Blues Week 2022
31st July to 5th August 2022
Hartpury College, Gloucester GL19 3BE

The Programme
Blues Week 2022 (our 20th Anniversary) provides an opportunity for blues enthusiasts to come together for a full week of music making. It is a chance to broaden your skills and knowledge in a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere. The programme will offer morning and afternoon workshops and classes for all levels. The beginners class is for those who have little or no knowledge of their instrument. The intermediate and advanced classes are for those who already play to varying degrees of proficiency and are ready to learn new tunes, techniques and styles. The evening activities throughout the week will consist of a concert by the staff members, a student concert and nightly jam sessions.

The Classes
Arrival is Sunday and check-in is at 3 o'clock. Dinner will be provided at 5pm and there will be an orientation session at 7:30. Classes will begin on Monday morning and run through Friday afternoon. There will be 2 sessions (one for beginner/intermediate and the other for intermediate/advanced) in the morning beginning at 9:30 and lasting until 10:45. There is a 20 minute break between each class and the second session will start at 11:05 and end at 12:20. Lunch is from 12:30 to 2:00. In the afternoon, the first class will start at 2:15 and end at 3:30. The second afternoon session will commence at 3:50 and end at 5:05. All classes and workshops during the week will last for one hour and fifteen minutes. The program will include Friday night accommodation and check out is 10am Saturday morning.

The Staff
MARTIN GROSSWENDT, Country Blues and Bottleneck Slide Guitar
Martin Grosswendt has been exploring the roots and branches of American acoustic music for more than 50 years, having cut his teeth on his older sister’s LPs of Mississippi John Hurt and the Kweskin Jug Band. A master of pre-war blues and other southern traditional music, his fingerpicking, bottleneck playing and singing move audiences, critics and musicians alike.  He's played at festivals, concerts and music camps across the USA, Canada and at Blues Week here in the UK. His musicianship is matched by his knowledge of the music's sources and creators. For Blues Week 2022, Martin will be teaching two advanced finger-style blues guitar classes and an intermediate/advanced bottleneck slide guitar class.

East Coast Blues (intermediate/advanced)
Blind Blake, Willie McTell, Reverend Gary Davis, and Blind Boy Fuller are just a few of the iconic names associated with the intricate, Ragtime-influenced genre known as East Coast guitar. In the context of classic tunes, Martin will work with students to help them develop, as Gary Davis called it, “a sporty thumb.”

Country Blues Guitar (intermediate/advanced)
Martin will help students develop the left- and right-hand techniques essential to achieving the sound of blues masters from the deep south. The class will pay specific attention to creating a seamless, rhythmic style.

Intermediate / Advanced Bottleneck Slide Guitar
Martin’s class will spend the week taking a deep, hands-on look at the subject. He will focus on tone, intonation, vibrato, right and left-hand damping techniques, single string and chord work, as well as other sometimes over-looked fundamentals. He will also examine different types of bottlenecks, tunings, repertoire, and resources.

JOHN MILLER, Country Blues Guitar
John Miller was inspired to take up the country blues guitar after seeing Mississippi John Hurt at the 1963 Philadelphia Folk Festival. He taught himself to play guitar by listening to records and recorded his first album in 1973. Since then, he has come to be recognized as one of the foremost authorities on country blues guitar. John has released 19 instructional videos on the music of Furry Lewis, Bo Carter, Elizabeth Cotton and John Hurt amongst others.

Putting Voice And Guitar Together (intermediate/advanced)
In this class, students will learn to sing and play at the same time, starting with songs in which the vocal and guitar are phrased together and working up to ones where the vocal and guitar are phrased more independently. There will be lots of singing and playing in class. Students should be comfortable and experienced playing alternating and monotonic bass is required.

Expanding Your Blues Vocabulary (intermediate/advanced)
This class will look at a different topic each day, working to build skills and knowledge. Topics will include freeing up the picking thumb, how to move licks into different keys, getting more accurate and better-sounding bends, chord voicing in open tunings and altering open tunings to create new sounds and possibilities with one topic covered per class period. For students who are comfortable maintaining alternating and monotonic bass while playing melody in the treble.

Blues Guitar Duets w/Michael Roach (all levels)
John and Michael will focus on how you can put together guitar duets to get a full sound while still leaving space to hear both parts. They will work through duet strategies used by historic duos like the Beale Street Sheiks, Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe and then work up some duets on the spot, in class. There will be lots of playing in class, but also an emphasis on learning how to come up with your own duet arrangements, and giving you the tools to do that.

RICK FRANKLIN, Country Blues Guitar
Rick Franklin from Arlington, Virginia has been playing and singing the blues at local and international festivals and community events in and around the metropolitan Washington DC area since 1981. In addition to solo appearances, Rick also performs 1920s and 1930s blues and ragtime in the Memphis and St. Louis guitar-duet style with his trio, Rick Franklin and His Delta Blues Boys.

Beginner Country Blues Guitar (beginner/intermediate)
For Blues Week, Rick will teach 2 Beginner/Intermediate guitar classes that will show students how to alternate the bass with your thumb and pick melody lines with your fingers. He will focus on songs that are considered the roots of Taj Mahal. He will examine the original version, the Taj Mahal version and a version created by the class. In addition to the study of the roots of Taj Mahal, Rick will be conducting a session titled ‘Ricks Picks’. This class will examine songs he released on CD, including his latest, ‘Dancing with My Baby’.

ABI BUDGEN, Country Blues Guitar
Abi has devoted many hours to studying old recordings in an effort to capture and communicate the spirit of the original sound. Inspired by her passion, Abi has become recognized as a respected guitarist, performer and recording artist. She has been teaching blues guitar to all levels of ability for 12 years.

Beginner Country Blues Guitar (beginner/intermediate)
Abi will help students to master the basic techniques and characteristic sounds of country blues fingerstyle guitar. She will focus on songs and playing a steady groove.

MICHAEL ROACH, Country Blues Guitar and Vocals
Michael Roach is the Founder/Director of Blues Week. Dating back to the early 1980’s, he spent several years learning directly from such well-known figures as John Jackson, John Cephas and Jerry Ricks. With 7 albums to his credit and an instructional DVD (An Introduction to Country Blues Guitar), Michael is firmly established in traditional blues music circles.

Beginner / Intermediate Country Blues Guitar 
Michael will join John Miller for a blues guitar duet class and be available for one to one and small group sessions for students who need some guidance in order to benefit from the classes on offer at Blues Week. He will help students to develop at their own pace using simple practice techniques.

Blues Vocals (all levels)
Using a selection of songs as tools, students will be encouraged to find their true voice with showing you how to breathe while singing to produce a full tone and useful tips on phrasing. Be prepared to sing!

SONNY BLACK, Country Blues and Bottleneck Slide Guitar
Sonny Black first picked up the acoustic guitar in the late 1960’s after hearing ‘San Francisco Bay Blues’ by the great Jesse Fuller. He now performs a blend of roots music that includes fingerstyle blues, ragtime, old time country and original compositions and arrangements of classics such as ‘Tennessee Waltz’ and ‘Heard it through the Grapevine’.

Country Blues Guitar (beginner/intermediate)
For Blues Week, Sonny will be conducting 2 guitar sessions each day. In one, he will teach a version of Scrapper Blackwell/Leroy Carr’s ‘Midnight Hour Blues’, Sam Chapman’s ‘That’s All Right’and a version of Amos Johnson Rag (by Sam McGee) as well as blues in ‘drop D’ tuning. Sonny’s other class will be a time for him to sit one-to-one or a small group of guitarists  who might want some specific help with their playing such as backing up a singer or another guitarist with single string fills and chording ideas, solo ideas and maybe some simple flatpicking etc.

Beginner / Intermediate Bottleneck Slide Guitar
Sonny will teach Tampa Red’s ‘Boogie Woogie Dance’ and ‘Things ‘Bout Comin’ My Way’ as well as some general hints and tips on slide guitar (such as playing slide in standard tuning).

HOMESICK MAC, Bottleneck Slide Guitar
Mac has been playing music since 1975. His main influences were Doc Watson and early country blues players including Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry. Between 1995 and 1999, Mac formed an acoustic duo with the legendary British slide guitar master Sam Mitchell. The two recorded a CD called ‘Two Long From Home’.

Beginner / Intermediate Bottleneck Slide Guitar
Mac's beginner classes will get the good feel of various slide playing techniques. Tone accuracy and vibrato basics will be addressed, together with fingerpicking patterns while playing slide within standard and open tuning.

Intermediate / Advanced Bottleneck Slide Guitar
Building upon solid basic abilities, advanced slide playing classes will include tips on dynamics, advanced damping techniques, developing melodies and solo licks. Songs within this class will help students to develop rhythmic patterns while playing slide.

ADAM FRANKLIN, Bottleneck Slide Guitar and Mandolin
Adam Franklin is a superb exponent of blues and ragtime from a ‘golden age’ of American music. With a voice that is both powerful and soulful, his performances are intense, energetic and highly entertaining. In addition to guitar, Adam is a great blues mandolin player and will teach a mandolin class this year. Students are encouraged to bring their mandolin along.

Beginner / Intermediate Bottleneck Slide Guitar
In this class, Adam will look at all aspects of slide guitar, from the basic techniques and tunings to classic rhythms and licks of the innovators. The class will be studying the styles of Tampa Red, Robert Johnson, Blind Boy Fuller and will look at playing a classic blues standard in the 'slide' style.

Slide Guitar Rhythm, Licks and Solos (intermediate/advanced)
This class will explore the importance of rhythm in playing licks, runs and solos. The main focus will be tunes by Blind Willie Johnson, Kokomo Arnold and Tampa Red, three of the great rhythmic lead players. Adam will also look at open tunings with songs by the ever great Bo Carter.

Blues Mandolin (all levels)
Focusing on the blue side of mandolin, students will learn classic string and jug band tunes as well as looking at playing in the ‘blues jam’ friendly keys of E and A.

EDDIE MARTIN, Bottleneck Slide Guitar and Harmonica 
With 16 acclaimed album/DVD releases, Eddie has been called “The Ambassador of British Blues“. He was finalist as Best Blues Guitarist of 2019 in Music Republic Magazine and won ‘Best Solo/Acoustic Artist’ in the European Blues Awards in 2018. In the British Blues Awards he was nominated for ‘Best Harmonica Player’ and his songs have made it onto TV and film soundtracks.

Bottleneck Slide Guitar (beginner/intermediate)
Eddie’s slide guitar class will look at the styles of Robert Johnson, Son House and Fred McDowell. He will work through and study videos to analyse the signature elements of their right and left hand techniques, picking patterns and percussive effects.

Blues Harmonica (beginner/intermediate)
With guitar accompaniment and course books, the emphasis will be on playing to get you through basic techniques (e.g. bending and trill) to more advanced techniques (e.g. tongue block) using jams, set pieces and references to masters such as Sonny Terry, Little Walter and others.

GRANT DERMODY, Harmonica
Grant Dermody is a harmonica player, singer and songwriter active in Acoustic and Chicago Style Blues, Old Time, and other forms of American Roots Music. He is a strong rhythm player as well as an inventive soloist. Grant is skilled at adapting his playing to fit the needs of both the genre and the song.

Blues Harmonica (beginner/intermediate)
The beginning class will focus on chord and single note tone production, rhythmic playing, tongue blocking, vamping and bending notes. The class will start at the beginning and progress at a comfortably challenging pace.

Blues Harmonica (intermediate/ advanced)
One of Grant’s classes will focus on improvising and tone production. He will spend a great deal of time working on being able to hear and hold down a groove as a solo performer.  His other class will look at developing repertoire that may not arise from the harmonica or blues world, and finding ways to incorporate the voice and harmonica to best serve the song.

WILL WILDE, Harmonica
Will Wilde picked up his first harmonica at the age of 16 and played it until his lips bled. He grew up steeped in traditional Chicago Blues. With knowledge and respect for the original masters of the instrument, his live show has been described as “A masterclass of blues harp playing, bar none.” (Blues in the North West).

Blues Harmonica (beginner/intermediate)
The beginner class will focus on improving your core blues harmonica skills; tone, vibrato, bending, hand technique, tongue blocking, blues scale, and improvisation. The class will focus on classic 2nd-position blues, breaking down examples by the likes of Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter, Big Walter Horton and James Cotton.

Blues Harmonica (intermediate/ advanced)
This class is for students who want to expand their repertoire of blues licks. It will explore 1st position blues playing (which will include blow-bends in the upper register), as well as the more common 2nd position and some 3rd position playing for minor-key blues. The class will break down examples by the likes of Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson with a focus on improvising and helping students to build their own solos.

Registration Fees 2022

On Campus: includes all classes, activities, room & board £650.

For Blues Week 2022, if you pay a deposit of £250 before 31st December 2021, you will be given the 'Password' to the 'Online Access' page of our website. Also, you will be invited to the free 'Zoom' lessons from staff members for all instruments and levels of ability. From the 1st January 2022, you will have to pay the full amount of £650 to be granted access to our exclusive online resource.

Off Campus: includes all classes and activities £400

Per Day Rate: includes all classes and activities £130

Space is limited and it is advisable to book early to avoid disappointment. A £250 deposit will secure your place.

Please Make Payment To: Euroblues Promotions Limited, PO Box 1333 Cheltenham GL50 9AS United Kingdom. We accept payment via online bank transfer. Our sort code is 20-20-15 and our account number is 60473928. We also accept PayPal and the address for payment is info@euroblues.co.uk.

Our John Jackson Youth Scholarship Fund will provide subsidized places for young people between the ages of 14 to 21. Students between the ages of 14 and 17 are eligible for a £250 subsidy. Students between the ages of 18 and 21 who are not in full time employment are eligible for a £200 subsidy.

A parent or responsible adult must accompany all students 16 and under. If you know of someone who qualifies or have a family member that you would like to bring along, please contact us for immediate consideration. This support is only available to first-time participants.

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