The Fast Friends include Peter King on vocals, acoustic and electric guitars; Marc Reisman, harmonica; Mark Perna, bass; and Vince Taglieri, drums. Ask anyone who's seen 'em -- they're fast!

The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh The Times They Are A-Changin’: Words and Music of Bob Dylan Arranged by Steve Hackman, Matthew Mehaffey Music Director Special guest: Peter King, guitar and vocal

Hear a few notes from his guitar, and you know it’s James Taylor. Now 70, the writer of “Fire and Rain,” “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” and “Carolina in My Mind” has influenced pop, folk and country with his jazz-tinged chords and syncopated rhythms. The melodies and harmonies go down easy, but a closer listen reveals nuance, power and surprise. Taylor’s socially conscious, sometimes tormented soul reveals itself in songs about drug addiction, the First Gulf War and Martin Luther King. Other songs draw on his brother’s death, his difficult relationship with his father and his family's seafaring past. In a 5-session course, musician/guitar teacher Peter King will explore what makes Taylor’s music so original. Through guided listening to Taylor’s recordings as well as songs played live by the instructor on his guitar, the class will gain a deeper appreciation of the art of Sweet Baby James.

GIG POSTPONED DUE TO PENS GAME! WILL BE RESCHEDULED SOON! Peter returns to the Tavern in the Wall acoustic and electric guitar/vocals with his fast friends Mark Perna on bass, Marc Reisman on harmonica and Vince Taglieri on drums.

Peter King joins renowned conductor/arranger/composer Steve Hackman, the Mendelssohn Choir and a string quintet in an all-Bob Dylan program that re-imagines matchless songs including "Like a Rolling Stone," "Tangled Up in Blue" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right." Tickets are available at ticketfly.com or at 844-4-FLY-TIX

More details to follow!

Peter King (that’s me) will be performing his songs ("jazzy, easy-going acoustic folk-pop in the vein of vintage James Taylor and Paul Simon" – Post-Gazette) at Wallace's Whiskey Room + Kitchen Tuesday, Sept. 26 (that's tonight)! Expect a little less “easy-going acoustic,” as I’ll be playing plenty of electric guitar, backed by the dynamite Fast Friends Band: Mark Perna, bass; Marc Reisman, harmonica; Eric Kurtzrock, drums/vocals. Elegant, hip, happenin’ Wallace’s serves great dinners and drinks and offers an excellent viewing area for music. Check us out! Thanks, Peter www.peterkingmusic.com www.facebook.com/pkingmusic/

Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan, now 75, was 19 when he arrived in Greenwich Village in the bitter cold winter of 1961. Although Dylan creates fascinating music to this day, he made his boldest mark in the early to mid-sixties, when he transformed the pop soundscape with his matchless topical songs, signature symbolist imagery and leap from acoustic music to raw rock ‘n’ roll. In Dylan’s early career, a smart, confident, determined musician/myth-maker emerges. So does a charged era, from the Folk Revival to the Freedom Rides. Vivid characters – from Joan Baez to Allen Ginsberg to the brash, funny, enigmatic Dylan himself – parade by. And the great songs ring out: “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall,” “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “Like a Rolling Stone” and more. Peter King, a well-known Pittsburgh guitar teacher, performer and journalist, will supplement lecture, recordings and videos with his own guitar playing to tell the story of this true American iconoclast.

Guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Peter King is back at Tavern in the Wall, again backed by his Fast Friends: Mark Perna, bass; Marc Reisman, harmonica; and Eric Kurtzrock, drums.

Peter plays an evening of original songs both old and new with the help of fast friends Mark Perna on bass, Marc Reisman on harmonica and Mark Weakland on drums. Admission is free.

Peter performs old and new originals, as well as distinctive covers of blues, folk and jazz standards. Bassist Mark Perna, Peter's frequent colleague onstage and in the recording studio, will bring the bottom and then some. Come hear some cool sounds, and then check out "Pump Boys and Dinettes" next door in the CLO Cabaret Theater.

The Post-Gazette calls the music of Aspinwall's Peter King “jazzy, easy-going acoustic folk-pop in the vein of vintage James Taylor and Paul Simon.” The Beaver County Times says, "King has brought a fresh approach to the city’s singer-songwriter scene, with an accessible style that encompasses blues, jazz and Brazilian rhythms.” Joining Peter for his second set will be frequent colleague Mark Perna on bass (Richie Cole, Don Aliquo Sr., Christopher Mark Jones). King and Perna will mix originals -- including new tunes from Peter's upcoming third CD -- with standards from The Beatles to Dylan to B.B. King. The cozy, well-run and delicious Tavern in the Wall is a great place to dine, drink and hear music. Admission is free.

Singer-songwriter with jazz guitar chops. And why not?

It was 50 years ago today (well, almost) on Aug. 6, 1966, that The Beatles released Revolver – a recording on the short list of the group’s very best music. In fact, some critics and fans rank it even higher than “Sgt. Pepper.” Why do songs like “Taxman,” “Yellow Submarine” and “Eleanor Rigby” still sound catchy, innovative and even profound a half-century after they were made? Gain some new insights through guided listening to the recordings, as well as examples played by the instructor on guitar.

Solo guitar and vocals.

Fifty years ago, The Beatles released “Rubber Soul” – the first in a string of three LPs generally regarded as among their very best. “The Beatles in Their Prime” focuses on these three landmark recordings – why Rubber Soul, Revolver and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band still sound catchy, innovative and even profound. Through guided listening to the recordings, as well as examples played by the instructor on guitar, this five-session presentation will explore the following topics: - What made the Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership/rivalry magical -The role of producer George Martin (R.I.P. March 8, 2016), sometimes called “The Fifth Beatle” -The group’s innovative use of emerging recording studio technology - How the band was influenced by Indian ragas, Bob Dylan, musique concrete and the Beach Boys - How cultural currents of the 1960s, from drugs to Eastern religions, shaped The Beatles, and vice-versa

Peter King is a guitar teacher, performer and lecturer who lives in Aspinwall. He worked as a pop and jazz music critic at The Pittsburgh Press and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and earned an M.M. in guitar performance at Duquesne University. He has released two CDs, “The Road to Ubatuba” and “Dancing on a Long Leash” and is recording a third.

Fingerstyle guitarist, songwriter and vocalist Peter King performs distinctive interpretations of songs ranging from Beatles to bossas to blues -- plus a few originals. His longtime colleague Mark Perna will join him on upright bass. No cover charge. $6 valet parking and plenty of street parking available. Wallace's Tap Room phone: 412-665-0555.

Guitarist/vocalist Peter King and bassist Mark Perna perform live on the long-running, award-winning Saturday Light Brigade radio show hosted by Larry Berger. Expect to hear an eclectic mix of original songs -- including several new tunes from Peter's upcoming third CD. slb@slbradio.org/listen 412-586-6300