Tim Williams  http://www.cayuse.com.

Mr. Williams is a blues-based singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist. He is a 40 year veteran of the Roots music scene in North America, roots which stretch back to the coffee-house scene of his native California in the mid 60’s.  Tim is also a studio musician, producer, and a performer in constant demand. Tim has played festivals, folk clubs, concert halls and roadhouses from Rabat, Morocco, to Melbourne, Australia, and from Dawson City, Yukon Territory to Zihuatanejo, Mexico, all to huge acclaim. His guitar skills are frequently compared to Ry Cooder and David Lindley (and like them, Tim plays a wealth of other string instruments), and his songwriting has won praise from the likes of Tom Russel and Willie Nelson. A string of Maple Blues Award nominations (Toronto Blues Society), three JUNO award nominations (Canada’s Grammy equivalent), and roughly a dozen awards from Real Blues magazine (as artist, guitarist, producer) attest to the high caliber of his work.  Inspired by the Hillbilly and Western Swing music he heard as a child, Tim absorbed late Fifties Rhythm & Blues and Rock & Roll, Hawaiian and Mexican music, early Sixties Folk, and Bluegrass “like a sponge” before discovering a passion for traditional blues styles which was fueled by seeing many first generation blues musicians live during the “Blues Boom” of the mid and late Sixties.

Doug Cox   http://www.dougcox.org

slide/dobro master Doug Cox.There are world musicians, and there are musicians of the world. In the case of Alberta-born Doug Cox, this extremely talented six-stringer happens to be both – and a lot more besides. As a young bluesman, this devotee of bottleneck slide guitar had a life-transforming moment nearly 30 years ago when he first saw Jerry Douglas play the Dobro. That eerie, slightly plangent music resonated deep in his soul and changed everything. The next morning Doug went out and bought a Dobro and has never looked back.

Always a gifted slide guitarist, Doug immediately displayed a special affinity for this most expressive of instruments. His talent and passion proved nearly boundless, and before long he was playing and recording with masters such as Ellen McIlwaine and David Essig. Eventually his musical world expanded to include such diverse virtuosos as Indian slide guitarist Salil Bhatt, Hawaii’s Anela Kahiamoe, dearly departed bluesman Long John Baldry, guitar slinger Amos Garrett, and expat Rwandan The Mighty Popo. His own bands and solo recordings display a similarly expansive arc, as the folk-blues of Bone Bottle Brass or Steel eventually led to old-timey supergroup Strung (Band of Gypsies – with Tony McManus and April Verch), New Orleans funk (Make A Better World – featuring John Boutte on Vocals), or countrified Austin Americana in company with BettySoo (Across The Borderline). It’s fair to say that Doug’s extensive recorded output has been at or near the forefront of creative acoustic music for many years now.

Kim Richey http://www.kimrichey.com

Two-time Grammy-nominated Kim is a storyteller; a weaver of emotions and a tugger of heartstrings. Tender, poetic and aching with life’s truths, Kim’s songs transport you to her world, where words paint pictures and melodies touch the soul. And then there’s her voice. Pure, arresting and honest, her voice makes you take notice;

Beppe Gambetta  http://www.beppegambetta.com

From his unique background as an Italian musician in love with both American roots music as well as the music of his native country, Beppe has travelled the world and even crossed the “Iron Curtain” to dazzle and charm music enthusiasts everywhere. After eleven CDs, DVDs, teaching books and collaborations with many other top-flight musicians, Gambetta is increasingly known as one of the true live master innovators of the acoustic guitar.