Steve James, guitarist, songwriter and luthier passed away January 6, 2023. 

He died at home from a glioblastoma brain tumor. His illness was brief but devastatingly fast and he was unable to say goodbye properly to many of his valued and beloved friends, artistic colleagues and students. 

R.I.P. Steve James July 15, 1950-January 6, 2023

All the Steve albums, books, DVDs and lesson links offered here are still available.

“Steve James is a great instrumentalist, a prolific composer, and a dynamic stage presence.He is one of the few contemporary songwriters to manage the neat trick of working within older traditions while consistently producing lyrics that sound fresh and smart rather than cute or nostalgic. His singing conveys both the depth and the humor of his material, and his live shows have a crackling energy that is light years away from the museum-style presentation of many acoustic blues revivalists. It’s a hell of a show.”-Elijah Wald musician and author of “The Dozens” and “How The Beatles Destroyed Rock’n’Roll”

“If I were going to learn roots and blues guitar, there’s no one I’d rather get it from than Steve James.”  Happy Traum, musician and teacher

“If you’re on this site… you already know about Steve James. If you just stumbled on it, take some time to get to know him. Quite simply, he’s one of the best I know…”-Jorma Kaukonen, musician

“Old-timey yet in the moment, traditional yet innovative, Steve James’ guitar playing and songs will take you to places long gone as well as destinations you’ve never been to…and you don’t even have to leave your armchair to go to take his musical rides ”-Jody Denberg  KUTX fm Austin, Texas Music Legends Hall of Fame Inductee

Photo by Kirsten Mohan