Jon Shain

Jon Shain is a veteran singer-songwriter who’s been turning heads for years with his words, his fiery acoustic guitar work, and his evolved musical style-combining improvised piedmont blues with bluegrass, swing, and ragtime. Shain has recently completed his fifth solo album, Army Jacket Winter. Shain co-produced AJW with Jackson Hall and Scottsburg Jonze. Shain was joined in the studio by his band, the Jon Shain Trio, consisting of FJ Ventre on upright bass, John Currie on dobro and steel guitar effects, and Bill Newton on harmonicas. Guests on the album include drummer Zeke Hutchins of Tift Merritt’s band and jazz trumpeter Stephen Franckevich.

Attending Duke University in the late 80s, Shain was a student of American history with a dedicated interested in southern musical traditions. This led him to a gig with piedmont blues legend Richard "Big Boy" Henry. After a short apprenticeship in the blues world, Shain cut his touring teeth from 1989-1998 founding the Chapel Hill, NC folk-rock group, Flyin' Mice and their spin-off group, WAKE. While sharing stages with luminaries such as David Grisman, Tony Rice Unit, Hot Tuna, Leon Russell, Dave Matthews Band, and the Dixie Dregs, the band released four CDs and played clubs, schools, and festivals up and down the East Coast, building a legion of fans.

After his band's breakup, Shain went solo, returning to his roots in the folk and blues circuit. He released Brand New Lifetime in 1999 to positive reviews and solid airplay in the US and abroad. Spring 2001 brought the release of Fools and Fine Ladies, which garnered reviews from papers such as the Washington Post to national magazines like Relix and No Depression. 2003 saw the release of Shain's acclaimed album, No Tag, No Tail Light. The CD was produced in Boston, MA by Dave Mattacks and Tom Dube, and marked a watershed in production values, performance, and writing, eventually winning great reviews in Sing Out!, No Depression, Relix, The Boston Phoenix, and meriting a full page article in Dirty Linen.

In addition to festival slots and headlining club dates, Shain has performed shows recently with Little Feat, John Hammond, Keb' Mo', NRBQ, N. Mississippi All-Stars, Ian Anderson, and many other greats.

When Shain is not recording or performing, he stays busy giving private instruction in Piedmont blues fingerstyle guitar, and teaching group workshops in songwriting, blues guitar, and "jamming". Whether in the one-on-one atmosphere of the teaching studio or onstage sharing a song with a roomful of strangers, Jon Shain is a natural communicator, keeping students and fans coming back for more.