Steve Gunn, who grew up in Lansdowne but now is based in Brooklyn, came back to the region Friday for a solo 60-minute set at Ardmore Music Hall, writes Steve Klinge for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Friday set was the penultimate date of a co-headlining tour he is doing with post-rock/jazz guitarist Jeff Parker.

The return to the area gave him a chance to wish a belated happy birthday to his mother and sister who were in the audience.

Gunn’s songs are built on impressive guitar lines and contain tensions even though the songs come off as gentle singer-songwriter, pastoral melodies.

They are anchored in Gunn’s mellow vocals with songs about quiet mornings and restorative walks.

Gunn, who studies the works of exploratory folk guitarists like John Fahey, Robbie Basho, and Jack Rose, is just as comfortable playing 10-minute free jazz improvisations or trading rock riffs with Kurt Vile.

Gunn paid tribute in “Among the Trees” to friend Michael Chapman,  a British folk artist who died in September at age 80.

There were glimmers of Gunn’s experimental side, especially in “Way Out Weather”, the title track of his 2014 album.

There was also a tantalizing Parker-Taylor-Gunn trio song.  

Read more at The Philadelphia Inquirer about Steve Gunn’s homecoming performance.