Born in Germany in 1970, transplanted to California as a teenager, Teja Gerken weaves together strands of folk, jazz, classical, and world music to make his own seamless tapestry of intricate originals. Many of his compositions employ alternate tunings, two-handed tapping, and percussive effects; others simply rely on his keen sense of melody and movement. His repertoire, while focusing on originals, is augmented by traditional Irish tunes, the occasional jazz standard, and improvisations on themes by classical composers. An active participant in the vibrant Bay Area acoustic scene, he's shared the stage with such guitar visionaries as John Renbourn, Alex de Grassi, Peter Finger, and Henry Kaiser, as well as with his mentors, Duck Baker and Peppino D'Agostino. He also serves on the editorial staff of Acoustic Guitar Magazine and has co-authored several books about guitar.

Eric Skye arrived in California as a teenager by way of Bucks County, Pennsylvania and soon decided that he wanted to incorporate a little rock and roll into his classical guitar lessons. His father made him get a job to pay for the privilege — cleaning fish tanks in dentists' offices — but the bonus was that his teacher turned him on to jazz guitarists like Joe Pass and Kenny Burrell as well as Duane Allman and Eric Clapton. By the 90s, living in San Francisco, he had his own blues band and a seven-piece vintage jazz group. All the influences didn't click together, though, until he heard flat-picking great David Grier. Bluegrass turned out to be the missing ingredient. "I completely dedicated myself to steel string guitar," Eric says, "and to incorporating the tone and technique of these flatpickers into everything I did." Nowadays Eric plays with an eclectic and original style, melding bluegrass and blues, classical and funk. His latest album, A Different Kind of Blue, is a solo guitar tribute to the landmark 1959 Miles Davis recording, Kind of Blue. Eric has been featured in such magazines as Guitar Player, Acoustic Guitar, Jazziz, Jazz Improv, and 20th Century Guitar, which called him "one of the best rising stars of the American acoustic jazz scene."

Mark Goldenberg has played guitar for a who's who of talented artists, including Bonnie Raitt, Chris Isaak, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Peter Frampton, and — get ready for it — William Shatner. He's been lead guitarist for Jackson Browne since 1994. He's also a songwriter and producer. His songs have been recorded by Linda Ronstadt, Chicago, the Pointer Sisters, Natalie Imbruglia, Eels, Chris Botti, and — get ready for it again — Olivia Newton John. His solo fingerstyle work is thought provoking and emotionally evocative. Jackson Browne described Mark's first, self-titled album this way: "Powerful, graceful, deeply melodic, and above all, emotional — Mark Goldenberg's stunning collection of acoustic guitar pieces shows off the imagination and technical excellence that fellow artists and record producers have relied upon for years." Legendary record producer Don Was called Mark the Shaquille O'Neal of popular guitar. "He has impeccable instincts and is a natural, intuitive, and generous player."

Don't miss this chance to see three incredible craftsmen on guitar.

Visit Teja Gerken's website

Visit Eric Skye's website

Visit Mark Goldenberg's website

Listen to a track from Teja Gerken:

Listen to a track from Eric Skye:

Listen to a track from Mark Goldenberg: