Shawn Persinger, aka Prester John.

Have you ever seen a gig that was so good, so gratifying, that it made you say to yourself, "Geez, I think I've been setting the bar low lately"? This past Friday's performance by Prester John held itself to such a high standard that it reminded me that demanding benchmarks need not be a sign of snobbery. Quite to the contrary, they can be good for one's dignity and integrity.

You've probably never heard of Prester John, the nom de guerre of New Haven guitarist Shawn Persinger. His name seems well-circulated in some circles, but largely unknown on the local music scene. Never mind that Persinger has literally traveled the world with his music, released multiple albums, and plays successfully in solo, duo, or band settings. His stage name describes him as an astute intellectual with a sense of humor: Prester John was the mythical king of a hidden Christian kingdom.

The dynamic between lowbrow humor and highbrow, intellectually rigorous art is at the core of Persinger's performance. Accompanied by mandolinist David Miller, one moment the duo would dazzle the crowd with precise technical fingerpicking, while the next they'd play straightforward pop. Persinger would channel the mellow, soulful playing of Mark Knopfler's recent work, only to switch gears and skitter across atonal phrases. The Buttonwood Tree, Middletown's volunteer-run community art space, was packed for the show, despite the fact that Persinger's last appearance there was six years ago, and in a different band.

Tough on the fingers and on the memory — I don't think there was a single thing about the duo's performance that they would have described as "easy," and yet I didn't get the impression that the audience had to chew a lot before swallowing. Persinger and Miller completed each others' phrases and synchronized their picking perfectly. Their musical relationship is marked by profound trust and devoted practice, and in their hands Persinger's compositions are full of life and zeal.

The pair's stage schtick only further wrapped the audience around their fingers. They took playful potshots at each other and themselves (Persinger admitted such nuggets as "This is the fifth part of the trilogy I wrote for that girl"). Late in the night, Persinger mentioned that the previous song contained "the part where I'd normally tell you to clap along ... But I just couldn't," stating that it felt like a cheap ploy at audience participation. So when the duo's next song was a bluegrass standard, the audience burst into a clap-along without hesitation, exacting a playful revenge on Persinger, and become part of his running self-humiliation gag. Hell yes.

The Connecticut Blues Society hosts a variety of competitions throughout the year. These runoffs not only promote their members, but also send Connecticut's cream to participate in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. They're currently in the midst of their Solo/Duo Challenge, and they held the final preliminary round this past Sunday at the Pine Loft on the Berlin Turnpike. Kathy Kasey and Greg Benn, who also play in funk/soul behemoth the Kathy Thompson Band, did a set of stripped-down blues that showcased Kasey's throaty Joplin leanings. And the Sawtelles broke out their slide guitar material — is there any kind of rock they don't play? Congratulations to the evening's winners, Chris D'Amato, and Petey Hop & Manny Boy. They return to the Pine Loft, alongside other preliminary winners, this coming Sunday at 6 p.m. The winner goes to Memphis, so it's sure to be an excellent night of music.