 7:00 pm. Inspired by the Chester & Lester (Chet Atkins and Les Paul) jam session from 1976, which won a Grammy award, Four Great Guitarists will bring together four musicians from a variety of genres who have never played together for an evening of picking and strumming. Spanning several generations, the musicians include Jesse Loewy from Havertown, Pennsylvania; Gabe Stillman from Williamsport; Stew Cutler from Woodstock, New York; and Don Waller from Long Island, N.Y. There is a suggested donation of $10, and seating is limited, so please call for reservations at 570-317-2596.

Jesse Loewy began his musical career at the age of 8, performing at open mic nights in his local area. By the age of 13, he had formed his own band, playing gigs most weekends while keeping up with his school studies and cello lessons. About the same time, Jesse met Lonnie Shields, a long-established Blues musician who took Jesse under his wing. For several years they performed together around the country, including at the Briggs Farm Blues Festival in Nescopeck and The Exchange’s Destination Blues Music Festival. Jesse continues to perform with The Jesse Loewy Band.

After graduating from Boston’s Berklee College of Music in 2015, Gabe Stillman formed his own band and proceeded to make his mark in the Blues world. In 2019 Gabe and his band represented the Billtown Blues Association at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. Competing against 101 other acts, Gabe’s band was one of four that advanced to the finals. Although they did not win for Best Band, Gabe was honored to be chosen as the Best Guitarist and awarded a custom-made Gibson guitar. Also a prolific songwriter, Gabe wrote 13 of the 15 tracks on his new CD, Just Say the Word. Gabe has recently opened for ZZ Top and Buddy Guy.

With a career of 40+ years playing guitar in a variety of genres, including Jazz, Blues, and Gospel, Stew Cutler has established himself as a bandleader, with seven record releases to his credit, and countless sessions as a sideman for a diverse group of artists including Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett, Fontella Bass, David Sanborn, Charlie Hunter, Meatloaf, and Sweet Georgia Brown, to name a few. In 2019 Stew performed the standard “How High the Moon” on the soundtrack of Martin Scorsese’s film The Irishman. Also in 2019, he was cast as part of the soundtrack for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. In April 2022, Stew released his latest recording, The Blues from Another Angle, which is a critically-acclaimed eclectic mix of originals and covers.

Born in Philadelphia, Don Waller is the second youngest of nine kids; his teenage siblings exposed him to early Rock and Roll, and that started a love affair that has lasted a lifetime. Cutting his teeth on the Philly/Jersey/New York club circuit in the ’70s and ’80s, and a brief stint on Warner Brothers Records in the early ’90s, Don has worked steadily throughout the Northeast for over 50 years. In the wake of the Covid pandemic, he has become an in-demand sideman for Rock, Blues, R&B, and Country acts in the New York City area. Don recently completed his first solo album, Between Here and There, which reflects a number of styles.

Four Great Guitarists is the brainchild of William Jay (BJ), who has wanted to recreate the Chester & Lester jam with guitarist friends of his ever since he first heard the original recordings back in the ’70s. During the past 50 years BJ has provided sound reinforcement and stage management to musical and theatrical acts in the U.S. and East Africa. Since July 2017, BJ has collaborated with The Exchange to present a monthly Listening Room on the last Wednesday of the month in the Exchange Gallery. For more information about the Listening Room, please visit ExchangeArts.org/listening-room. Visit the Exchange Gallery Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Hours may vary from week to week; visit ExchangeArts.org/gallery-hours or give a call before you drop in). For more information about The Exchange, visit ExchangeArts.org and Facebook.com/ExchangeArtsDotOrg or call 570-317-2596.