By Errol de Cruz

GUITAR MAESTRO Paul Ponnudorai will showcase his fretboard skills at Taman Sri Hartamas' most popular nightspot, The Backyard Pub and Restaurant (Jln Sri Hartamas 8) after nine, tonight.

The gig will be a rare opportunity to catch the axeman in action as he is currently based in Singapore, and has spent the last few years making a name for himself in the Pacific and Latin regions.

Paul, who began carving a reputation when he was nine, has won at several competitions, the list including Bakat TV and the Yamaha guitar competitions of the `70s.

The list of artistes he has performed with includes such luminaries as Tuck Anderson, Jeremy Monteiro, Eldee Young, O'Donel Levy (of Herbie Mann fame), Sheila Majid, Jamal Abdillah, Seha, Michael Veerapen, Nora, Isaac Hayes, Steve Thornton (Miles Davis Band), Alex Blake (Manhattan Transfer),Arman Sambahleko (Paul Simon), guitarist Tommy Emmanuel, hornsman Terumasa Hino and drummer Billy Cobham.

In the `90s, Paul formed a superstar group called Made In Malaysia with Allan Perera (keyboards), Jerry Felix (drums) and Daniel Soliano (bass guitar), making waves in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia.

Having played with such diverse artistes, his guitar styles have developed tremendously and this evolution is the stuff that will make this evening at Backyard an occasion to remember.

The Paul Ponnudorai Show starts after nine. Call 03-6201 0318 for details and directions.

© The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad. All rights reserved.