Lazy Sunday afternoon, got no mind to worry, close my eyes and drift away. Oxford’s latest venue is the exercise yard at Oxford Prison, within the new bohemian enclave of the Castle complex, and it created an atmospheric backdrop to locally based virtuoso guitar duo Luis D’Agostino and Pete Oxley. The ever imaginative Creation Theatre Company are hosting an eclectic series of concerts to be staged at the same venue which is being used for their summer Shakespeare productions. And judging on this second instalment they are well worth checking out.
 | | Pete and Luis on stage |
It was a simply marvellous spectacle, the setting has a palpable feel of “Shawshank Redemption”. The optimists amongst the audience of 130 were hoping for “Folsom Prison Blues” but instead were given an hour of mixed jazz influenced guitar harmonies. Surrounded on four sides by prison walls, with perfect acoustics, the venue simply has to be seen to be believed. The sun shone and the complex mellifluous guitar fretwork washed over the appreciative continental tourists who made up most of the listeners. The material all came from the Americas. Canada was represented by a Joni Mitchel number, USA weighed in with John Coltrane and Duke Ellington, but the loudest applause was for the Brazilian and Argentinian modern tango compositions. Interestingly, none of the pre-concert posters mentioned the word jazz. Plenty of the hallmarks of jazz were present nevertheless; lots of smiling eye contact between the players, guitars perched chin high and elongated closes to each number, it was a tricky job judging when to start to clap at the right time. Luis D’Agostino hails from Argentina, and has a regular slot at The Chester Arms, a snug little boozer off Iffley Road. Pete Oxley is often seen at The Wheatsheaf in town, where he is involved with the Spin jazz evenings. The duo sold out the Holywell Music Room last year. Both are career guitarists, with pedigrees in classical and rock, as well as in the taboo word jazz; and we are lucky to have this talent so regularly on show locally. They were plugging their new album “Double Singular” and are about to start a tour of village halls in the West Country. Their different styles work well together you got a real sense of teamwork on stage. Another duo, Godber and Fletch would have loved the show too. | 
