The Artisan Guitar Show Concert Series features great concert performances throughout the weekend with highly talented and respected musicians showcasing only the finest instruments being created today. All concerts are presented in the Heritage Room.
Scott Ainslie
A tradition-based musician versed in Southern Appalachian old-time music, as well as acoustic Blues, Scott Ainslie performs with an authority derived from musical mentors on both sides of the color line. His work documenting traditional music has received support from the North Carolina Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. He’s released six solo CDs and long been an ambassador for Froggy Bottom Guitars.
In 2000, Scott received a Living Heritage Award at the National Slide Guitar Festival, The 20th Annual Sam Ragan Award at St. Andrews Presbyterian College, and an Indie Triangle Arts Award from the Independent Weekly in Durham NC.
“Scott is the kind of musician they don’t make anymore, in the mold of the late Pete Seeger – unpretentious, dead serious about his craft, dedicated to preserving traditional American music and instruments, unabashedly faithful to left-liberal values, and so versatile he can make you weep one moment over the story of a dying steel town…and snicker appreciatively the next at a driving Mississippi blues song full of earthy innuendo…” – Pam Constable, The Washington Post
Scott Ainslie is presented by Froggy Bottom Guitars
cattailmusic.com | froggybottomguitars.com
Paul Asbell presented by Wald Guitars
Over his 55 year professional career, Paul Asbell has played and recorded with Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Paul Butterfield, Magic Sam, Earl Hooker, David Bromberg, Sonny Stitt, Bobby McFerrin, and many others.
He founded the jazz-fusion group Kilimanjaro, which released several award-winning recordings and performed at jazz festivals worldwide, including Montreux, Montreal, Atlanta, and Roskilde, in Copenhagen.
Paul’s three solo acoustic CDs, “Steel-String Americana”, “Roots and Branches”, and “From Adamant To Atchafalaya”, received rave reviews in Acoustic Guitar, Guitar Player, Vintage Guitar, Downbeat, and Blues Revue for their fresh takes on blues and jazz standards, old-timey country tunes, and original pieces from the “American roots” tradition. A jazz CD featuring his original compositions, entitled “Burmese Panther” was released in 2019 to similar acclaim. Concert appearances include Healdsburg, Woodstock (NY) and Newport Guitar Festivals, MerleFest, Lunenburg Folk Festival, and many other venues.
Paul has held teaching positions at Dartmouth, Skidmore, and other colleges. He presently teaches at Middlebury College and University of Vermont.
Paul is presented by Wald Guitars
paulasbell.com | wald-guitars.com
David Cullen
David Cullen’s guitar playing has been described by the NEW YORK TIMES as “Jazz, Folk and Blues Superstructures” . He is a Grammy Award Winning Guitarist for Best Pop Instrumental Recording. David Cullen was featured on the Windham Hill Guitar Sampler. He has toured and recorded with Windham Hill Records co-founder Will Ackerman. He has released 11 recordings on Solid Air Records. They are available on Apple Music and other streaming platforms. His latest release “Revival” is featured on XM radio. His music is available in transcription form by JW Pepper.The performances were transcribed by Edu Anderez.
David Cullen has performed throughout North America for Performing Arts Series, Jazz Festivals and Classical Guitar Societies. He has taught guitar as an adjunct instructor at West Chester University, Millersville University and Elizabethtown College.
David is presented by Klein and Kauffman Guitars.
cullenguitar.com | kleinandkauffmanguitars.com
Tim Farrell
When Tim Farrell gracefully evokes a melody from his acoustic guitar, you don’t just hear it — you feel it. Tim is among a rare breed of musicians who can make listeners experience music on a multitude of levels. His melodies captivate and enchant, while his playing expresses a simple elegance that celebrates the pure beauty of the acoustic guitar. Tim possesses the unique ability to both entertain an audience and inspire future generations of players.
Tim holds the unique distinction of being one of only four artists to be honored as one of the 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists who have also won Best Instrumental in the International Acoustic Music Awards.
Tim has shared audiences with a diverse assortment of stellar musicians such as Les Paul, Rick Wakeman, George Benson, John Sebastian, Derek Trucks, Jake Shimabukuro, and many more …
Tim’s music is enjoyed worldwide in concert, on radio, TV, films, streaming services, CDs, video, inflight audio, and more…
“Tim Farrell brings a melodic sensibility to his compositions that makes him stand apart from most of the fingerstyle crowd.” Echoes Radio PRX
Tim is presented by Woolson Soundcraft and J. Rieck Lutherie.
timfarrellmusic.com | woolsonsoundcraft.com | jrieck.com
Dustin Furlow
Dustin Furlow is an internationally-recognized singer/songwriter/instrumental-guitarist whose body of work occupies its own niche in the contemporary folk music scene. With comparisons to Ray LaMontagne and Gregory Alan Isakov, his voice is earthy and unassuming–conjuring subtle traces of soul and Americana, and supported by a well-informed background of guitar ranging from Celtic to Jazz. After recording 5 albums and playing over 1600 shows since pursuing music full-time in 2013, Furlow has carved out a sound distinguishable by its marriage of complex fingerstyle-guitar and warm, homespun lyrics. From the foot-tapping groove of “Cherokee Lake” to the haunting melodies in “Evergreen,” Dustin is an ambassador of dynamic control on stage. In both 2017 and 2023 he received the Veer Magazine Music Awards for “Best Acoustic/Folk Artist” and in 2021 was announced the winner of Scottish luthier Taran Guitars’ “Young Player Bursary” award. Today Dustin lives in Asheville, NC where he works at Dream Guitars and continues to share his music with the world via both live performance and online guitar demos supporting the world’s most talented guitar makers.
Dustin is being presented by Riviere Guitars.
dustinfurlow.com | www.riviereguitars.com
Grant Gordy
“An exciting young player who, despite a plethora of influences, now sounds like nobody but himself.” – Fretboard Journal
For many guitarists, landing a gig with bluegrass mandolinist David Grisman’s groundbreaking bluegrass/jazz quintet would be the culmination of a career in music. But for Grant Gordy, it was more of a beginning, an apprenticeship in combining bluegrass and jazz that served as a launchpad for his own music.
The New York City based guitarist and educator has emerged as a major voice on the American ‘acoustic music’ scene, and become one of the most highly-regarded young instrumentalists of his generation, performing in various capacities all over North America, Europe and in India. His music has been heard on NPR’s All Things Considered and Tiny Desk Concerts and he’s received attention from numerous international music periodicals like Jazz GuitarToday and Acoustic Guitar Magazine, both of whom featured Gordy as the cover story for their respective March/April 2023 issues.
In addition to freelancing as a soloist and collaborator in New York City as an acoustic guitarist, and on electric in the city’s thriving jazz scene, Grant’s current bands include Mr Sun, a collaborative acoustic supergroup of sorts with Darol Anger (violin), Joe K. Walsh (mandolin) and Aidan O’Donnell (bass), a duo with guitarist Ross Martin – their debut, Year of the Dog was released in 2016 – and his own Quartet featuring prodigious acoustic talents Alex Hargreaves (violin) and Dominick Leslie (mandolin).
Grant Gordy is presented by Gillander Guitars
grantgordy.com | gillanderguitars.com
Sean McGowan
Sean McGowan is a fingerstyle jazz & acoustic guitarist who combines many diverse musical influences with unconventional techniques to create a broad palette of textures within his compositions and arrangements for solo guitar. His acclaimed recordings include Thanksgiving & Christmas Tidings (2014) a collection of seasonal hymns and carols arranged for acoustic guitar, My Fair Lady (2015) a collection of songs from Lerner & Loewe’s masterpiece, and Union Station (2022) a collection of original compositions for jazz organ trio. His most recent recording is Portmanteau (2023), which features timeless jazz standards & songs from great American composers arranged for solo guitar.
Sean is an avid arts educator and currently serves as Professor of Music at the University of Colorado Denver, one of the largest contemporary music programs in the country. He is a strong advocate for injury prevention and health education for musicians, and his workshops incorporate a holistic approach to playing. His new book, The Holistic Guitarist (May 2025), is published by String Letter Media/Hal Leonard and offers a comprehensive guide to well-being for guitarists of all styles.
Sean McGowan is presented by LHT Guitars and FE Tellier Guitars
seanmcgowanguitar.com | lhtguitars.com | fetellierguitars.com
Kevin Neidig
Kevin Neidig is an award-winning Americana artist from Mechanicsburg, PA, known for his innovative style he calls “Folkgrass for the Critical Thinker.” As a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Kevin blends bluegrass, folk, jazz, and hints of rock into a signature sound influenced by Darrell Scott, Tim O’Brien, Bela Fleck, as well as progressive metal bands.
His accolades include 2024 IBMA Flatpicking Champion, 2024 Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest (Bluegrass/Country) winner, and 2023 Best Americana Artist by the Central Pennsylvania Hall of Fame.
Kevin’s guitar work is virtuosic, his vocals emotionally rich, and his songwriting both complex and captivating. He teaches music online, hosts a monthly live online guitar warm-up class called GWUP, and has published Soundslice courses and books. He delivers impeccably crafted, hand-hewn tunes—a perfect turn of word here, transforming melodies there—lush, tuneful journeys not to be missed.
Kevin is presented by McKnight Guitars
kevinneidig.com | acousticwisdom.com | mcknightguitars.com
Kinloch Nelson
Kinloch Nelson has been playing guitar for fun since 1956, seriously since ’68 and professionally since ’73. Over a decades-long guitar performance career he has played folk, classical, ragtime, American primitive, new-age, R & B, surf, rock, country, jazz, and original compositions in bands, ensembles and as a solo performer/composer. Nelson has been reviewed in Just Jazz Guitar Magazine, Fretboard Journal, Rolling Stone and Mojo Magazines, contributed transcriptions and instruction videos to Acoustic Guitar Magazine, released CDs/&vinyl on Tompkins Square, Heartland, BKNjr, and Sampler Records, and has performed on NPR radio and PBS television. Nelson studied classical guitar with British guitarist/composer Stanley Watson, jazz guitar at Eastman Music School with Gene Bertoncini, and music theory at the University of Rochester (NY). Teaching credits include 25 years at Hochstein Music School in Rochester, NY, four years at Maryland Summer Center for the Arts in Baltimore and numerous workshops at guitar festivals in the US and Canada since 2004. He is also an amateur luthier, and hang-glider pilot.
Kinloch is presented by Lehmann Strings
kinlochnelson.com | lehmannstrings.com
Steve Salerno
Steve is an active performer of Jazz and Classical music. He has performed in France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, China, Malaysia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Cuba, Haiti, Russia and throughout the United States.
He is a member of the Ray Anderson Organic Quartet (with Gary Versace and Tommy Campbell), Paul Smoker 4-Tet (with Drew Gress and Phil Haynes), Mala Waldron Quartet (with Marcus McLaurine and Michael T.A. Thompson), Blue Pipa Trio (with Min Xiao-Fen & Dean Johnson) a duo with the MET’s lyric soprano, Susanna Phillips, a duo with NY Philharmonic’s
principal percussionist, Christopher Lamb and leads a variety of groups.
He has performed with Jaco Pastorius, John Abercrombie, Regina Carter, Mark Dresser, Warren Vache, Peter Erskine, Mark Helias, Kenny Wheeler and many others. Among his latest recordings are Ray Anderson’s Being The Point, Ray Anderson’s Love Notes (duo recording, Ray Anderson & Steve Salerno), Mala Waldron’s Always There, Paul Smoker’s Cool Lives, and Min Xiao-Fen’s Blue Pipa and Phil Haynes’ Return to Electric and Susanna Phillips A Sleepin’ Bee.
He was music director for the PBS special Shoreline Sonata. He recently performed with lyric soprano, Susanna Phillips, at the Twickenham Fest (Huntsville, AL). He is the author of Planet Wave’s Chord Master (an 8,000 chord voicing dictionary), which was recently voted the number one music application for Apple’s iPhone, and is on the musician’s advisory board for D’Addario Strings testing and creating new product lines.
Steve is presented by Monteleone
Perry Smith
New York City guitarist Perry Smith combines the tradition of Jazz with broad influences from contemporary music to create his signature style. He is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area but is now based in Brooklyn where he performs as a bandleader and as a sideman for local and touring artists. His performance resume is extensive.
In 2005, Smith received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Flora L. Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, where he studied with jazz guitar legend Joe Diorio. In 2011 he completed his master’s degree in music at New York University studying with the great modern jazz guitarist John Scofield. Smith was named the “Outstanding Graduate” for the NYU Jazz Department in 2011. He is currently on faculty at Kaufman Music Center in Manhattan where he teaches private guitar lessons, Jazz Guitar Ensemble and Guitar Technique at the Special Music School.
Perry is presented by Mirabella Guitars
perrysmithmusic.com | mirabellaguitars.com
Samantha Monteleone with guitarist Steve Salerno and special guest The Tone Bars
The Tone Bars is the vision of renowned archtop guitar and mandolin maker John Monteleone and master guitarist Steve Salerno. John and Steve will perform with John’s daughter Sam Monteleone and bassist Dean Johnson.
This flexible ensemble welcomes special guests, having previously featured Johnny Farina (Santo & Johnny), Martin Taylor, John Pizzarelli, Russell Malone, Frank Vignola, and Laurence Juber, among others. Steve Salerno, in the “captain’s guitar chair,” has performed with Jaco Pastorius, John Abercrombie, and Regina Carter across five continents, appearing on numerous recordings including work with Ray Anderson and Min Xiao-Fen’s Blue Pipa Trio.
John Monteleone is recognized as being one of the finest living archtop guitar and mandolin makers in the world today.
Steve Salerno is an active performer of Jazz and Classical music. He has performed in France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, China, Malaysia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Cuba, Haiti, Russia and throughout the United States.
Sam Monteleone is a professional musician and board-certified Music Therapist who specializes in early intervention with young children of all needs as well as a recording artist.
Dean Johnson, a former decade-long member of Gerry Mulligan’s groups, has collaborated with Bob Brookmeyer, Joe Lovano, Lee Konitz, and Wynton Marsalis, appearing on over 80 recordings.
The Tone Bars represents a rare convergence—a master luthier and world-class musicians demonstrating that exceptional instruments exist to create exceptional music. The Tone Bars is where craft meets performance at the highest level.
The Tone Bars presented by Monteleone
monteleone.net