John Jorgenson is one of the first and few guitarists since Dick Dale or Stanley Jordan to so quickly establish an instantly recognizable signature sound. His playing can easily be picked out from that of his many collaborators in the Desert Rose Band and the Hellecasters, so it must take a set of confident and accomplished players to match his acoustic mastery in a concert setting. The guy can pretty much compete with anyone brave enough to climb up on stage with him, on just about any instrument they favor, given Jorgenson’s seemingly effortless proficiency on Dobro, mandolin, acoustic bass, piano, sax, and even the clarinet and bassoon. Buddy Cage of the New Riders of the Purple Sage once got into a pedal steel guitar battle with Jorgenson at a long-gone Mission Valley nightclub called Banx that local players still refer to in hushed whispers as one of the most jaw-dropping must-have-sold-their-souls-to-the-devil performances ever staged in this town.

The John Jorgenson Quintet arriving at the Museum of Making Music on August 24 is somewhat of a gypsy jazz ensemble, incorporating elements of Greek, Latin, and Romanian music and presented in a somewhat rock and roll five-piece format, eschewing indulgent solos in favor of constant five-finger punches. Jorgenson will be backed by Jason Anick (violin), Max O’Rourke (guitar), Simon Planting (bass), and Rick Reed (percussion).