Who Are Those Singers & Musicians ~ Stefan Grossman

 

Stefan Grossman is an American singer born in Brooklyn, New York on April 16,1945. Grossman described his upbringing in Queens, New York, as "lower middle-class", and his parents as "very leftist", valuing education and the arts. He began playing acoustic guitar at the age of nine, when his father bought him an archtop-style (f-hole) acoustic guitar made by Harmony. Later he moved on to a Gibson archtop guitar which he played between the ages of nine and eleven, taking lessons and learning to read music. For a few years, he gave up playing but resumed again at the age of 15. He then took guitar lessons for several years from Rev. Gary Davis,

In 1964, Grossman and a group of friends formed “The Even Dozen Jug Band”. Although they only recorded one LP on the Elektra Records label, other members were also to have successful musical careers, including David Grisman, Steve Katz (Blood, Sweat & Tears), John Sebastian (The Lovin' Spoonful), Joshua Rifkin and Maria Muldaur (then Maria D'Amato). In the early summer of 1966, there was an effort by Elektra's Paul Rothchild to put together a folk-rock group (like The Mamas & the Papas) with Grossman, Taj Mahal, guitarist Steve Mann and a recently returned folk singer from Texas named Janis Joplin. They had a rehearsal in Berkeley, sometime in June. However, Joplin would not abandon her new band “Big Brother and the Holding Company” and the deal was scuttled. Subsequently, Grossman spent about three months with “The Fugs” and a further four months with a band called “Chicago Loop”.

In 1967, Grossman travelled to Europe, as a first step on a planned journey to India which was not completed. In London he stayed at first with Eric Clapton whom he had met whilst in “Chicago Loop”. He began playing in folk clubs around the country and made his first solo recordings for the Philips/Fontana label. He also traveled widely in Europe and eventually settled in Italy, where he lived for seven years. Travelling around Europe, Grossman saw a niche in the market for solo acoustic guitar records which were accompanied by a tablature book to allow the buyer to try playing the arrangements and, with his friend Ed Denson taking care of the US side of business, founded Kicking Mule Records.Over the next few years KM released several albums. During these years Grossman was also touring as a solo artist and in partnership with John Renbourn and continuing to write and publish instructional books, often accompanied by the then new technology of cassette tapes.

In 1971, Grossman composed and played the soundtrack to Swedish director Bo Widerberg's bio-pic Joe Hill. The love theme from the movie was released a single the same year.

In 1987, Grossman returned to live in the US. He toured much less – at least partly due to a painful back problem – and began to consolidate his various teaching and instructional materials under the roof of one company, Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop, working at first in cooperation with the Shanachie Records company.

Grossman resumed touring in 2006, and has appeared in Europe and Japan as well as the U.S. He is a frequent visitor to England (where he has family) and conducts well-attended guitar workshops as well as giving concerts.

GROSSMAN, Stefan [4/16/1945, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A. -     ] – producer, author, singer, songwriter, musician (guitar), co-founded Kicking Mule Records.

A Man Called Sledge – 1970 [sings: “Other Men’s Gold”]

The Ballad of Ben and Charlie – 1971 [sings: “Let it Rain, Let it Pour”]