No stranger to jazz and guitar fans worldwide, Grammy-nominated writer Jim Ferguson contributed the guitar history entry and 14 biographies to The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, and has compiled several collections of historic performances for the Fantasy, Rhino, and Concord labels. A former editor of Guitar Player Magazine--a position he held for over 14 years--he has also written for many international publications, including JazzTimes, Down Beat, Classical Guitar, and Fingerstyle Guitar. Moreover, he has penned liner notes for albums by Wes Montgomery, Tal Farlow, Herb Ellis, Joe Pass, Jim Hall, George Van Eps, Charlie Byrd, Johnny Smith, and many other guitar legends.
A noted educator, Jim teaches jazz guitar at California State University, Monterey Bay. He has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Mills College in Oakland, California, and has studied with George Barnes, Red Varner, Lenny Breau, Jose Rey de la Torre, and David Tanenbaum. He has also performed in Europe and the U.S., has appeared on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition, and is profiled in Maurice J. Summerfield's The Jazz Guitar-Its Evolution, Its Players And Personalities Since 1900. Regarding his own approach to jazz, Cadence Magazine said, "Bluesy and swinging, Ferguson bears up under repeated listening."