Steve James, a twenty-plus year veteran of Centrum’s blues programs, returns in 2017 to play and teach slide guitar at the Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Workshop.

He recalls his early involvement with the style:

“Yeah, when I was a kid just starting out, a lot of the good slide players came through town pretty regular; Bukka, Son, Big Joe…and, of course, Muddy. I was bit pretty hard. Later on, in Memphis, I got to play some with Furry Lewis who was a fun hang and encouraged me in developing my own style. It ain’t complicated…but you gotta pay attention to what you’re doing.”

Steve’s workshops include some print hand-outs and are formatted to accommodate people who must use digital recording devices, but he emphasizes the hands-on aspect.

“You learn how to play guitar by playing the guitar. That’s about the size of it.”