Raised in New York, Stefan Grossman became hooked on the early 78rpm country blues records of Big Bill Broonzy, Lightnin' Hopkins, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. His great mentor, however, was the legendary blues man Rev. Gary Davis, who coached him for several years in the art of fingerstyle blues and gospel guitar. In 1964 Grossman joined the Even Dozen Jug Band with the likes of Maria Muldaur, John Sebastian and David Grisman, and briefly tried to form a band with Taj Mahal and Janis Joplin. He also played with The Fugs and Chicago Loop, while his development as a blues guitarist continued when he befriended and studied with other blues icons such as Mississippi John Hurt, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Skip James and Son House. Grossman subsequently moved to the UK where he became a leading figure on the British folk club scene and founded Kicking Mule: a record label showcasing innovative acoustic guitarists like John James, Happy Traum, Dave Evans, Tom van Bergeyk and Sam Mitchell. His own instructional works include Fingerpicking Guitar Techniques, How To Play Ragtime Guitar and Famous Ragtime Guitar Solos, along with numerous guitar books. He returned to the US in the late 1980s where he set up Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop, releasing more instructional material inspiring a new generation of acoustic guitarists, while also continuing to play his own concerts.
