Bill MacKay

The 10 tracks on Bill MacKay's 2017 instrumental album Esker make for strange bedfellows (are bedfellows ever normal?). It opens with "Aster," a mischievous piano/guitar duo with an airy, ambient vibe, but two tracks later on "Candy," MacKay's in bluegrass-mode, channeling his inner John Fahey with playful, nimble picking. But somehow, the album's breadth of style makes for a charming, captivating listen. Born in Pittsburgh and now living in Chicago, MacKay is home for two shows: tonight at Club Cafe and Sunday at Carnegie Library - Oakland, for its Sunday Afternoon Music Series.