Summer 2017

MIKE STERN
DON ROSS
MIKE KENEALLY
DEBBIE DAVIES
PEPPINO D’AGOSTINO
Mike Stern (Nashville Session)
One of the most esteemed electric guitarists of his generation, Mike
Stern has distinguished himself over a four-decade career that has
encompassed musical partnerships with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Billy
Cobham, Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, the Brecker Brothers and Joe
Henderson, as well as 16 recordings as a leader (six of which were
nominated for GRAMMY ® Awards). An electrifying soloist whose
blistering chops combine rock-fusion firepower with sophisticated jazz
harmonies and his inherently bluesy string bending prowess, Stern
has the ability to instantly elevate the proceedings on any gig or
session he plays by channeling the spirits of his own personal guitar
heroes Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall and Albert King. On
his latest recording, Eclectic, Stern goes toe-to-toe with Texas guitar
slinger Eric Johnson in a scintillating, six-string summit meeting that
is manna for guitar aficionados. He has been named Best Jazz
Guitarist Of The Year by the readers and critics of Guitar Player and
was presented with Guitar Player magazine’s Certified Legend Award
in 2012. His latest solo release was nominated for a Grammy for Best
Contemporary Jazz Album.
Mike Keneally (Seattle Session)
Long acclaimed as one of the world’s most creative and intense
guitar and keyboard players, Mike Keneally’s talents as a vocalist,
songwriter, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist are nearly
unequalled in rock music. Mike has released 24 albums of his
original music and has built a body of work of remarkable inventiveness
and originality. Keneally played in Frank Zappa’s last touring
band, performing as a vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist. He’s
appeared on many Zappa albums, is currently a touring member
of both Dethklok and the Joe Satriani Band, and has also recorded
or performed with Robert Fripp, Wayne Kramer, Kevin Gilbert,
Solomon Burke, Steve Vai, Chickenfoot, Bear McCreary, Henry
Kaiser, Michael Manring, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Andy Prieboy,
Mullmuzzler, The Persuasions and many others. Known for his
innovative, unpredictable live shows, Keneally has played extensively
in the United States and Europe, in contexts ranging from
solo and duo concerts to performances with large-scale orchestras.
Keneally’s most recent album is You Must Be This Tall, featuring Mike
playing all instruments on several pieces, as well as performances
from Marco Minnemann, Bryan Beller and Andy Partridge.
Peppino D’Agostino (Seattle Session)
Peppino emerged on the musical scene in the late 1980’s and helped
redefine the boundaries of the acoustic guitar. His virtuosic technique,
penchant for open tunings, and percussive effects are the basis of his
unique compositional style which has been inspiring musicians
and audiences alike for years. Add to that his natural
warmth, playfulness, and broad musical tastes and you have
the recipe for what he calls “minestrone music.” D’Agostino
has performed in more than 26 countries, been featured
at prestigious international music festivals, was voted Best
Acoustic Guitarist by Guitar Player magazine readers, and
his album “Every Step of the Way” was named one of the
top three acoustic guitar albums of all time by Acoustic
Guitar magazine readers. He frequently plays with prominent
artists around the world including Tommy Emmanuel,
Leo Kottke, Martin Taylor, and Eric Johnson. In addition
to performing Peppino also makes time for teaching. He
enjoys meeting with individual students as well as providing
group instruction explaining his influential guitar
techniques and approach to composition. All these
projects although different in nature and scope have
one thing in common – D’Agostino’s ongoing desire to
expand the repertoire of the steel string guitar and to
reaffirm the important role that music plays in our lives.
Don Ross (Toronto Session)
One of today’s true innovators of guitar composition and technique,
Don Ross has emerged as one of the most respected musicians in
Canada and one of the top guitarists in the world. Noted for the
emotion and intensity of his playing as well as his use of extended
technique, Don’s music borrows from blues, jazz, folk and classical
music creating a style that he describes as “heavy wood.” Don is the
only person to twice win the U.S. National Fingerstyle Guitar
Championship (1988 and 1996). His album Huron Street reached the
top ten on the Billboard new age chart. His album Passion Session
has gone on to top many of the “all time best acoustic guitar recordings”
lists in publications like Acoustic Guitar Magazine. Don passionately
plays the six and seven string guitars as well as dobro. He has
released several mostly instrumental CDs, has published three
instructional videos, several single transcriptions, a book with nine of
his pieces, and has worked with Canadian Musician magazine. Don
continues to tour extensively across Canada, the USA, Europe, Japan,
Taiwan, China, Australia, Russia and India. He has played with symphony
orchestras in Canada and Germany, and collaborated live and
on recordings with Andy McKee, Canadian singer/guitarist Brooke
Miller, & Toronto bassist Jordan O’Connor. He also composes scores
for television, radio and film, and does production and recording
engineering for a variety of other musicians.
Debbie Davies (San Diego Session)
Debbie Davies is an award-winning singer, songwriter, guitar player
of extraordinary talent. A professional musician since the early 1980s,
Debbie ranks among the top blues artists in the U.S. She has received
ten nominations for Blues Music Awards, and has twice won the
award for Best Contemporary Female Blues Artist. Originally from
Los Angeles, Davies cut her teeth playing in blues and rock ‘n roll
bands in the San Francisco Bay area before returning to Los Angeles
in 1984. In 1988 she was recruited by the legendary Albert Collins to
join the Icebreakers, and for the next three years she was a featured
guitarist performing behind one of the most innovative bluesmen of
all time. During her tenure with Albert, Debbie was invited to perform
on a John Mayall album and she recorded with Albert Collins and the
Icebreakers on a Grammy nominated album. Debbie has produced
eleven solo recordings. The roster of other artists who Debbie has
worked with reads like a who’s who of the blues: Albert Collins, Ike
Turner, James Cotton, Mick Taylor, Peter Green, Coco Montoya, Duke
Robillard, Tommy Shannon, Chris “Whipper” Layton, Sugar Ray
Norcia, Mudcat Ward, Charlie Musselwhite, Bruce Katz, Per Hanson,
Noel Neal, and Rod Carey. A thirty-year veteran of the road, Debbie
Davies is truly one of the leading lights on the contemporary blues
music scene today.
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