http://www.vindownes.com/ "Skies and Openings" is the debut recording by fingerstyle guitarist Vin Downes. It is comprised of eleven original songs with influences of Americana, Blues, Classical, Folk and Jazz. It includes seven solo performances and four pieces with guest musicians Lois Carpenter on bass, Mike Fumento on drums, and Jeffrey Young on violin. Vin Downes began studying guitar at the age of eleven. His early interests were in electric guitar, but this changed when he heard the music of Michael Hedges and Leo Kottke. He was immediately intrigued with the art of fingerstyle acoustic guitar. Downes went on to earn a degree in classical guitar performance and music education from William Paterson University. Along the way, he has studied classical composition, Indian tabla, and American roots music, while developing a love for jazz and all improvised music. "Skies and Openings" is the culmination of years spent exploring fingerstyle guitar. It is a mix of styles and moods in a pure acoustic setting. <a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Vin+Downes">Read more on Last.fm</a>. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.