John Sherman has been a performer of traditional and Celtic music for the last two decades. Early involvement with string bands playing traditional American music led to an abiding interest in the Scottish and Irish elements of that repertoire, which in turn led to study of the native musical styles themselves.
While John has played a variety of instruments (fiddle, bouzouki, banjo and Highland bagpipes) while working in this area of music, he is first and foremost a guitarist. He has arranged over sixty Irish and Scottish melodies for that instrument, some of which can be heard on his two solo recordings, "Farewell to the Creeks" (1987) and "So Inclined" (1996). The albums have received critical acclaim in the nationally circulated musical magazines Sing Out!, Dirty Linen and Acoustic Guitar, and have garnered airplay across the U.S. and Canada, as well as in Ireland and even in the new central European country of Slovenia. In March of 1998, Mel Bay Publications issued a bound volume of 28 of John's transcribed pieces (including the "So Inclined" CD) that has been marketed internationally.
In addition to his solo work, John was also a founding member of INISHEER, long one of Ohio's most highly regarded Celtic concert bands, which also released two recordings "Sounds from the Atlantic" (1993) and "Rainbands" (1994). INISHEER received the Columbus Music Award for Best Ethnic Band in 1994.
John has also been active over the last few years producing the recordings of other noted regional artists, among them hammered dulcimer virtuoso MARK WADE and the C&W/bluegrass group ONE RIOT ONE RANGER. He is a sought after accompanist and opening act as well, having performed with some of Celtic music's major touring talents, such as the TANNAHILL WEAVERS, PHIL CUNNINGHAM and JOHN RENBOURN. In 1994, 2001 and in fall 2003, John has served as singer/songwriter TOM PAXTON'S accompanying guitarist for eight of his concerts in Ohio.
John has also worked occasionally with other regional and nationally known talents, including uilleann piper TODD DENMAN and, until her untimely death in spring of 2000, fellow Celtic fingerstylist CAROL BARNEY. John and Carol released a critically acclaimed album of Irish music arranged for two guitars, "CEOL ANAM," on the FOLK-LEGACY label in late summer of 1999. In spring of 2003, John joined the lineup of Cincinnati's premier Celtic concert band, SILVER ARM.
In December of 2002, John released his third solo album of Celtic fingerstyle arrangements, "Far Green Country," and is transcribing them for eventual publication.
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