Jon Shain

Hailing from Durham, NC, 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. Jon has released nine solo albums to date, along with two albums with duo partner FJ Ventre, a Jon Shain Trio live album, and one album of co-writes with Joe Newberry. Shain’s newest album, Restless Soul Syndrome, recorded at Good Luck Studio this past year, was released April 9, 2024. Shain is also the author of the music books Gettin’ Handy With the Blues – a Tribute to the Legacy of W.C. Handy and Jon Shain’s Fingerstyle Guitar Method, both published by Mel Bay Publications. In 2019, Shain won the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN in the solo/duo category.

Class Description:

We will explore elements of the Piedmont and Delta Blues styles, along with the common blues forms and variations that get used in blues jams: genre-appropriate riffs, chords, rhythms, and lead playing. While acoustic blues is usually played fingerstyle, this class will be open to flat-pickers looking to expand their horizons, too.

Piedmont blues is a fingerpicking style of blues guitar, characterized by a ragtime-influenced rhythm with an alternating bassline. It's often described as more up-tempo than Delta blues, with a fingerpicking style that mimics the sound of a piano. This style is rooted in the Piedmont region of the Southeastern United States, stretching from Northern Virginia to North Georgia.

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Key Characteristics:

• Ragtime Influence:

Piedmont blues is strongly influenced by ragtime music, which is evident in its fast tempo, syncopated melodies, and complex fingerpicking patterns.

• Alternating Bassline:

The bass notes are typically played by the thumb in an alternating pattern, creating a rhythmic foundation for the melody.

• Fingerpicking:

The treble strings are typically picked with the forefinger, sometimes with other fingers, creating intricate and syncopated melodies.

• Up-tempo:

Piedmont blues is generally faster and more energetic than Delta blues.

• Lyrical Content:

The lyrics often focus on themes of hardship, struggle, and the realities of everyday life in the South.

Notable Musicians:

Blind Boy Fuller, Blind Willie McTell, Blind Blake, Reverend Blind Gary Davis, and Elizabeth Cotten.

Regional Variation:

• Piedmont blues is closely associated with the Piedmont region of the Southern United States, which includes states like North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

• The region's unique musical landscape, influenced by ragtime, country, and popular songs, shaped the development of Piedmont blues.

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Jon grew up in Haverhill, Massachusetts, a Merrimack River mill-town that had already seen its better days by the time he was a child in the 1970s. His family’s business was a small textile dyeing company, and he worked in the factory during the summers throughout his teens. At the same time, Shain began to discover his love of American roots music and songwriting, specifically drawn to the narratives about regular people and themes of social justice.

Shain headed south to North Carolina in 1986, to study American History at Duke University and to continue his musical journey, as well. In addition to studying with jazz professor Paul Jeffrey, he also had the good fortune to learn the piedmont blues tradition firsthand by playing in Big Boy Henry’s backing band. It was at this time that Shain also got to meet and play with John Dee Holeman and a number of the great older NC blues players. Shain's classes in school were heavily concentrated in southern history, English, and world religions. That mixture of the academic environment and the real-world blues music is what has most informed his musical direction.

Shain cut his touring teeth from 1989-1998 founding the Chapel Hill, NC folk-rock group, Flyin' Mice and their spin-off group, WAKE. The band performed with acts such as David Grisman, Tony Rice Unit, Hot Tuna, and the Dixie Dregs, released four CDs, and played clubs, schools, and festivals up and down the East Coast, building a legion of fans.

After the band’s breakup, Shain went solo, returning to his roots by touring in the folk and blues circuit. Shain has also become a sought after guitar teacher and studio producer. In 2021, he produced Donna Herula’s blues radio chart-topping album, Bang at the Door.

Over the last several years, Shain has headlined listening rooms both as a solo and with duo partner FJ Ventre throughout the US and he's done two solo tours in Europe. He has opened shows for John Hiatt, Keb’ Mo’, Little Feat, and many other roots legends. When Shain is not recording, producing other artists, or performing, he stays busy giving private instruction in guitar, and teaching group workshops in songwriting and blues guitar.