James Edwin Ferguson (born December 23, 1948) is an American guitarist, composer, journalist, and educator. He has performed in the U.S. and abroad, is featured on solo guitar CDs showcasing his original compositions for classical guitar, and has had numerous compositions published in both anthologies''Master Anthology of Blues Guitar Solos Volume 1'' (Book/2 CD set), 2000,

Mel Bay Publications Melbourne Earl Bay (February 25, 1913 – May 14, 1997), known professionally as Mel Bay, was an American musician and publisher best known for his series of music education books. His '' Encyclopedia of Guitar Chords'', first published in 197 ...

. A Mel Bay bestseller. .''Master Anthology of Jazz Guitar Solos Volume 1'' (Book/3 CD set), 2000, Mel Bay Publications. .''Contemporary Anthology of Solo Guitar Music for Five Fingers of the Right Hand'', 2009, edited by Charles Postlewate, Mel Bay Publications. .''25 Compositions'' (Book/CD set), 2011, Les Productions d'OZ, Canada. .''Learn & Conquer Guitar Repertoire with Xuefei Yang, Intermediate 1'', 2015, Various composers, Les Productions d'OZ, Canada. . alongside the works of other notable contemporary composers and in publications dedicated solely to his works.''12 Simple Jazzy Studies'', 2010, by Jim Ferguson, Les Productions d'OZ, Canada. .''Cirque du Soul'', 2010, by Jim Ferguson, Les Productions d'OZ, Canada. .''Lady Di'', 2010, by Jim Ferguson, Les Productions d'OZ, Canada. .''Film Noir—Four Scenes'', 2011, by Jim Ferguson, Les Productions d'OZ, Canada. .''Four Monsters'', 2012, by Jim Ferguson, Les Productions d'OZ, Canada. .''Requiem for a Fallen Artist'', 2012, by Jim Ferguson, Les Productions d'OZ, Canada. (also published in ''25 Compositions'').''Winedark Sea'', 2013, by Jim Ferguson, Les Productions d'OZ, Canada. .''Jazzotica'', 2014, by Jim Ferguson, Les Productions d'OZ, Canada. .''12 Semi-Simple Jazzy Studies'', 2015, by Jim Ferguson, Les Productions d'OZ, Canada. .''Night Cats'', 2017, by Jim Ferguson, Les Productions d'OZ, Canada. . He has written several jazz guitar instructional books, including ''All Blues for Jazz Guitar''.''All Blues for Jazz Guitar—Comping Styles, Chords & Grooves,'' 1997, by Jim Ferguson. Book/CD set. Published by Guitar Master Class Publications, distributed by Mel Bay Publications. A Mel Bay Bestseller. . He is a

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

-nominated

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (NARAS), doing business as The Recording Academy, is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is widely kno ...

: ''Grammy Award Nomination'', Best Album Notes, presented to Orrin Keepnews and Jim Ferguson for ''Wes Montgomery—Wes Montgomery: The Complete Riverside Recordings, The Complete Riverside Recordings'', for the awards period 1993 (presented in 1994). music journalist and editor. Holding B.S. and M.F.A. degrees,Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design, 1975, San Jose State University, San Jose, California.Master of Fine Arts in Performance and Literature, 1990, Mills College, Oakland, California. Master's Thesis: "

Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (, ; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His composition ...

's ''Segoviana''—History, Style, Implications". Guitar Instructor: David Tanenbaum. he has taught guitar and music courses at universities in California for over 25 years, has conducted guitar and music workshops in the U.S. and abroad, and has taught guitar privately for more than 40 years. Maurice J. Summerfield, ''The Jazz Guitar—Its Evolution, Players and Personalities since 1900'', 4th edition (1998), Ashley Mark Publishing Company. .

Early years

Born in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

, Ferguson began his early music education playing the trombone when he was seven years old, then after eight years of study, switched to the guitar at the age of 15. He moved to

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

and began his music career in the 1970s, performing, teaching, and devoting serious study to the guitar.

Journalism

Ferguson has written articles for ''

Guitar Player ''Guitar Player'' was an American magazine for guitarists, founded in 1967 in San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francis ...

'' (1979–1992), ''

Down Beat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...

'', ''

JazzTimes ''JazzTimes'' was an American print magazine devoted to jazz. Published 10 times a year, it was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1970 by Ira Sabin as the newsletter ''Radio Free Jazz'' to complement his record store. Coverage After a decade ...

'', ''Fingerstyle Guitar'', and ''Classical Guitar'' (1993–1998). As a student, he studied with George Barnes, Lenny Breau, David Tanenbaum, and José Rey de la Torre. He received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Performance and Literature from Mills College and wrote his thesis on

. He has written for '' The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'','' The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'', Macmillan Press Limited, London, 1988 (first edition). and edited several volumes for Guitar Solo Publications of San Francisco, including an instructional series on the works of

Fernando Sor Fernando Sor (baptised 14 February 1778 – 10 July 1839) was a Spanish classical guitarist and composer of the Classical period (music), late Classical era and Romantic music, early Romantic era. Best known for writing solo classical guitar mu ...

Leo Brouwer Juan Leovigildo Brouwer Mezquida (born March 1, 1939) is a Cubans, Cuban composer, conducting, conductor, and classical guitarist. He is a Member of Honour of the International Music Council. Early years Brouwer was born in Havana, Cuba. When he ...

, and

Matteo Carcassi Matteo Carcassi (8 April 1792 – 16 January 1853)Raffaele Carpino, Mario dell'Ara: "Matteo Carcassi. Un nuovo aggiornamento biografico", in: ''Il Fronimo'' no. 184 (2018), p. 5–9. was an Italian guitarist and composer. Life Carcassi was born i ...

, and Federico Moreno Torroba's ''Castillos de España''. He also compiled numerous collections of historic performances for

Fantasy Records Fantasy Records is an American independent record label company founded by brothers Max and Sol Stanley Weiss in 1949. The early years of the company were dedicated to issuing recordings by jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, who was also one of its inves ...

Rhino Records A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...

, and

Concord Records Concord Records is an American record label owned by Concord and based in Los Angeles, California. Concord Records was launched in 1995 as an imprint designed to reach beyond the company's foundational Concord Jazz label. The label's artists ha ...

,Jim Ferguson's album credits
(partial listing) on

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, retrieved June 22, 2011. and worked on several projects for other labels including

Riverside Records Riverside Records was an American jazz record company and label. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer, Jr, under his firm Bill Grauer Productions in 1953, the label played an important role in the jazz record industry for a decade. Riversid ...

. In 1994, Ferguson and Orrin Keepnews earned a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

nomination for Best Album Notes for their liner notes to the 12-CD set ''

Wes Montgomery John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for his unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and for his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a ...

— The Complete Riverside Recordings''. The notes include a biography of Montgomery by Ferguson and interviews with

Nat Adderley Nathaniel Carlyle Adderley (November 25, 1931 – January 2, 2000) was an American jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It ...

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy Awards, and is also a Cello, cellist who has reco ...

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige Records, Prestige, Blue Note, Verve Records, Verve, CTI Records, CTI, Muse Records, Muse, and Concord Records, Conco ...

John Scofield John Scofield (born December 26, 1951) is an American guitarist and composer. His music over a long career has blended jazz, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock. He first came to mainstream attention as part of the band of Miles Davis; he ...

, and Tommy Flanagan."Jim Ferguson, the Jazz Guitar Guru", ''Guitar Profiles'' by Jude Hibler, ''20th Century Guitar Magazine'', November 2001, Volume 12, Number 11.

Composing

Ferguson writes compositions and arrangements for both solo guitar and ensemble settings, including nylon-string guitar and flute, and nylon-string guitar and contrabass. He learned composition from Joseph Blaha and Ernest "Red" Varner. In the early 1990s, he began composing. In 2004, he released his first solo album, ''Cedar & Silver''.''Cedar & Silver'', 2004, by Jim Ferguson, Spring Street Records, SSR-2004. Tracks from ''Cedar & Silver'' such as "Aurora" and "Blanca" have been licensed by A&E, ABC,

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

Spike TV Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel and the flagship property of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global, who operates it through the MTV Entertainment Group. The network's headquarters are locate ...

, and

MTV India MTV is an Indian pay television channel specialising in music, reality and youth culture programming. It was launched in 1996 as the Indian version of the original American network and is owned by JioStar, under a license agreement with Par ...

. "Brothers" was licensed by The History Channel for their special "The History of Thanksgiving". The score to "Asian Pavan"Review of ''Cedar & Silver'' CD by Dr. Frank Forte, ''Just Jazz Guitar Magazine'', November 2004, No. 41. was published in the October 2005 issue of ''Classical Guitar'' magazine"Asian Pavan" published in ''Classical Guitar'', October 2005 issue, Volume 24, Number 2, Ashley Mark Publishing Company, CGV24/02. and was included in the ''Contemporary Anthology of Solo Guitar Music for Five Fingers of the Right Hand''.''Moonstone'', 2009, by Jim Ferguson, Spring Street Records, SSR-2009. ''Moonstone'' (2009) consists of original compositions, including six pieces from ''12 Simple Jazzy Studies''. Other published works by Ferguson include ''Film Noir—Four Scenes'', "Requiem for a Fallen Artist", ''Four Monsters'', ''12 Semi-Simple Jazzy Studies'', "Winedark Sea", and ''Jazzotica''. He has performed with Paulo Bellinati, Ray Drummond, Jorge Morel, Tommy Tedesco, and

Ernie Watts Ernest James Watts (born October 23, 1945) is an American jazz and R&B saxophonist who plays soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone. He has worked with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and toured with the Rolling Stones. On Frank Zappa's album '' ...

Teaching and writing

Ferguson has taught jazz and classical guitar privately and at California State University Monterey Bay (1998–2008), Evergreen Valley College (1990–2018), and San Jose City College (1991–1992). He has given private lessons, conducted workshops, and has appeared on radio and television. Ferguson's instructional books include examples written and played by him (on accompanying CDs). The first book in the series, ''All Blues for Jazz Guitar'', was named one of "100 Great Guitar Books" by '' Acoustic Guitar Magazine''.'' Acoustic Guitar Magazine'', December 1998 issue, Number 72: ''All Blues For Jazz Guitar'' by Jim Ferguson named one of "100 Great Guitar Books".

Discography

As leader

* ''Cedar & Silver'' (2004) * ''Moonstone'' (2009) * ''24 Jazzy Studies'' (2015)''24 Jazzy Studies'', 2015, by Jim Ferguson, Spring Street Records, SSR-2015.

As guest

* ''Songs for Our Fathers'' (2002),''Songs For Our Fathers'', 2002, by the Robin Anderson Big Band, RABB 001. Robin Anderson Big Band featuring Jim Ferguson and former members of the

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

and

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roo ...

big bands.

Recordings by other artists

* Ferguson's "Requiem for a Fallen Artist" performed and recorded by Marlène Demers-Lemay on ''25 Compositions'',''25 Compositions'', 2011, by Marlène Demers-Lemay, Les Productions d'OZ, DZ1625CD. 2011. * Ferguson's ''Four Monsters'' suite performed and recorded by Meredith Connie on ''Fairy Tales, Monsters and Wild Animals'',''Fairy Tales, Monsters and Wild Animals'', 2017, by Meredith Connie, Move Records, MCD 567. 2017.

Published compositions

* "Asian Pavan" * "Sumi Dance" * "Debussiana" * "Chuck's Waltz" Dedicated to Charles Postlewate.Liner notes to ''Moonstone'', 2009, by Jim Ferguson, Spring Street Records, SSR-2009. * "Leo's Blues" Dedicated to

. * "Before Six" * "Study No. 1" (from ''12 Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 2" (from ''12 Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 3" (from ''12 Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 4" (from ''12 Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 5" (from ''12 Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 6" (from ''12 Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 7" (from ''12 Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 8" (from ''12 Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 9" (from ''12 Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 10" (from ''12 Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 11" (from ''12 Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 12" (from ''12 Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Cirque du Soul" * "Lady Di" * "Dark Streets & Shadows" (from ''Film Noir—Four Scenes'') * "Wheelman" (from ''Film Noir—Four Scenes'') * "Femme Fatale" (from ''Film Noir—Four Scenes'') * "Heater" (from ''Film Noir—Four Scenes'') * "Requiem for a Fallen Artist" * "Frankenstein Meets The Jazzman" (from ''Four Monsters'') * "The Raven Vanishes" (from ''Four Monsters'') * "Mad Love" (from ''Four Monsters'') * "The Fly" (from ''Four Monsters'') * "Winedark Sea" Dedicated to JoAnn Falletta. * ''Jazzotica'' (three-movement suite) * "Study No. 1" (from ''12 Semi-Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 2" (from ''12 Semi-Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 3" (from ''12 Semi-Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 4" (from ''12 Semi-Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 5" (from ''12 Semi-Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 6" (from ''12 Semi-Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 7" (from ''12 Semi-Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 8" (from ''12 Semi-Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 9" (from ''12 Semi-Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 10" (from ''12 Semi-Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 11" (from ''12 Semi-Simple Jazzy Studies'') * "Study No. 12" (from ''12 Semi-Simple Jazzy Studies'') * ''Night Cats'' (three-movement suite)

Jazz guitar instructional books

* ''All Blues for Jazz Guitar—Comping Styles, Chords & Grooves,'' 1997. Book/CD set. * ''All Blues Soloing for Jazz Guitar —Scales, Licks, Concepts & Choruses,''''All Blues Soloing for Jazz Guitar —Scales, Licks, Concepts & Choruses,'' 1999, by Jim Ferguson. Book/CD set. Published by Guitar Master Class Publications, distributed by Mel Bay Publications. . 1999. Book/CD set. * ''All Blues Scale for Jazz Guitar—Solos, Grooves & Patterns'',''All Blues Scale for Jazz Guitar—Solos, Grooves & Patterns'', 2000, by Jim Ferguson. Book/CD set. Published by Guitar Master Class Publications, distributed by Mel Bay Publications. . 2000. Book/CD set. * ''All Solos & Grooves for Jazz Guitar—Position Studies, Scales & Patterns'',''All Solos & Grooves for Jazz Guitar—Position Studies, Scales & Patterns'', 2001, by Jim Ferguson. Book/CD set. Published by Guitar Master Class Publications, distributed by Mel Bay Publications. . 2001. Book/CD set. * ''All Intros & Endings for Jazz Guitar—Bebop, Swing, Latin, Ballads'',''All Intros & Endings for Jazz Guitar—Bebop, Swing, Latin, Ballads'', 2003, by Jim Ferguson. Book/CD set. Published by Guitar Master Class Publications, distributed by Mel Bay Publications. . 2003. Book/CD set. * ''Shapes, Patterns & Lines for Jazz Guitar'',''Shapes, Patterns & Lines for Jazz Guitar'', 2007, by Jim Ferguson. Book/CD set. Published by Guitar Master Class Publications, distributed by Mel Bay Publications. . 2007. Book/CD set. * ''Comping Standards for Jazz Guitar'',''Comping Standards for Jazz Guitar'', 2014, by Jim Ferguson. Book/CD set. Published by Guitar Master Class Publications, distributed by Mel Bay Publications. . 2014. Book/CD set.

Awards and honors

* ''Grammy Award'' nomination (1994), Best Album Notes

, San Francisco chapter: ''Achievement Certificate'', presented to Jim Ferguson for his achievement in the recording of '' The Complete Riverside Recordings'' and nomination for a Grammy Award in the category Best Album Notes, February 1994. * ''Achievement Certificate'' (1994) from the San Francisco chapter of the

, presented to Jim Ferguson for his achievement in the recording of '' The Complete Riverside Recordings''

, San Francisco chapter: ''Achievement Certificate'', presented to Jim Ferguson for his achievement in the recording of '' The Complete Riverside Recordings'' and nomination for a Grammy Award in the category Best Album Notes, February 1994. * ''Maggie Award'' for Best Instructional Column (1989) for Jim Ferguson's column ''Fundamentals'' in ''

''Western Publishing Association: ''Maggie Award'' for Best Instructional Column (1989) for Jim Ferguson's column ''Fundamentals'' in ''

''. * ''Maggie Award'' for Best Instructional Series (1988) for Jim Ferguson's ''Master Series'' in ''

''Western Publishing Association: ''Maggie Award'' for Best Instructional Series (1988) for Jim Ferguson's ''Master Series'' in ''

''. *

Mills College Mills College at Northeastern University in Oakland, California is part of Northeastern University's global university system. Mills College was founded as the Young Ladies Seminary in 1852 in Benicia, California; it was relocated to Oakland in ...

Alumnae Scholarship (1989)

Admissions and Records, Oakland, California * "Romantico y Allegro Ritmico" (1992) by Jorge Morel, dedicated to Jim Ferguson"Romantico y Allegro Ritmico" (to Jim Ferguson) by Jorge Morel, 1992, published in: ''Virtuoso South American Guitar'', v. 06, 1993, found i
Catalogue: "Guitar music, 2. Solo guitar repertoire, Selection 09.2010" at Artediffusion.com
, retrieved November 21, 2010. * "Chinese Metronome" (2009) by Charles Postlewate, dedicated to Jim Ferguson

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferguson, Jim 1948 births 20th-century American guitarists American classical guitarists American instructional writers American jazz composers American jazz guitarists American male guitarists American music educators American music journalists American writers about music Composers for the classical guitar Guitarists from Ohio Jazz writers Journalists from Ohio Living people American male jazz composers Musicians from Dayton, Ohio Writers from Dayton, Ohio Educators from Ohio Jazz musicians from Ohio Classical musicians from Ohio 20th-century American male musicians