Jon Shain at Listen Speakeasy

Durham, NC's Jon Shain is a veteran singer-songwriter, accomplished fingerstyle guitar picker, and an internationally touring artist. A recent finalist at the International Blues Challenge, Shain keeps the Piedmont Blues alive while incorporating its traditional elements into his own modern approach - mixing in narrative songs with bluegrass, swing, and ragtime flavors, as well.

In addition to studying with jazz professor Paul Jeffrey at Duke University, he also had the good fortune to learn the piedmont blues tradition firsthand by playing in Big Boy Henry's backing band. It was at this time that Shain also got to meet and play with John Dee Holeman and a number of the great older NC blues players.

"Jon Shain brings a fingerpicked folk sound that sparkles like fine crystal with similar delicacy and scintillation. He's well versed in Piedmont country blues but equally adept at soft-spoken story-songs, delivered in a dry, easygoing tenor." - Chris Parker, Independent Weekly, Durham, NC