EDINBURGH FRINGE: Antonio Forcione: Sketches of the World at the Assembly Rooms (Drawing Room)*****

When Antonio Forcione first came to the UK from Italy he used to busk in London. Now he’s an award-winning guitarist and composer who has played with Paul McCartney and is performing elsewhere in the Fringe with Willem Dafoe’s wife.

He hasn’t been around for a while. That’s because he’s been travelling the world, playing with local musicians in Cuba, South Africa, and with gypsies in Granada, all of which provide the material for this show.

I’m not a musical expert. I know what I like but I can’t tell you why. But Forcione’s playing is spell-binding. He does things with a guitar you’ve never seen before and gets sounds out of it you’ve never heard, a real master of his craft. He is also unassuming and witty, and it was a real privilege to see and hear him in this intimate space.

Antonio Forcione: Sketches of the World is at the Assembly Rooms (Drawing Room) at 6.35pm until Aug 24 (1 hr). www.assemblyfestival.com