Blues Language: The Vocabulary of the Blues Guitar Masters
Sam Smiley is a Midwest-based guitarist who is searching for the meeting place between different American music styles and approaches. He has spent considerable time working with the jazz and country music traditions, finding a meeting place in his recent project, Shikane. He has been described by world class guitarist, Fareed Haque, as a blend of Bill Frisell and Hank Garland. He also leads the band, Shikane which is scheduled to release their first album “That Would Make Some Sense” in 2014,  As a freelance guitarist, Sam has performed with and recorded with a variety of bands. He has also had the opportunity to travel the US and Europe for performances. He has written articles for Just Jazz Guitar Magazine, Making Music Magazine, and Mel Bay’s Sessions. His second eBook, Blues Language is a study of contextually applying phrases from the blues masters. His first eBook, I’ll Be All Smiles Tonight, was released in the fall of 2011. It is an exploration of Luther Perkins’ guitar style (Johnny Cash’s guitarist).