Guitar Town 2013 Performers
Acoustic
Electric
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Acoustic Guitarists |
Jerry Douglas Band
 "I've reached a point in my life where I'm not afraid to try anything."
That fearlessness is manifested in spades on Traveler, the artist's 14th solo release and his first in three years. The 11-song album finds the world-renowned Dobro master—described as "the Muhammad Ali of the Dobro" by James Taylor and "my favorite musician" by John Fogerty—defying expectations and ignoring genre restrictions to deliver his most stylistically expansive, personally-charged effort to date.
The Ohio-born Douglas began playing Dobro at the age of eight, after his father—a steelworker who played bluegrass in his spare time—brought him to a Flatt and Scruggs concert, where he was entranced by the sound of Dobro player Josh Graves. After playing with his dad's group the West Virginia Travelers for several years, a 17-year-old Douglas joined the pioneering progressive-bluegrass band the Country Gentlemen in 1973. Two years later, he became a member of the seminal J.D. Crowe and the New South, which also included future solo stars Ricky Skaggs and Tony Rice. In 1976, Douglas and Skaggs co-founded the now-legendary bluegrass combo Boone Creek.
www.jerrydouglas.com
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John Jorgenson
The John Jorgenson Quintet features guitarist John Jorgenson, a founding member of the Desert Rose Band, the Hellecasters, and six-year member of Elton John's band. Artists ranging from Barbra Streisand to Bonnie Raitt to Earl Scruggs have sought out Jorgenson's guitar work. Recently, John Jorgenson was chosen to portray Django Reinhardt in the feature film Head in the Clouds.
At a John Jorgenson Quintet performance, audiences are amazed by John's dazzling guitar work as well as his mastery as a clarinet player and vocalist. Whether playing his own accessible compositions or classic standards, John and his band make music that is equally romantic and ecstatic, played with virtuosity and soul.
www.johnjorgenson.com |
Jake Shimabukuro
In his young career, ukulele wizard Jake Shimabukuro has already redefined a heretofore under-the-radar instrument, been declared a musical “hero” by Rolling Stone, won accolades from the disparate likes of Eddie Vedder, Perez Hilton and Dr. Sanjay Gupta, wowed audiences on TV (Jimmy Kimmel, Conan), earned comparisons to Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis, and even played in front of the Queen of England.
With his new record Grand Ukulele, Shimabukuro’s star may burn even brighter.
jakeshimabukuro.com
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Pete Huttlinger
Pete Huttlinger is an American guitarist. He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music. He is a respected Nashville studio artist. In 2000, he won the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas.
Huttlinger has performed on numerous Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated projects. He has also been nominated for an Emmy for music he both composed and performed for a PBS special. His performances have been used in several national TV series, including the PBS Nature special "Let This Be A Voice." He created the theme song for ESPN’s Flyfishing America, a program on which he has made guest appearances.
As a recording artist Huttlinger has released numerous albums and received wide-acceptance ranging from his critically acclaimed Naked Pop to Things Are Looking Up. His latest CD, released in 2009 on Instar Records is Fingerpicking Wonder: The Music of Stevie Wonder.
In 2007, Huttlinger made his debut at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. He was invited back in 2008 and made his first appearance there as a solo artist. He is scheduled to perform again at Carnegie Hall on January 9, 2010.
www.petehuttlinger.com
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Rory Hoffman
Rory Hoffman is a Nashville based guitarist, keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist. Raised on a small ranch in North Dakota, Rory grew up recording and touring with the family Gospel band. He started teaching himself to play guitar and piano at age 3. By age 5 he was the drummer in the family band. He currently plays over a dozen stringed, keyboard and wind instruments.
Rory's personal musical career was jumpstarted in 1999 upon winning Grand Champion Instrumentalist at the Christian Artist Seminar in the Rockies. In 2001 he traveled to Nashville for the first time to record his Gospel instrumental CD, "Blind Faith". He then helped form Depot Music Productions, based in Mobridge South Dakota. There he self-produced his second album "fishin'", this time choosing country music as his theme. While with Depot Music, Rory produced several other studio projects for local and regional artists. in 2004 and 2005 he received Instrumentalist of the Year from the ICMA based in Nashville.
www.roryhoffman.com |
Scott Goldman
Once again, The Grammy Foundation and MusiCares Scott Goldman will be our host and MC for Guitar Town.
 Scott Goldman has been playing guitar for over thirty years. He found his inspiration at Leo Kottke concert in the early 1970's and never looked back. As life takes its twists and turns Scott got a day job but continued to pursue guitar playing in his spare time.
The compositions on "Off Season" were written over the last three years. They range from moody and contemplative (A Sonar) to more aggressive pieces like "Traffic Stop." After sharing some of the tracks with friends, Scott was encouraged to put together this CD.
profile.myspace.com
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Electric Guitarists |
Coco Montoya
I Want It All Back, Coco's 7th solo album, was released March 23rd, 2010. The disc was produced by Keb' Mo' and Jeff Paris, who also play on the entire album: Keb' on rhythm guitar and Jeff on keyboards.
"In a world of blues guitar pretenders, Coco Montoya is the real McCoy. Be prepared to get scorched." - Billboard
Best New Blues Artist Winner at the Blues Music Awards (1996).
Mentored by legendary bluesman Albert Collins, Coco went on to become the guitarist for John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers for ten years before leading his own band. A self taught guitar slinger who plays with an emotional intensity few string benders possess, he plays left-handed and up side down in the style of Albert King and Jimi Hendrix.
www.rosebudus.com/montoya/ |
John Jorgenson Electric Band with Special Guests Carl Verheyen, Rory Hoffman, and Daniel Donato
The John Jorgenson Quintet features guitarist John Jorgenson, a founding member of the Desert Rose Band, the Hellecasters, and six-year member of Elton John's band. Artists ranging from Barbra Streisand to Bonnie Raitt to Earl Scruggs have sought out Jorgenson's guitar work. Recently, John Jorgenson was chosen to portray Django Reinhardt in the feature film Head in the Clouds.
At a John Jorgenson Quintet performance, audiences are amazed by John's dazzling guitar work as well as his mastery as a clarinet player and vocalist. Whether playing his own accessible compositions or classic standards, John and his band make music that is equally romantic and ecstatic, played with virtuosity and soul.
www.johnjorgenson.com |
Carl Verheyen
In his 40-plus years of playing the instrument, Carl has created a wildly successful, multi-faceted career. He is a critically-acclaimed musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger, producer and educator with 11 CDs and two live DVDs released worldwide. Carl is commonly regarded as a guitar virtuoso capable of playing any style of music with remarkable mastery and conviction. He has been one of LA’s elite “first call” session players for the past 25 years, playing on hundreds of records, movie soundtracks and television shows. Carl has graced the pages of countless industry publications and been the subject of numerous articles chronicling his rise to the forefront of the modern day guitar scene.
www.carlverheyen.com/
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 Daniel Donato
Daniel always had a guitar, but didn't realize his drive for it until he found his passion for music around 12 years old. When he found it, it was a natural fit.
As everything Daniel latches on to, it is 100%. He started with Guns & Roses, Led Zeppelin and Rush and quickly absorbed the main riffs and solos. Wanting to learn more about the roots of Classic Rock, he started exploring blues and folk. B.B. King, Eric Clapton and Joe Bonamassa became the new heroes. He achieved a technical proficiency on the guitar and could finally express his emotions through his instrument.
brotherhoodoftheguitar.com/DanielDonato.html |
Tony Joe White
Tony Joe White has accomplished much in the years since he emerged from his home in Louisiana’s swamp country and the hardscrabble circuit of Texas honky-tonks. His music is part of America’s soundtrack – sparse and elegant, filled with shadows, sadness and beauty. Nobody else writes songs like these – songs that evoke both the mysteries of the place were he was raised and the spirits that haunt us all in our most private, lonely moments.
Nobody sings them like White either. That dark baritone, scarred and sweet, brings these songs to life like none other. Even so, others have memorably interpreted his songs, from Brook Benton’s unforgettable take on “Rainy Night in Georgia” in 1970 to Tina Turner’s intensely soulful rendition of “Steamy Windows.” Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, Dusty Springfield, Etta James – iconic artists in their own right have honored “the Swamp Fox” by cutting his tunes. Others have joined White, with Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Michael McDonald, Waylon Jennings, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams and Shelby Lynne among those who have paid tribute as guests on recent, theme-oriented projects such as The Heroines and Uncovered.
www.tonyjoewhite.com |
Bill Kirchen
Grammy nominated guitarist, singer and songwriter Bill Kirchen is one of the fortunate few who can step onto any stage, play those trademark licks that drove his seminal Commander Cody classic Hot Rod Lincoln into the Top Ten, and elicit instant recognition for a career that has spanned over 40 years and includes guitar work with Nick Lowe, Emmylou Harris, Doug Sahm, Elvis Costello and many more. Named “A Titan of the Telecaster” by Guitar Player Magazine, he celebrates an American musical tradition where rock 'n' roll and country music draws upon its origins in blues and bluegrass, Western swing from Texas and California honky-tonk. His current CD Word To The Wise on Proper American features duets with many of these artists he's worked with, including Elvis, Nick, Maria Muldaur and Dan Hicks.
billkirchen.com |
Mark Selby Band with Special Guest Josh Nordlund
Mark Selby is a native of Oklahoma and Kansas now based in Nashville. He has established himself as a rare triple-threat talent: a gifted songwriter with serious guitar chops and a voice to match.
Songwriter: Selby has written more than 10 top-40 singles and 4 #1 hits, including the Dixie Chicks' Grammy-winning There's Your Trouble and Kenny Wayne Shepherd's Blue On Black -- Billboard magazine's1998 Rock Track of the Year. Wynona, Trisha Yearwood, Lee Roy Parnell & Keb Mo, JoDee Messina and many others have recorded Selby's songs.
Recording Artist: Selby's new Nine Pound Hammer CD on the ZYX label is garnering critical raves in Europe and will be released in the U.S. in late 2008. He has released two internationally acclaimed blues/rock albums for Vanguard Records -- More Storms Comin' (2000) and Dirt (2003) and contributed to the Grammy-nominated Avalon Blues: A Tribute to Mississippi John Hurt (2001). His single She's Like Mercury was the first charting rock single for the Vanguard label. A solo acoustic CD, Mark Otis Selby...And The Horse He Rode In On was released in 2006. His discography as a session musician includes recent releases by Wynona, Kenny Rogers, Jamie O'Hara, Ronnie Milsap, Johnny Reid, and the Keni Thomas album Flags of our Fathers, which Selby co-produced with Brent Maher.
Live Performer: A virtuoso guitarist and dynamic live artist, Mark Selby has shared the stage with B.B. King, Jeff Beck, John Mayer, Robert Cray, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Delbert McLinton, John Hiatt, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Collective Soul, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Levon Helm, Junior Brown, and many more. Selby has appeared on notable radio and television music programming including World Cafe, Mountain Stage, and Woodsongs, and continues to perform with his stellar backup band, as an acoustic solo artist, and in a duo with his wife and frequent collaborator, Tia Sillers.
www.markselby.com |
 Josh Nordlund
Josh Nordlund had aspirations to connect with the spirit of music from an early age. Moving to Las Vegas at age 5, Josh was never without the "boombox," and was fascinated with sound. Always having an ambitious approach to life, he didn't hesitate to dig through piles of music and discover the world of rock and roll, which was welcomed with open arms. The sounds forever changed the perspective of the primitive artist. "To me, the music I was finding was more of a sonic experience. I would close my eyes and let the music take me away. Something I still do."
Being influenced early on by artists ranging from Bob Marley, to Bach, Pink Floyd, U2, and Motley Crue, to James Brown, Les Paul, N.W.A., Leadbelly, Robert Johnson, Ray Charles and many anonymous DJ's of all sub-genre's of techno to name a few; the spectrum of musical space was vast and the box encouraging new experiences is wide open. |
