Mike Breitenbach
Acoustic Guitarist
About
Mike Breitenbach is an acoustic guitarist from Culpeper, Virginia, now based in Richmond. His playing is rooted in bluegrass and old-time traditions of the Blue Ridge foothills and draws on a diverse set of guitar styles outside of those traditions.
Mike has developed a style that combines the rhythmic drive of bluegrass flatpicking with the chordal textures of fingerstyle guitar. His approach focuses on the polyphonic possibilities of the instrument, blending traditional melodies with a more contemporary harmonic sensibility.
When not playing solo acoustic music, Mike performs with the Gold Top County Ramblers, who combine bluegrass and rock influences into original music.
Last Chance
Last Chance is the debut solo album from Mike Breitenbach. The record features a collection of traditional fiddle tunes and one orginal tune arranged for solo guitar, with many tracks serving as a memory of a specific moment, or tribute to a friend or musical partner.
Drawing on both flatpicking and jazz fingerstyle techniques, the arrangements emphasize melody and self-accompaniment. By exploring the polyphonic potential of the guitar, Mike presents these familiar melodies through a lens that positions the guitar as a solo instrument, while honoring the friends and influences that have shaped his journey through oral musical traditions.
Mixed and Mastered by Eric Skye
Cover photo by Taylor Rigg