WHAT TO EXPECT AT
SWING THE BLUES

A Celebration of the Early Electric Guitar

At its core, Swing The Blues is a celebration of the pioneers who defined the sound of the early electric guitar. From Charlie Christian and T-Bone Walker to Les Paul, Tiny Grimes, George Barnes, Merle Travis, and Junior Barnard, this workshop honors the players who shaped swing, blues, and everything that followed.

This isn’t a history lecture — it’s about bringing these styles to life on the guitar.

Learn the Language of the Masters

You’ll focus on learning how these legendary players actually played: their signature solos, riffs, rhythmic ideas, and comping approaches. The goal is to absorb these elements and integrate them into your own playing in a practical, musical way.

Each of our professional instructors is a modern master of these styles and will lead a daily one-hour session, highlighting a specific aspect of their playing, technique, and musical philosophy.

Daily Schedule & Flow

Each day begins at 9:00am with two one-hour group sessions, with a short break in between. After a catered lunch, we reconvene for another focused one-hour session.

The pace is immersive yet relaxed — designed to keep you learning, inspired, and playing throughout the day.

Small Group Jamming & Ensemble Playing

In the afternoons, you’ll break into small groups for facilitated jamming and repertoire study with the instructors and our jam facilitator.

This is where everything comes together. You’ll reinforce the concepts from earlier in the day in a supportive ensemble setting, playing over familiar song forms like:

Blues
Rhythm Changes
Other classic swing and blues structures

These sessions emphasize listening, interaction, and making music together — not just practicing ideas in isolation.

Thursday: Luthier Roundtable & Gear Experience

On Thursday, we’ll host a special Luthier Roundtable led by instructor Paul Pigat alongside respected local luthier Jason Combs.

With vintage-inspired and modern instruments on display, they’ll guide a conversation on the evolution of the electric guitar, focusing on how the instrument emerged in the late 1930s and transformed the role of the guitar in bands. This is a rare chance to explore how design, amplification, and musical needs shaped the sounds we still love today.

We’ll also have guitars on hand from workshop sponsor Grez Guitars, along with additional amps and gear available to see, hear, and demo throughout the session.

The Capstone Jam & Concert Experience

After three days of learning and playing, we wrap up with a special Saturday afternoon and evening experience at the American Banjo Museum, just minutes from our host site at The Fordson Hotel.

Museum admission is included
Hotel shuttle service is available
Bring your instrument

That evening, we’ll host an open-jam–style capstone event featuring a world-class rhythm section, our faculty, and workshop participants. This is a rare opportunity to jam with professional-level players and apply what you’ve learned in a real musical setting.

Prefer to listen? No problem. You’re also welcome to simply enjoy an intimate concert by some of the finest swing and blues musicians in the world.