Denny Breau at Wayside Theater

Contributed photo DENNY BREAU

  DEXTER — Guitarist Denny Breau performs on Saturday, July 25 at 7 p.m. at the Wayside Theatre in North Dexter.

 Breau’s rhythmically flawless and dazzlingly clear style allows him to mix folk, Delta blues, country and jazz with ease.

 It is not an exaggeration to say that Denny was born to the instrument.  His parents, Hal Lone Pine and Betty Cody, were popular country performers and RCA recording artists beginning in the 1940s. His older brother, the late Lenny Breau, is considered a jazz guitar giant. Family friend Chet Atkins was also a major influence. And Denny was inducted into the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004, the youngest inductee in the history of the organization.

 Breau is a genuine people-person and, like a minister, greets concert-goers and then shakes hands following his performances.  “My mother always scolded me ‘Don’t do that!  It’s not professional,’ but I get the excitement out of people that way.  It’s the people who make it for me,” Breau said.

 Breau first played at the Wayside Theatre in 2014 and is gladly returning.  “It’s such an intimate audience and I love connecting with them in a personal way,” he said.

 Breau also loves the freedom to go wherever the joy and spirit of the moment leads him. “I get to be me,” as he describes it.

 Breau is also a passionate teacher who will gladly demonstrate the guitar style of Chet Atkins to concert-goers or give private guitar lessons. But even teachers learn.

 In 2014, Breau toured around Canada as part of the 2014 World Acadian Congress. “I connected with a heritage I never knew. I mean, I knew I was French-Canadian but now I know I’m Acadian.”

 From these travels Breau collected new stories and new songs and can’t wait to share them at the Wayside. “It’s gonna be a ball!” he promises.

 Tickets are $10 each. Baked goodies and refreshments are sold at intermission and there are pie auctions, a door prize and a 50/50. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; no reservations.

 For more information, call Joe Kennedy at 277-3733 or find Wayside Grange and Theatre on Facebook.