Happy Traum was smitten by American folk music and began playing guitar and 5-string banjo as a teenager. He was an active participant of the legendary Washington Square/Greenwich Village folk scene of the 1950’s and 60’s, and studied guitar with famed blues master Brownie McGhee.

A first-rate fingerstyle guitarist and singer, Happy has performed throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, and Japan, both as a soloist and as a member of various groups. His avid interest in traditional and contemporary folk music has brought him recognition as a performer, writer, editor, session musician, teacher, and recording artist.

Internationally and nationally acclaimed artist Toby Walker has been hailed as an award-winning, root- music fingerstyle guitar virtuoso and songwriter who has toured the US, United Kingdom, and Europe. Blending the styles of blues, ragtime, country, bluegrass, old-time jazz and rock, Walker has developed his own style and has received numerous awards, including first-place recipient of the International Blues Challenge Award in Memphis, and the NY Music Award for best instrumental CD. He has also been inducted in the NY Blues Hall of Fame.

Toby’s passion for blues, rags, folk, and other traditional American music drove him to the Mississippi Delta, Virginia, and the Carolinas where he tracked down some of the more obscure – but immensely talented – music makers of an earlier era. He has learned directly from Eugene Powell, James “Son” Thomas, Etta Baker, and R.L. Burnside, among others.

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Michael Falzarano has been a working musician for over 45 years, most notably in Hot Tuna, the famed offspring of The Jefferson Airplane; The New Riders of the Purple Sage; The Memphis Pilgrims, a Memphis-style rock ‘n’ roll band he founded in NYC; and his current projects The Extended Family and The Englishtown Project.

Falzarano is also a longtime member of The New Riders of the Purple Sage, a spin-off of the Grateful Dead, which features original members David Nelson and Buddy Cage.

A live show veteran of more than four decades, Falzarano has toured throughout the United States, Europe, Scandanavia and Japan with Hot Tuna, The New Riders of the Purple Sage and The Jorma Kaukonen Trio (Kaukonen, Falzarano and Pete Sears), among others.

When not touring, Falzarano produces other artists and teaches guitar workshops at Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch. He recently performed an original song “When There’s Two There’s Trouble” in the hit feature film “Blue Caprice” which was directed by Alexandre Moors and debuted at the Sundance Film Festival.

Jimmy Bennett is a world-class guitar player with five decades of experience recording, touring, composing, and as a session player, and band leader. Having been inducted to the New York Blues Hall of Fame, Jimmy has shared the stage with some legendary musicians including Hubert Sumlin, Bo Diddley, Marshall Tucker Band, Levon Helm, Bill Kirchen, Rick Danko and Garth Hudson.

Jimmy began playing guitar at age 6 in church with the nuns at Folk Mass learning Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, and Pete Seeger songs which led to Robert Johnson, Rev Gary Davis, Blind Blake, Chet Atkins, Doc Watson, and Merle Travis amongst others. Blues, Country and American Roots music have always been his first passion and sharing this with others is a privilege.

Frank Fotusky plays Acoustic Blues in the style reminiscent of the great East Coast "Piedmont" players such as Rev. Gary Davis, Blind Boy Fuller, John Jackson, Blind Willie McTell, to name a few. A majority of his material is culled from the '20's, '30's and '40's and Acoustic Blues and Guitar Rags are the foundation of his music. Along with this repertoire, his original compositions are rooted in this era and still carry a contemporary feel.

The release of Frank Fotusky's second CD, 'Meet Me In the Bottom', only confirms what many of us have known for years: that Frank is one of the premier acoustic blues stylists in the nation. Frank has studied the masters—from Rev. Gary Davis and Blind Willie McTell to Robert Johnson and Bo Carter—but he's no mere imitator. His inventive arrangements, splendid picking and soulful singing make for the complete blues package.

Ken Smith was born in Florida, USA and grew up in New Jersey and Abu Dhabi. Ken’s musical education includes a B.M. in Performance from Arizona State University. While living in Arizona, Ken worked as a soloist and ensemble member, playing everything from solo classical guitar to theater productions. Ken also began teaching the guitar at this time, creating a unique approach to applying the language of jazz to the fretboard. Since moving to New York City in 1997, Ken has performed and toured in the US, Asia and Europe, as a side man and leader. Ken is currently developing a suite of educational products that document his unique approach to teaching jazz guitar. Since January 2022, Ken has been a member of the “Birdland Guitar Band” with Frank Vignola and Jimmy Bruno and performs frequently in Birdland in New York City.

Frank Sole began playing guitar at just 8-years-old after listening to a family member's Chet Atkins record. He is an experienced performer and has been a dedicated teacher for the past 48 years. Frank has a B.A. from Rutgers in Classical Guitar and a K-12 teaching certification. He teaches at several events, workshops, and camps covering a multitude of genres. He plays jazz, rock, folk, and classical guitar, and is always striving to improve and learn something new.