Bob Brozman has been called "the best-traveled musical adventurer of our
time." A polymath who lives a life of musical anthropology and
ethnomusicology, his forty-year development as a virtuoso guitarist/slide
guitarist has given him the tools to work both efficiently and
empathetically with musicians from cultures around the world. Through a
long journey beginning with pre-war country blues and followed by Hawaiian
music, American & Gypsy jazz, Caribbean, African, Indian, Indian Ocean
Creole, and Okinawan music, Brozman has arrived at his life's work, which
lies in researching "Blues of the World." Combining pure musical experience
and drawing upon his studies in anthropology and ethnomusicology, Bob has
observed both the common points and differences of musical cultures, and of
individual musicians themselves. This has caused him to formulate various
interesting theories ranging from musical, cultural-historical, and
neurobiological explanations for musical phenomena...all while producing
many internationally-released and critically-acclaimed CDs in the process!

Brozman will discuss the details of these processes and theories, and
will describe his work of applying these principles to one-on-one meetings
with musicians of various cultures, and also to group collaborations wherein
disparate musicians of various world cultures are gathered for impromptu
live recordings and performances. Brozman will also discuss the history of
guitar migration: as a portable translator of musical culture, the guitar
is an instrument that takes easily to the invention of new styles. For
example, as with colonized peoples' independent, yet parallel, development
of open tunings, the guitar serves as an ideal barometer for studies in
musical migration and evolution.

BIOGRAPHY

Bob Brozman was born in New York in 1954 and has been involved in music
since early childhood. A guitarist since age 6, Bob discovered National resonator
guitars at age 14. In their unique sound, the young Bob found his musical calling.

Bob studied music and ethnomusicology at Washington University with an
emphasis on the earliest roots of Delta blues. He has since also become a respected
authority on historical Hawaiian music, publishing articles and amassing a
large collection of 78rpm records.

Since his first solo album in 1981, Bob's repertoire of recordings has grown
by 23 titles to include 10 solo projects and at least a dozen collaborations
with international friends.

The publication in 1993 of Bob's book "The History and Artistry of National
Resonator Instruments" and an extensive instrument collection have
established him as a leading authority on resonator guitars.

Bob has created large band arrangements and music for film, radio,
television, and stage.

In 1999, Bob and Woody Mann co-founded International Guitar Seminars, which
hosts over 120 students annually at sites in California and New York. The
team has pioneered a week-long, deluxe workshop in which students study day
and night with a faculty that includes Bob, Woody, Martin Simpson, John
Cephas, and Orville Johnson.

Live performance tours remain the focal point of Bob's activity throughout
the year. He tours constantly throughout the U.S., Canada, Japan, and
Europe, and most recently, Australia and South Africa.