Frank Vignola is one of the most extraordinary guitarists performing before the public today. His stunning virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, including Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, Lionel Hampton, Tommy Emmanuel, John Lewis, the Boston Pops, the New York Pops, and guitar legend Les Paul, who named Vignola to his “Five Most Admired Guitarists List” for the Wall Street Journal. In 2020, Frank introduced the Big Jersey Guitar Club offering multiple formats for studying guitar with him online including 10-week Learning Clubs™, and Let’s Practice Sessions, plus Song Intensives and Methods.

"Bruce Forman is one of the great lights of our age.” - Barney Kessel

Bruce enjoys a hectic touring schedule; has eighteen recordings as a leader, including his newest release, Junkyard Duo; countless sideman recordings including Ray Brown, Bobby Hutcherson, Roger Kellaway; soundtrack performances on three of Clint Eastwood’s films—most notably Academy Award-winning Million Dollar Baby; producer, arranger, acclaimed educator, in residence at USC’s Studio/Jazz Guitar Dept.

Deep immersion in American culture inspires Forman to contribute to the traditions that he drew from. Formanism (his trio project); original works like The Red Guitar; his popular podcast with Scott Henderson, GuitarWank; Cow Bop and the “road challenges” down historic byways like Route 66; JazzMasters Workshop; his newest project: Junkyard Duo…these are only the latest answers to the endless question that underlies Bruce Forman’s creativity. His music and life reflect every step of his journey, and demonstrate the awareness of an artist who’s very much at home in the world, and at the top of his form.

Called “the best guitar player I’ve heard in maybe my entire life…”by Pat Metheny, Pasquale Grasso, born in Ariano, Irpino, Italy, began playing guitar at a very young age. Grasso’s principle instruction was with Chuck Wayne’s student and jazz guitar innovator, Agostino Di Giorgio. Another extraordinary influence in Grasso’s career has been bebop piano master and world-renowned jazz educator, Barry Harris. In 2008, Pasquale pursued classical guitar studies in the Music Conservatory of Bologna under Professor Walter Zanetti. In 2012, Grasso moved to New York City and quickly made a name for himself in the city’s vibrant jazz scene. Later that year, Pasquale was named a Jazz Ambassador with the US Embassy, going on to tour extensively across Europe, Kuwait, Kazakstan, Cyprus, Lithuania, and Ukraine, among others.

Despite his young age, Grasso has performed with many leading musicians of the international jazz scene. such as: Barry Harris, Charles Davis, Freddie Redd, Frank Wess, Leroy Wiliams, Ray Drummond, Murray Wall, Steve Grossman,Tardo Hammer, Jimmy Wormworth, John Mosca, Sacha Perry, Ari Roland, Luigi Grasso, Chris Byars, Zaid Nasser, Bucky Pizzarelli, China Moses, Harry Allen Quartet, Grant Stewart, Stepko Gut, Nicolas Dary, Dado Moroni, Agostino di Giorgio, Michel Pastre Big Band, Gianni Basso Big Band, Joe Cohn, Oscar Zenari, Luca Pisani and others.

Acclaimed seven-string jazz guitarist Ted Ludwig (b. 1974, New Orleans, LA) has been a part of the jazz scene in New Orleans since 1997.  Throughout that time period, he has performed for numerous club performances, festivals, and recordings. He has released 4 albums as a leader and many more as a versatile sideman and co leader.

Ted earned his Bachelor and Masters Degrees from the University of New Orleans Jazz Studies Program, under the direction of the legendary pianist Ellis Marsalis Jr. He received an ASCAP award, the Louis Armstrong award, and the Overture to the Cultural Season award for his outstanding musicianship and creativity. Inspired by the recordings of Joe Pass, Pat Martino, and Wes Montgomery, Ludwig soon became one of the most sought after guitarists in the New Orleans jazz scene, working professionally as a soloist, and accompanist.

He has performed with notable contemporaries such as; Ellis Marsalis, Peter Bernstein, Bob Dorough, Larry Coryell, Nathan East, Nicholas Payton, Howard Alden, Mundell Lowe, Rick Margitza, Julian Labro, Steve Masakowski, John Ellis, Tony Dagradi, Mike Pellera, Jason Marsalis, Ron Eschete’, Johnny Vidacovich, Herlin Riley, and many more.

In 2005, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Ludwig created his own eclectic Jazz Trio gaining instant accolades from critics and musicians alike for his astonishing virtuosity and prolific originality.

Since 2007, Ted has maintained a fruitful association with the Infrared Record Label. He has recorded, produced, and released four albums as a leader and has continuously performed on many other recordings as a co-leader and sideman. In 2016, Ludwig had the great opportunity to perform with orchestra an original Jazz Guitar Concerto entitled “Katrina”. The piece was composed by D.J. Sparr and commissioned by The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. Ted received rave reviews for his performances of the concerto.

In 2016, Ted was the youngest inductee into The Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame.

He continues to dazzle audiences from around the world.

Sean McGowan is a fingerstyle jazz guitarist who combines many diverse musical influences with unconventional techniques to create a broad palette of textures within his compositions and arrangements for solo guitar. His first recording River Coffee won the Best Independent Release of the Year Award (2002) from Acoustic Guitar magazine and music from the recording has been published in Japan’s Acoustic Guitar magazine and Mel Bay’s Master Anthology of Fingerstyle Guitar, Vol. 3 (2005).

As a touring guitar musician, performer, and educator, Vinny Raniolo is best known for his accompanying skills and is a very high demand rhythm guitarist. His dynamic playing has brought him to 14 countries on three continents – and still growing – having performed in some of the world’s most illustrious venues, including the Sydney Opera House in Australia, The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, New York’s Lincoln Center and the world’s oldest indoor concert hall, Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy.

While keeping a busy touring schedule in a variety of musical settings, Vinny has also become a familiar figure on Public Television. Featured previously on three popular shows, including the heavily programmed Tommy Emmanuel and Friends, in Frank Vignola’s Four Generations of Guitar as the youngest generation in the lineage of jazz guitarists with veteran Bucky Pizzarelli and in the Music Gone Public series.

Vinny’s recording credits include soundtracks for HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and Woody Allen’s film Café Society, as well as numerous recordings as a featured artist on recordings by many other artists. Look for Vinny’s acclaimed solo release: Air Guitar.

Ken F. Smith was born in Florida, USA and grew up in New Jersey and Abu Dhabi. Ken’s musical education includes a B.M. in Performance from Arizona State University. While living in Arizona, Ken worked as a soloist and ensemble member, playing everything from solo classical guitar to theater productions. Ken also began teaching the guitar at this time, creating a unique approach to applying the language of jazz to the fretboard. Since moving to New York City in 1997, Ken has performed and toured in the US, Asia and Europe, as a side man and leader. Ken is currently developing a suite of educational products that document his unique approach to teaching jazz guitar.

Ulf Wakenius, jazz guitarist extraordinaire, is acclaimed and celebrated all over the world. Between 1997 and 2007 Ulf held the guitar chair in Oscar Peterson’s Quartet. Following in the footsteps of Joe Pass.

Ulf’s guitar duo Guitars Unlimited rocked Scandinavia in the early 1980’s, garnering the 1985 Melody Grand Prix. Wakenius then started a extremely successful and long-lasting collaboration with the legendary bass player Niels-Henning Örsted Pedersen leading to chart-topping records with Ray Brown.

Oscar Peterson has publicly described Ulf as one of the greatest guitarists alive in the world today and many of today’s most acclaimed jazz guitarists are among Ulf’s fans, including Pat Metheny, John McLaughlin, John Scofield and Mike Stern. 

He has also performed and recorded with, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker, Ray Brown, Jack DeJohnette, Jim Hall, Milt Jackson, Joe Henderson, Johnny Griffin, Benny Golson, Phil Woods, Clark Terry, Max Roach, Toots Thielemans, Michel Legrand, Kenny Kirkland, Hank Jones, Kenny Barron, James Moody, Jimmy Cobb, Bobby Hutcherson, Chris Potter, Bill Evans, Randy Brecker, Bob Berg, Mike Stern, Bireli Lagrene, Larry Coryell, Philip Catherine.

“He plays the guitar like he was born with it already in his hanßds”—John McLaughlin

 “Just great!”—Pat Metheny

“Humongous chops”—Pat Martino

“The bad boy everybody is talking about”—Larry Carlton

“Spectacular!”—Allan Holdsworth