Guitarist, educator and historian
Steffan Grossman was a student of acoustic blues and gospel singer/guitarist
Rev. Gary Davis. Beginning when he was 15,
Grossman studied with Davis on weekends, spending eight to ten hours at his house in Harlem, absorbing all he could. After studying with Davis for eight years in high school and college, he learned and studied with other country blues guitarists:
Mississippi John Hurt,
Son House,
Skip James,
Mance Lipscomb and
Fred McDowell. Other early influences for
Grossman included
Elizabeth Cotten,
Sam McGee,
Willie Brown and
Charley Patton.
In the early 1960s,
Grossman formed
the Even Dozen Jug Band and worked with the political rock band
the Fugs before moving to Great Britain. In 1968, he co-founded Kicking Mule Records with
Ed Denson, a label that showcased idiosyncratic acoustic blues and folk guitar styles. The co-founders dissolved their partnership in the mid-1980s, but Kicking Mule's catalog was purchased by Fantasy Records. Some of the vinyl sides have seen the light of day on compact disc.
From 1967 to the early 1980s,
Grossman lived in Great Britain, where he carved a reputation on the European blues and folk festival circuit, playing with British-raised acoustic guitarists like
John Renbourn and
John Fahey.
Grossman's solo discography goes all the way back to 1966, when he recorded
How to Play Blues Guitar for Elektra Records. Since the early 1980s, when
Grossman began a long relationship with Shanachie Records of Newton, NJ, he has toured infrequently, but recorded extensively. Recent albums include
Northern Skies, Southern Blues (1997), as well as
Love, Devils and the Blues (1992)
Guitar Landscapes (1990) and
Shining Shadows (1988) for the same label.
Grossman's sessionography includes recordings with
the Even Dozen Jug Band (which also included such future luminaries as
John Sebastian,
Maria Muldaur and
David Grisman), as well as albums by
Paul Simon,
John Fahey,
Charlie Musselwhite and
Happy Traum. He also helped Shanachie launch their Guitar Artistry imprint series, which showcases such artists as himself,
Renbourn and
Traum.
Based in northwest New Jersey,
Grossman concentrates his efforts these days on running his instructional video business, Vestapol Videos. His videos feature guitarists from
Merle Travis and
Chet Atkins to
Dave Van Ronk and Brownie McGhee. He remains one of the world's foremost authorities on acoustic blues guitar. ~ Richard Skelly, All Music Guide