Beppe Gambetta

Guitarist Beppe Gambetta returns to Princeton on Friday, October 11, at 8 p.m., when The Princeton Folk Music Society brings him to Christ Congregation Church, 50 Walnut Lane.

The concert is billed as a fusion of American and Italian folk music traditions. Gambetta taught himself to flat-pick by listening to bluegrass LPs. He combines the folk music of Italy and points east with the bluegrass style of Kentucky. While he may be best known for his picking prowess, he also is a talented vocalist. He sometimes likes to step away from the microphone so that the audience can enjoy the pure beauty of a performance without electronic enhancements.

While he has been thought of as an ethnomusicologist because of his extensive studies of the music of different cultures, Gambetta prefers to think of himself as an “ambassador,” reaching out to bring diverse peoples together. He has traveled to Mexico just to play with a Mariachi band and has sought out Slovakian Gypsies to learn their traditional music. He has been to four continents, all 50 states, and has studied Italian church bell music in his native country.

In his younger days, Gambetta did a “crazy thing,” traveling across the United States to knock on the doors of many of his “guitar heroes.” Later, he was able to spend time and play with Pete Seeger at Pete’s home. He has performed with many other legendary folk musicians, including David Grisman, Doc Watson, and Norman Blake.

Tickets at the door: are $25 ($20 members, $10 students 12 — 22, $5 children 11 and under). For more information, visit www.princetonfolk.org.