Two-time Grammy-nominated guitarist Chris Luquette tours with Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen. A native of Seattle, Washington, Chris is most recently based in Brooklyn, New York. When not on the road with FSDK, he helps host the elite NYC bluegrass session at Mona’s bar, and has an old-school bluegrass project in Brooklyn with banjo player Ellery Marshall and guitarist Christian Apuzzo. Chris has toured four continents and has been a professional music instructor for ten years. His first solo album, The Way I View The World, was released in 2019, and a second solo album, City Suite For Two Guitars, was released in May 2022.
***IMPORTANT INFO: We’re doing something a little different with our Banjo, Guitar, and Mandolin classes this year. Because of the stature of several of our instructors, we decided to play to their strengths by offering two classes for each of those instruments that will each cover both the Intermediate and Advanced levels.
Ron Stewart is a master banjo player, but he also played fiddle for six years with the late legend J.D. Crowe. His experiences have made him the perfect person to take a deep dive into the fine points of Crowe’s influential banjo playing. For Intermediate/Advanced students who want a more wide-ranging look at modern and traditional banjo styles, Gabe Hirshfeld will be teaching the other Intermediate/Advanced Banjo class.
Dudley Connell, one of the great rhythm guitar players in bluegrass history, will focus his class on the rich variety of sounds and grooves that rhythm players can bring to a bluegrass band or jam. There is so much more to rhythm guitar than ‘boom-chick”! Students who want more emphasis on lead playing will get that in Chris Luquette’s class.
Mike Compton—no stranger to Bluegrass Week—is the leading living exponent of Bill Monroe’s mandolin style. Students who are looking for a full understanding of the classic roots of bluegrass mandolin will find that in Mike’s class, while Matt Flinner’s Intermediate/Advanced class will branch out into more modern approaches to the instrument.
Because the line between Intermediate and Advanced is seldom well defined, we believe grouping the levels together like this is the best way to enable all students who wish to take advantage of Ron’s, Dudley’s, and Mike’s unique perspectives to do so. Of course there will be Beginner-level classes for those instruments, too, so novice students can get the intensive attention they need to progress. (As in past years, the Fiddle classes will be divided into the usual Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced sections.)***
Instructor Bio
Focusing on fundamentals, we will explore in depth the bluegrass guitar and its context in both a band and a jam session. Focusing on rhythm, we will take a look at each hand and its role in playing in a band or jam. Dynamics, pick topics, chord shapes, stylings and bass runs will be discussed. Lead guitar elements, such as scale shapes, chord tones, melodies, and right-hand strength and stamina will be presented in an easy to understand and extremely fun way. This class will be geared towards students who have a few years of playing experience under their belts, have attended a few jam sessions, and maybe know a fiddle tune or two on the guitar. Students are encouraged to record the classes, as we will be focusing on examples and then applying things learned in our evening jams. Bring a steel string guitar, capo, flatpick, and your favorite questions!