Big Bear Lake, California, October 20, 2012 – Singer/songwriter Doug MacLeod will present a Master Class for guitar students at Big Bear High School on Monday, November 5, 2012 at 10:00am, bringing a taste of the Delta blues to Big Bear Lake. A traveling artist who writes and performs original songs, MacLeod learned his craft playing as a sidemen with an older generation of American blues artists, a most valuable tutelage. The guitarist is known for his clever songwriting, guitar wizardry, soulful vocals, and witty performances. At the heart of his stage persona, is his knack for storytelling; expounding on characters he has met along the way — from the faceless to the legendary.
MacLeod has developed a distinct, unorthodox and powerfully rhythmic acoustic guitar style, leading him to become an endorser for National Reso-Phonic Steel Guitars. His slide work harkens back to primitive American blues, a genre that started as a form of communication among African-American slaves of the south. Early in his career he landed jobs playing in the bands of blues greats Big Joe Turner, Big Mama Thornton, Lowell Fulson, Pee Wee Crayton and Eddie ‘Cleanhead’ Vinson. Born in New York City in 1946, his career now finds him performing around the world in the folk blues tradition.
Performing only his own compositions (of which he is credited with over 300), his music has also been recorded by many other artists, including Albert King, Eva Cassidy, Coco Montoya, Albert Collins, Dave Alvin and Joe Louis Walker. He has also been a long-time contributor to Blues Revue magazine with his column “Doug’s Back Porch.” Besides writing and performing, he also teaches guitar and has released his own instructional DVD and has hosted the popular blues radio show Nothin’ but the Blues on KJAZZ in Long Beach. His stinging slide guitar was featured in the Los Angeles opening of the August Wilson play “Gem of the Ocean.”
“Brand New Eyes,” MacLeod’s 2012 recording was nominated for Acoustic Album of The Year at the national Blues Music Awards held annually in Memphis. Over the years he has also been nominated by The Blues Foundation, which oversees the awards, for Best Song (2006) for “Dubb’s Talkin’ Politician Blues” and Acoustic Artist of the Year (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012).
The Master Class workshop will allow MacLeod to share his career path with local students and will also focus on practice techniques and performance methodology. The program is presented by The Open Sky Music Foundation, Inc at no cost to the high school, with financial support from Open Air Big Bear.
