Dave Black has worked with many artists from a wide range of musical genres including Jazz, Blues, Rock, Country, Bluegrass and Folk. He has worked with various notables including Richard ‘Groove’ Holmes, Bucky Pizzerelli, Eric Marianthal, David Liebman, Fareed Haque, Little Anthony & The Imperials and The Drifters. Plus, Dave keeps himself busy working as a freelancer in the St. Louis area, performing and recording with many local artists.
Dave is also an adjunct professor at WEBSTER UNIVERSITY where he teaches Jazz Guitar, Jazz Ensemble and various music history courses.
Brian Curran has been studying blues and fingerstyle guitar for over 20 years. He keeps his feet planted firmly in the sounds of the past but is not afraid to put his own stamp on the music he loves.
Brian puts on a great show and always gets the audience involved. He is known to sometimes tell as many stories and jokes to the listeners as songs. Altogether, whether solo or with a band, you can’t go wrong no matter what your taste in music might be. Seeing Brian perform is just a plain old fun time.
John Higgins signed up for guitar instruction at the age of eight. The teacher not only taught Higgins method, but also how music fit together, how it worked. His parents also were both musical, playing piano and singing. Higgins still uses the first guitar he bought with lawn mowing and raking money. He purchased the Martin with advice from Mel Bay.
Over the years, Higgins has worked as a musician, but he also worked in a music store, an importer and did some instrument setup and repair. Higgins eventually decided to strike out on his own in the musical instrument repair and restoration business. Higgins built his first guitar when he was eighteen. He now produces about two a year.
Higgins performs Folk Music in the Melting Pot at the Sheldon. He co-wrote the show with three other people, and it is produced by the Sheldon. It is a production that presents the history of folk music in America and it is geared to elementary school children, but the performances are open to the public.
