Colin Godbout may not be the actual greatest guitarist in the world, but he is fantastic at playing the music of those in consideration for that title. In this show, Godbout tries to answer the age-old question of who should hold the title of the world’s best guitarist with a lot of great guitar riffs and a whopping music history lesson. Should you see it?
The Greatest Guitarist in the World starts even before the show starts, with Godbout already strumming away as the audience enters. He makes you feel right at home with song and conversation – immediately, this feels less like a show and more like a jam session.
When The Greatest Guitarist does start, Godbout is like the world’s coolest music teacher, playing you through decades of music and tracing the development of guitar-picking styles using only some pedals and a few hats. Django Reinhardt, Chet Atkins, Jimi Hendrix, Lenny Breau, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton; Godbout plays them all and more. It’s worth going to his show to snag a copy of the program, which is chock full of information about each of those guitarists.
My favorite part is that Godbout makes you feel like you’re part of the show, in a good way. There’s a little sing-along at one point, but it doesn’t feel uncomfortable or forced. It feels like you’re just hanging out at a really chill party. The Arts Court Library makes for a very intimate show, especially since opening night’s audience was small (although Godbout definitely deserves a full room). The Greatest Guitarist in the World is sure to please guitar players and their fans.
But that’s just my opinion and I’d love to know what you think. Did you enjoy this jam session as much as I did? Let me know in the comments below!
The Greatest Guitarist in the World runs June 22nd, 23rd, 27th, 29th and 30th. For more information and to purchase tickets, check out the Ottawa Fringe website.
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