History

I started playing the guitar around the age of thirteen, I remember the guitar was a steel stringed acoustic which my grandmother bought for me from the local secondhand shop, it had a metal tail piece and a playing action that was nothing short of torturous but I persevered with it and she eventually bought me a “real” guitar for my fourteenth birthday.
Those heady years in the early 1970`s were spent getting stoned, listening to all kinds of music and practicing day and night... much to the annoyance of my family and neighbours, however, my life changed when I heard “Sky in my Pie” by John James and Pete Berryman, just two guys playing together on two acoustic guitars but what a sound, I instantly fell in love with it and it has stayed with me ever since.
     I soon discovered Stefan Grossman`s Kicking Mule label and I spent countless hours poring over tablature and learning country blues, old time picking and the classic ragtime of Scott Joplin.
     It was also about this time I discovered the English school of folk guitarists such as Nic Jones, Martin Carthy, John Renbourn and later Gordon Giltrap. I loved the way they adapted the American finger style to traditional British folk tunes and in so doing created a whole new genre of guitar playing.
At the time I was still playing with Rock and Blues bands but I started to do some solo gigs and although I couldn’t (and still can’t) sing I aped Arlo Guthrie`s “Alice’s Restaurant” and told shaggy dog stories whilst playing ragtime, I`d always loved making people laugh and it seemed a logical thing for me to mix the two.
     The 1980`s saw me get itchy feet and I went off travelling around the free festivals which is where I met my partner and so became a dad. We moved to Scotland in 1985 where I started to study the guitar seriously and, quite by accident discovered jazz. The dark winter days were spent trying to figure out the bewildering finger styles of Joe Pass and Martin Taylor and by night I was out trying to earn a crust playing Rock n` Roll and Country music in order to feed my growing family.
     Moving South again and finally settling in the Midlands, I started to get calls for session work and eventually fell into a routine of performing and recording both solo and with a wide variety of singers and bands ranging from jazz fusion to traditional folk music, all of which I’ve enjoyed and learnt from and I believe it’s having played such a variety of styles that has made me the musician I am today.
     I also began teaching in secondary schools and colleges eventually becoming guitar tutor for Access to Music at Broxtowe College.
     I`d always had a hankering to put together my own instrumental acoustic guitar duo and finally achieved this in 1999, the duo proved successful and in 2005 resulted in our being chosen by Bob Taylor himself to represent Taylor Guitars here in the UK  CLICK HERE to read  excerpts from the Taylor website. Although we recorded only one CD together we did countless gigs and earned some great reviews, to read some of them and see some pictures of our gigs  CLICK HERE.
     In summer 2008 I was delighted to become UK Clinician for Larrivee Guitars and now use them exclusively for all my gigs and recordings. CLICK HERE  for info off the Larrivee website.

With Jean Larrivee LIMS 2008

     Festivals I have played at have included Cambridge Folk Festival, London International Guitar Festival, Marbella Jazz Festival (Spain), Brecon Jazz Festival, Guitars De L`Espoir (France), Tommy Emmanuel`s Tommyfest Birmingham Jazz Festival, Cromer Folk Festival, Stamford Guitar Festival, National Forest Folk Festival, Cheltenham Folk Festival, Whitby Folk Festival, Imperial Wharf Jazz Festival, Broadstairs Folk Week, Ullapool Guitar Festival,  Dartmouth Festival, Birmingham B91 Festival, Ireby Music Festival, Crewe Blues Festival, Buxton Festival, Nantwich Folk and Roots, St Ives Festival, Swannage Blues Festival, Ealing Blues Festival and the Midlands R&B Festival.
     I have performed at all the major guitar/ trade shows including The London International Music Show, The London Guitar Show, Music Live, Acoustic Avalon, The Acoustic Guitar Show, British Motor Show etc.
     Some prestigious venues I have performed in include The Royal Festival Hall, The Royal National Theatre, The N.E.C, The I.C.C, The N.I.A, Olympia, Wembley Arena, Feria de Madrid, ExCel (Docklands), Royal Highland Centre Edinburgh, Stafford Bingley Hall, Donnington Park, Knebworth House, The Cavern Club (Liverpool) & The House of Commons.
    

House of Commons with Saxophonist Mike Burney

Pete Smith