Chris Proctor, champion guitarist, performs Monday, Feb. 22 at River Valley Community Church. Photo courtesy of Chris Proctor

By Jill Egland, Director of Special Projects, Arts Council of Kern

He’s got his own Taylor guitar.

No. Not as in, “he purchased a Taylor.” There’s actually a “Chris Proctor Taylor,” designed by the famous California-based luthier.

Chris Proctor makes it all look effortless. Accessible. He moves seamlessly between genres, and incorporates a broad range of styles in his original compositions and arrangements. His finger picking technique, which secured him a national championship at the prestigious Winfield Festival, has also earned him a place as one of Taylor’s most sought-after clinicians. Hence, the guitar.

It brought him to Bakersfield once. If you attended his workshop held at the now-demised Buskar’s several years back, then you know how he transitions between tunings, and gets a huge textured sound out of his 6- and 12-string guitars.

This time when he comes, it will be strictly for the music: two hours of impeccable playing, in a broad sweep of styles, at the River Valley Community Church—a venue well-suited for acoustic performances such as Proctor’s.

It’s hard to peg him in any specific genre. There are aspects of a broad spectrum of sounds: jazz, Celtic, Americana/old-timey, and the blues.

“What Proctor does is create guitar music that reflects the whole heritage of the instrument and still has his own distinct stamp,” one reviewer reflected, “(It’s) a tall order, but he’s up to the job.”

Chris Proctor in Concert

When: 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22

Where: River Valley Community Church, 5131 Office Park Drive (look for the large, modernesque steel sculpture in front)

Admission: $15 General Admission/$10 Students

Details: 324-9000, www.kernarts.org