2019 Performers

Scott Goldman

Los Angeles-based fingerstylist Scott Goldman has been playing guitar for over 30 years. He found his inspiration at a Leo Kottke concert in the early 1970’s and has never looked back. As life takes its twists and turns, Goldman ended up eventually taking a day job but continued to pursue guitar playing in his spare time. After sharing some of the tracks with friends, Goldman was encouraged to put together an album of recordings. The compositions on Off Season range from moody and contemplative to more aggressive pieces. In addition to opening Guitar Town, Goldman has served as Executive Director of The Grammy Museum as well as VP of the Grammy Foundation and MusiCares. Goldman, who moderates numerous appearances per year at The Grammy Museum, serves as Master of Ceremonies for Guitar Town, as well as moderator for the popular Guitar Town morning guitar workshops.

Preston Reed

One of the greatest and most influential guitarists in the world, Preston Reed has been captivating audiences globally for almost three decades with the two-handed integrated percussive style he began developing in the 1980's.

Preston's music combines chord-based grooves, soaring melodic runs and polyrhythmic percussion, fulfilling the orchestral potential of the guitar body. The power and depth of Preston's timeless, imagery-evoking compositions are as unique
as his execution. Blues, rock, metal, funk, jazz and classical styles are distilled into a breath-taking visual and sonic experience – a border-hopping musical language that tells stories without words.

As millions of YouTube viewers have discovered, Reed's recordings and live performances continue to define the sound of the pioneering compositional guitar genre he invented over a quarter century ago.

“Spectacular… the best one-man show this reviewer has seen since Bruce Springsteen… A terrific performer” – The Irish Independent

“In a class of his own” – London Evening Standard 

“True spellbinding guitar mastery” – Guitarist Magazine 

“Heart stopping tour de force” – Billboard

“… widely thought of as the world’s most gifted guitarist” – Total Guitar

“Reed's fiendishly intricate blend of blues, rock, country and metal styles ducks and weaves itself away from measurability” – The Irish Times

“You can’t speak about the acoustic guitar scene today without including Preston Reed” – Premier Guitar Magazine

Rhonda Vincent

Rhonda Vincent is a firecracker of talent that powers one of the hottest shows in any genre of music.

World Class Musicians, and an Award Winning Voice seamlessly set the stage for a breath-taking, one-of-a-kind, must-see performance; that reaches beyond the boundaries of bluegrass music!

Written words can give you but a glimpse of the artist known as The Queen of Bluegrass, as deemed by the Wall Street Journal. But it’s only when you see this artist, that you can feel the energy and experience the excitement of her music, to truly know why she and her amazing band are the “Most Award Winning Band in Bluegrass Music History, with over 100 awards!”

Breaking a stereotypical image, Rhonda Vincent takes the stage in designer gowns, stiletto heels, in a take-charge manner, far from the type set that Hollywood has portrayed as the image of acoustic music.

“We’re changing the landscape of our music in many aspects; to show we are sophisticated, educated, and hold a deep respect for the tradition of our music, keeping the roots embedded within the perimeters of our songs, to create a balance of tradition mixed with a contemporary flare, and present our own unique brand of music,” Rhonda explains.

“We want our listeners to hear with their hearts,” says Rhonda. “Music is a business, but I hope we don’t let it show that much,” she continues, “The business part is a necessity; but most of all it’s the love of the music, that keeps us doing what we do!”

Rhonda Vincent makes having a successful career look easy. Behind the scenes, she’s a savvy businesswoman with a tireless work ethic. At center stage, she makes a magical transformation to wow her audiences, with a fresh cover girl face, and complimentary curves; all while showing off her chops as the genre’s finest vocalist, and playing break-neck riffs on the mandolin.

The Voice of Rhonda Vincent is the centerpiece, surrounded by the rhythms of each instrument; featuring the individual styles of the world class musicians that collectively make up The Rage. Their talent is unmatched. Each and every member can sing every part, and play every instrument. Their depth of skill sets the stage for the highest level of professionalism in every performance.

Reaching beyond the boundaries of bluegrass music……

Rhonda Vincent & The Rage are one of the HOTTEST TICKETS in any genre of music!

www.rhondavincent.com

The Lost Fingers featuring John Jorgenson

By exercising remarkable musicianship, heavenly vocals and creative arrangements, along with a keen sense of humor and eccentric fashion, The Lost Fingers transform pop/rock music classics performed in a Django gypsy jazz style with a hint of blue grass. Their creativity and virtuosity allows them to take the listener on a entertaining music journey. This is a remarkable, high energy and fun show is designed for music lovers, pop-culture aficionados, and even conservative jazz experts.

Since 2008, people’s ears are dazzled: the hits from the 70s to today revisited in the gypsy swing manner combined with sophisticated arrangements and an out of the box look make the quartet a “must see.”

The Lost Fingers have sold over 400,000 albums across the world and have a Canadian double platinum-selling Lost in the 80′s album and a gold selling Rendez-vous Rose album under their Tiger of Sweden-sponsored belts. They’ve toured Canada coast to coast, and performed in over 22 different countries such as the US, Russia, France, Spain, Lithuania, Turkey, United Emirates, New Caledonia and Colombia to name a few. They’ve shared the stage with a long list of top-selling artists, most notably Celine Dion, when they performed together on TV’s Star Academie. They have also collaborated and performed with respected jazz/studio musicians such as the belated George Harrison’s favorite guitarist Robin Nolan, Elton John’s band leader/guitarist John Jorgenson and the guitar virtuoso, Andreas Oberg to name a few.

The Lost Fingers invite you to come and discover their 5th concept album, Wonders of the World (produced by John Jorgenson). The quartet will perform different famous One Hit Wonders, the spectators will therefore certainly enjoy hearing the well known titles such as “Groove is in the Heart,” “Black Betty,” “Venus” and many others pieces bearing the unique signature of The Lost Fingers.

The talented John Jorgenson (multi-instrumentalist/8-time Grammy Award-winning gypsy jazz master) will join them for this special show at Guitar Town 2019 taking the whole experience like Spinal Tap’s amplifier to 11!!!

Energy, swing, smiles, humor, musicality, virtuosity and colorful costumes will definitely entertain you!

www.thelostfingers.com
www.johnjorgenson.com

Rory Block

Heralded as “a living landmark” (Berkeley Express), “a national treasure” (Guitar Extra), and “one of the greatest living acoustic blues artists” (Blues Revue), Rory Block has committed her life and her career to preserving the Delta blues tradition and bringing it to life for 21st century audiences around the world. A traditionalist and an innovator at the same time, she wields a fiery and haunting guitar and vocal style that redefines the boundaries of acoustic blues and folk. The New York Times declared: “Her playing is perfect, her singing otherworldly as she wrestles with ghosts, shadows and legends.”
Born in Princeton, NJ, Aurora “Rory” Block grew up in Manhattan a family with Bohemian leanings. Her father owned a Greenwich Village sandal shop, where musicians like Bob Dylan, Maria Muldaur and John Sebastian all made occasional appearances. The rich and diverse Village scene was a constant influence on her cultural sensibilities. She was playing guitar by age ten, and by her early teens she was sitting in on the Sunday jam sessions in Washington Square Park.

During these years, her life was touched – and profoundly changed – by personal encounters with some of the earliest and most influential Delta blues masters of the 20th century. She made frequent visits to the Bronx, where she learned her first lessons in blues and gospel music from the Reverend Gary Davis. She swapped stories and guitar licks with seminal bluesman Son House, Robert Johnson’s mentor (“He kept asking, ‘Where did she learn to play like this?’”). She visited Skip James in the hospital after his cancer surgery. She traveled to Washington, DC, to visit with Mississippi John Hurt and absorb first-hand his technique and his creativity.

“This period seemed to last forever,” Block Recalls nearly forty years later.” I now realize how lucky I was to be there, in the right place at the right time. I thought everyone knew these incredible men, these blues geniuses who wrote the book. I later realized how fleeting it was, and how even more precious.”

The world finally started taking notice in the early 1990s when Block scored numerous awards throughout the decade. Her visibility overseas increased dramatically when Best Blues and Originals, fueled by the single “Lovin’ Whiskey,” went gold in parts of Europe. She brought home Blues Music Awards four years in a row – two for Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year, and two for Best Acoustic Blues Album of the Year. Then in 1997, she won the Blues Music Award for The Lady and Mr. Johnson, a tribute to Robert Johnson, taking home Acoustic Album of the Year.

Today, after more than twenty highly acclaimed releases and five Blues Music Awards, Block is at the absolute height of her creative powers, bringing a world full of life lessons to bear on what she calls “a total celebration of my beloved instrument and best friend, the guitar.” Her newest project, titled “The Mentor Series,” is a growing collection of tribute albums on the Stony Plan label to the blues masters she knew in person. Her most recent release A Woman’s Soul: A Tribute to Besse Smith (2018) was preceded by tribute projects dedicated to Bukka White, Skip James, Mississippi John Hurt, Rev. Gary Davis and Mississippi Fred McDowell.

www.roryblock.com/

Muriel Anderson

One of the world’s foremost fingerstyle guitarists and harp-guitarists, Muriel Anderson is the first woman to have won the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship. Her CD “Nightlight Daylight” was chosen as one of the top 10 CD’s of the decade by Guitar Player Magazine and her “Heartstrings” recording accompanied the astronauts on the Space Shuttle Discovery. Guitar World Magazine listed Muriel Anderson as one of the eight most amazing female acoustic players and is one of the few international touring harp-guitarists. Composer, guitarist, and harp guitarist Muriel Anderson has composed music since about age five. She fell in love with the guitar at an early age and learned every style available to her. Muriel went on to study with classical virtuoso Christopher Parkening and with Nashville legend Chet Atkins. Her obvious joy of music, humor and her facility across the genres of folk, classical, jazz, bluegrass and international music is revered by guitarists worldwide. Muriel is host of the renowned Muriel Anderson’s ALL STAR GUITAR NIGHT® and founder of the MUSIC FOR LIFE ALLIANCE charity.

www.murielanderson.com

Christie Lenée

2017 International Fingerstyle Guitar Champion Christie Lenée is a captivating performer with a devoted following among instrumental, folk-pop and rock band audiences. Combining guitar mastery, contemporary singer/songwriter and a passion for storytelling, she thrives on bringing people together through the language of music

Christie’s unique guitar work and profound instrumental compositions are well described as ‘Michael Hedges meets Joni Mitchell and Dave Matthews.’ Among the vast community of Fingerstyle and tapping guitarists, her niche is the integration of melodic pop lyricism with catchy hooks that excite both modern commercial listeners and classic purists. With a menu of percussive and sonic effects, and larger than life sounding instruments, her solo shows embody layers of orchestral elements with a wide array of dynamics and harmonic textures.

Christie’s pieces have been showcased at the NAMM Show in Anaheim and Nashville, live on National Television and Radio, on stage with artists such as Tim Reynolds (guitarist for Dave Matthews Band), Andy McKee, Tommy Emmanuel, Amy Ray from the Indigo Girls and Stanley Jordan to name a few. Her most recent album “STAY” was one of three finalists for “Best CD of 2016” (Indie Acoustic Project Awards), including the song “Love Who You Are” nominated for a 2016 Posi Award in the category “Songs for Personal Transformation.”

www.christielenee.com/

Scott Goldman

Los Angeles-based fingerstylist Scott Goldman has been playing guitar for over 30 years. He found his inspiration at a Leo Kottke concert in the early 1970’s and has never looked back. As life takes its twists and turns, Goldman ended up eventually taking a day job but continued to pursue guitar playing in his spare time. After sharing some of the tracks with friends, Goldman was encouraged to put together an album of recordings. The compositions on Off Season range from moody and contemplative to more aggressive pieces. In addition to opening Guitar Town, Goldman has served as Executive Director of The Grammy Museum as well as VP of the Grammy Foundation and MusiCares. Goldman, who moderates numerous appearances per year at The Grammy Museum, serves as Master of Ceremonies for Guitar Town, as well as moderator for the popular Guitar Town morning guitar workshops.

Samantha Fish

“You should always get outside of the box,” Samantha Fish says while discussing her boundary-breaking new album Belle of the West. “Challenging yourself is how you grow.”

After launching her recording career in 2009, Samantha Fish quickly established herself as a rising star in the contemporary blues world. Since then, the charismatic young singer-guitarist-songwriter has earned a reputation as a rising guitar hero and powerful live performer, while releasing a series of acclaimed albums that have shown her restless creative spirit consistently taking her in new and exciting musical directions.

The New York Times called Fish “an impressive blues guitarist who sings with sweet power” and “one of the genre’s most promising young talents.” Her hometown paper The Kansas City Star noted, “Samantha Fish has kicked down the door of the patriarchal blues club” and observed that the young artist “displays more imagination and creativity than some blues veterans exhibit over the course of their careers.”

Having already made it clear that she’s more interested in following her heart than she is in repeating past triumphs, Samantha Fish delivers some of her most compelling music to date with Belle of the West, her fifth studio album. The deeply soulful, personally charged 11-song set showcases Fish’s sublime acoustic guitar skills as well as her rootsy, emotionally resonant songwriting.

Such memorable new originals as “American Dream,” “Blood in the Water,” “Need You More” and “Don’t Say You Love Me” demonstrate the artist’s knack for organic Americana songcraft, while a trio of cover tunes—R.L. Burnside’s “Poor Black Mattie,” Lillie Mae’s “Nearing Home” and the Jimbo Mathus-penned title track—attest to her substantial interpretive skills as well as her varied musical interests.

“To me, this is a natural progression,” Fish notes. “It’s a storytelling record by a girl who grew up in the Midwest. It’s very personal. I really focused on the songwriting and vocals, the melodies and emotion, and on bringing another dimension to what I do. I wasn’t interested in shredding on guitar, although we ended up with a few heavier tracks. I love Mississippi blues; there’s something very soulful and very real about that style of music, so this was a chance to immerse myself in that.”

Fish recorded Belle of the West in the relaxed, rural creative atmosphere of the legendary Zebra Ranch Studios in the North Hills of Mississippi with producer Luther Dickinson (of North Mississippi Allstars fame), with whom she worked previously on her 2015 album Wild Heart. The studio team included some of the region’s most iconoclastic musicians, including Dickinson, solo artist and Jack White associate Lillie Mae (whose distinctive vocals are featured on “Nearing Home”), much-traveled juke- joint blues artist Lightnin’ Malcolm (whose featured on “Poor Black Mattie”), Squirrel Nut Zippers founder Jimbo Mathus, upright bassist and beloved solo artist Amy LaVere, Tikyra Jackson, Trina Raimey and Shardé Thomas, granddaughter of the legendary Southern bluesman Otha Turner.

“I wanted to do this acoustic-electric record, and tap into the style and swagger of Mississippi,” Fish states, adding, “Any time you dive into another place, another vibe and a new group of people, you’re challenging yourself to grow musically. I felt very at home a Zebra Ranch, and I’ve known Luther and Malcolm for years, so it was a very comfortable situation. When you’re making a record like this, it has to feel natural if you want people to respond to it.

Belle of the West follows on the heels of Fish’s March 2017 release Chills & Fever, which achieved top 10 status in the Billboard Blues charts. Here she expanded her stylistic arsenal to take on a set of lesser-known vintage R&B gems, with help from members of garage-soul stalwarts the Detroit Cobras. “Having these two very different records come out back to back this year has been really liberating,” says Samantha.

The creative drive that fuels Belle of the West and Chills & Fever has been a crucial element of Samantha Fish’s approach from the beginning. Growing up in a musical family in Kansas City, Missouri, she became obsessed with music early life, taking up drums before switching to guitar at the age of 15. By the time she was 20, she had formed her own trio and self-released her first album. She soon caught the ear of the renowned blues label Ruf Records, which in 2011 released Girls with Guitars, which teamed her with fellow axewomen Cassie Taylor and Dani Wilde. The same year saw Ruf release Fish’s solo studio debut Runaway. The album was named Best Artist Debut at the 2012 Blues Music Awards in Memphis.

Black Wind Howlin’ (2013) and Wild Heart (2015) followed, winning considerable critical acclaim and further establishing Fish as a prominent presence in the blues community. Wild Heart reached the top slot on Billboard’s blues chart. She also collaborated with blues-rock veterans Jimmy Hall and Reese Wynans on the 2013 project The Healers. The same year, she jammed onstage with blues icon Buddy Guy, and guested on Devon Allman’s album Turquoise.

Fish continues to maintain the same hardworking, prolific approach that’s carried her this far. “I think I’ve always had that,” she says. “Music is my life, so what other choice do I have but to go out and make music? We do tour quite a bit, and maybe it’s kind of crazy to put out two dramatically different albums in one year. But I like to work hard. This is who I am and this is what I do, and when I’m writing and recording and touring is when I feel the most like myself. And now we have a moment where people are paying attention, so I have to make the most of it. I feel like I have a lot to say right now, so why not say it?”

As far as Samantha Fish is concerned, her musical future is an open road. “I’m never gonna be a traditional blues artist, because that’s not who I am,” she asserts. “But it’s all the blues for me. When Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf came out, what they were doing didn’t sound like anything that had been done in blues before. You’ve gotta keep that kind of fire and spirit. I’m never gonna do Muddy Waters better than Muddy Waters, so I have to be who I am and find my best voice.

www.samanthafish.com

Walter Trout

No ordinary artist. No ordinary covers album. From the day he conceived the project to the moment he counted off the first song in the studio, Walter Trout had a bolder plan for Survivor Blues. “I’m riding in my car sometimes,” says the US blues titan. “I’ve got a blues station on – and here’s another band doing Got My Mojo Workin’. And there’s a little voice in me that says, ‘Does the world need another version of that song?’ So I came up with an idea. I didn’t want to do Stormy Monday or Messin’ With The Kid. I didn’t want to do the blues greatest hits. I wanted to do old, obscure songs that have hardly been covered. And that’s how Survivor Blues started…”

Returning with a covers album represents an eye-opening curveball from a bluesman whose original songcraft has never been more acclaimed. Even now, the critical wildfire from 2017’s all-star release, We’re All In This Together, shows no sign of burning out, leading Trout across the planet to auspicious sell-out venues and scoring a head-spinning haul of statuettes. “We’re All In This Together has won four awards for Blues Rock Album Of The Year,” he reflects. “It’s really overwhelming. But how do I follow that up? I’ve always respected guys who went out on a limb, like Neil Young or Bob Dylan. You never know what they’re gonna come out with.”

Likewise, long-standing fans have given up trying to second-guess Trout’s next move. The tracklisting of Survivor Blues is a window into the 67-year-old’s fast-moving backstory, chronicling a five-decade career whose one constant is his deep love of the blues. Opener Me, My Guitar And The Blues tips a hat to cult hero Jimmy Dawkins, whose records Trout devoured while cutting his teeth as a ’60s axeslinger in New Jersey. Nature’s Disappearing nods to his celebrated ’80s tenure in John Mayall’s near-mythical Bluesbreakers. In-between, you’ll find cherished favourites from a lifetime’s listening, with songs that caught Trout’s ear at key junctures in his journey, from backing up John Lee Hooker in the ’70s, to bringing the groove to Canned Heat in the ’80s or breaking through as a solo artist in the ’90s.

www.waltertrout.com

Guitar Army featuring John Jorgenson, Lee Roy Parnell, Joe Robinson

Guitar Army featuring John Jorgenson, Lee Roy Parnell, Joe Robinson brings together three world-class musicians, distinct guitarists, singers and songwriters with an incredible rhythm section. This is a full-on, captivating display of guitar prowess — at times potent and powerful, and at others, tasteful and graceful. It’s a magical combination of virtuosos rarely seen on one stage in one band.

John Jorgenson is a GRAMMY® Award winner known as one of the world’s most talented guitarists and multi-instrumentalists who co-founded landmark groups The Desert Rose Band and the Hellecasters, played guitar in Elton John’s band for many years and has collaborated with the likes of Sting, Billy Joel, Roy Orbison, Emmylou Harris, and Bob Dylan. Jorgenson’s ambitious and acclaimed limited edition 3-CD box set titled Divertuoso features three new, separate albums — one from his gypsy jazz quintet, one from his bluegrass band (J2B2), and a solo album of electric guitar work. GRAMMY® Award-winning guitarist Peter Frampton has said “John Jorgenson is one of my most favorite players. He is incredibly versatile, and his solos are unique and melodic, played with amazing technique. ‘My’ guitarist’s guitarist.”

Lee Roy Parnell, a multiple GRAMMY® Award nominee, soulful vocalist and No. 1 hit-maker, is widely recognized as one of the best slide guitar players on the planet. Parnell is also a Texas Heritage Songwriter’s Hall of Fame member (alongside fellow honorees such as Kris Kristofferson, JD Souther, Rodney Crowell, Guy Clark, and Willie Nelson) and has toured/collaborated with many legends including The Allman Brothers Band, Delbert McClinton, and Bonnie Raitt. Gibson has honored Parnell with the creation and production of the Lee Roy Parnell Signature ’57 Les Paul Goldtop guitar and the Lee Roy Parnell Signature 1959 Les Paul Standard. Parnell’s most recent record, Midnight Believer, made the AllMusic Best of 2017: Favorite Blues Albums list. No Depression on Parnell: “A fine writer blessed with a rich, soulful vocal delivery and a blistering array of guitar chops drawn almost equally from Texas blues, Memphis soul and Southern rock traditions…”

Australian prodigy Joe Robinson started playing shows with acoustic virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel at the age of 11, took the top spot in the Australian National Songwriting Competition at 13 years old, and won the TV competition “Australia’s Got Talent” just after turning 17-years-old. He’s toured the world with his trio, in a unique solo acoustic/electric format and with Emmanuel, Rodney Crowell, and others while earning “Best New Talent” accolades in the Guitar Player magazine Readers’ Poll and a spot on Guitar Player’s “Youthquake 2017: Ten Mind-Blowing Young Guitarists” list. Robinson’s new record, Undertones, has received critical acclaim. The Washington Post has taken note of Robinson’s artistry, saying “it’s not hard to imagine him rivaling the popularity of, say, John Mayer in coming years.”

“From the first time we played together, it was clear that it was something special,” Robinson has said of Guitar Army. “We knew it would do well on the road.”

www.facebook.com/GuitarArmy
www.johnjorgenson.com
www.leeroyparnell.com
www.joerobinson.com

Steve Fister Band

Steve Fister’s music is a roots infused blend of guitar driven Blues, Folk, and Rock mixed with storytelling and a textured twist that marks his signature style. Steve has performed and recorded with many artists including Steppenwolf, Bon Jovi, King Kobra, Quiet Riot, and Joe Satriani, to name a few. His songs have also been featured in the Rock Band video game, as well as on HBO, ABC, NBC, Saturday Night Live, Showtime, “E,” VH1, MTV, Fox Sports, the Howard Stern show and the History Channel. Steve has played guitar with many diverse and talented artists. He served as guitarist and musical director in Lita Ford’s band on her worldwide tours with Bon Jovi, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Poison. He has toured and recorded with The Pat Travers Band, Micheal DesBarres, John Kay and Steppenwolf, Stu Hamm, Jack Casady, and Tommy Tutone. Steve has produced 9 solo records, including “Live Bullets” which reached #2 on the European Blues charts. The trio has been road tested in Europe with over 250 shows including support tours and concerts with Joe Satriani, Walter Trout, and Y&T. The Steve Fister Band is: Steve Fister (guitar & vocals), Philip Bynoe (bass), and Sandro Feliciano (drums).

www.stevefister.com

Stig Mathisen

Stig Mathisen is a guitarist and educator from Northern Norway, currently residing in Los Angeles. Stig has a Masters and a Doctoral degree in guitar performance from University of Southern California, where he graduated with numerous awards for outstanding achievements. He studied Classical guitar at Tromso University for over six years, and has worked extensively as a freelance guitarist and University lecturer in both Norway and in the U.S. An eclectic guitarist by nature, Stig is equally comfortable with rock, jazz and classical music, and has rubbed shoulders with numerous world-class musicians over the years. A passionate explorer and a relentless seeker of all knowledge pertaining to guitar, improvisation, composition, music history and music philosophy, he has been on a quest since his formative years to discover the inner mechanics and the deeper secrets of music. Stig is currently the Chair of the Guitar Program (GIT) at Musicians Institute, in Hollywood, California, and he has written several of the books currently in use as core curriculum at the college.

www.stigmathisen.com

A Tribute to Mark Selby

Blues rock singer/songwriter, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and record producer Mark Selby was a mainstay and one of the crowd favorites at Guitar Town over the years. We think he only missed two festivals since GT kicked off back in 2005. The co-writer of such No. 1 hits as Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s “Blue on Black” and the Dixie Chicks’ “There’s Your Trouble” (which won the band their first Grammy Award) also released a number of solo projects over the years, toured with and served as a studio musician for others. Sadly, we lost Mark to cancer on September 18, 2017. In honor of Mark, his great musicianship, the many Guitar Town memories he left us with, and most of all, his kindness to all he crossed paths with, we keep his usual Noon slot on Electric Day alive with musicians on the festival who want to honor his memory with their talents.