The Teaching Staff

The staff, the seminar said, were "chosen not only for their world-class musicianship but also for their willingness and ability to share their knowledge." The descriptions below are the ones the site itself published. Nothing has been added to them: no later biography, no awards, no discography. Where a player taught only in certain years, that is noted.

The programme directors

Woody Mann

"Who has published the majority of accurate country blues transcriptions that exist to date, is known for the way he gets the sound and ideas of real prewar Blues as part of his own contemporary style. His deep knowledge of jazz brings a new angle to the blues, and his vast teaching experience enables him to present the ideas in a clear and comprehensible manner." Mann was a programme director from the first session and taught every year. He died in January 2022.

Bob Brozman

"Who has played and researched all kinds of Blues from around the world, is considered the top player of National resonator guitars, and is known as one of the world's most accomplished slide (bottleneck and lap) guitarists. Linking African polyrhythmic sense, slide, tunings, humor, and powerful right-hand techniques, Bob knows how to deliver complex ideas in simple steps and has found many effective techniques for helping students to bring strong rhythm, timbre, and excitement to their playing." Brozman was a programme director from the first session. He died in 2013.

The staff, in the site's words

Orville Johnson

"A well-respected Seattle-based recording, touring and session artist, has taught for several years at West Coast camps. With over thirty years experience under his belt, his Blues Dobro playing is fresh and exciting, and his singing will curl your hair." Johnson taught the special series of basic "Toolbox" classes on a variety of important subjects.

Robert Tilling

"A prolific journalist and writer whose reviews and essays have appeared in numerous Blues journals, has conducted workshops on the history of Blues at major European Blues festivals. His enthusiasm for teaching and his relaxed guitar style is always a winner with students."

Mike Dowling

"A professional career that has spanned four decades has taken Mike from sideman, session player, and bandleader, to solo performer and composer of amazing versatility. Proficient in not just Blues but also Bluegrass, Swing/Jazz, even Dixieland music, Mike has developed a style, uniquely his own, that he translates fluently to arch top, flat top, and resonator guitars alike."

Trevor Laurence

"An acoustic blues, ragtime, and jazz guitarist who teaches workshops and performs in New York." Laurence was also the seminar's managing director, and is the staff member alumni letters name most often.

Dave Mullany

"A former IGS student who has graduated to the ranks of staff. Dave was originally an electric blues and rock guitarist." His progression from the student body to the teaching staff was, for the organisers, the clearest proof the model worked.

Guest and visiting faculty

Across the seminar's run the following also appeared on the published staff lists: Martin Simpson, John Cephas, John Renbourn, Jorma Kaukonen, Happy Traum, Pat Donahue, Tony Marcus, Tim Sparks, Jennifer Scott, Rene Worst, Mary Flower, Lasse Johansson, Steve James, Banning Eyre, Ray Piper, Michael Dunn, Del Rey, Piper Heisig and Bob Wolstien.

Year rosters

2003

Robert Tilling, Orville Johnson, Happy Traum, John Renbourn, Bob Brozman, Mike Dowling, Woody Mann, John Cephas, Piper Heisig, Bob Wolstien.

2004 (Seattle University, 7–13 August)

Dave Mullany, Steve James, Rene Worst, Ray Piper, Robert Tilling, Mike Dowling, Woody Mann, Tim Sparks, John Renbourn, Mary Flower, Trevor Laurence, Bob Brozman, Orville Johnson, Jennifer Scott.

2005

The 2005 faculty page listed Woody Mann, Bob Brozman, Orville Johnson, Robert Tilling, Mike Dowling, Trevor Laurence, Dave Mullany, Jorma Kaukonen, John Cephas, Mary Flower and Tony Marcus.

Why the roster was built this way

The staff list looks eclectic — Piedmont blues alongside British folk-baroque, Hawaiian slide alongside western swing, a Dobro specialist alongside a jazz vocalist and a bassist. That was deliberate. The seminar's argument was that a player who only ever hears one tradition presented well will mistake that tradition for the whole instrument. Putting John Renbourn and John Cephas on the same timetable was not a booking accident.

The mechanics of how those classes were structured are on the classes page; the material they drew on is on the repertoire page. Individual biography pages for staff members are deliberately not reproduced in this archive — the descriptions above are what the site published, and nothing further about any living person has been added.