Jim Ohlschmidt was
featured twice in Fingerstyle Guitar magazine in 2009 for his
work on “It’s The Wood,” a collection of original acoustic guitar
music produced by Pete Huttlinger. A native son of Sheboygan,
Wisconsin, Ohlschmidt first appeared in the Twin Cities in 1976 when
he recorded his first solo guitar LP, “Behind The Eye,” at Sound 80
studios. A friend of Jim’s attending Macalester College took the
finished album to Garrison Keillor, who liked it enough to begin
booking Ohlschmidt as a guest instrumentalist on A Prairie Home
Companion periodically from 1977-80.
Since then Jim has played
around the country and abroad, and has recorded seven solo CDs,
including “Not About Me” a collection of original songs written and
recorded in Birmingham, Alabama, and two CDs of songs by Mississippi
John Hurt. Since 2005, Ohlschmidt has been a regular performer and
emcee at the annual summer music festival in Avalon, Mississippi
that honors Hurt and his music. Ohlschmidt’s faithful renditions of
Mississippi John Hurt’s songs have been featured on Dale Connelly’s
Radio Heartland HD radio program.
Ohlschmidt has also been
a regular free-lance contributor to national guitar magazines since
1979. His name is especially familiar to readers of Acoustic
Guitar magazine, which for many years featured Ohlschmidt’s
writings on such major fingerstyle guitarists as Leo Kottke, Merle
Travis, Charlie Byrd, Earl Klugh, and Jerry Reed. Jim’s articles are
also featured prominently in Mister Guitar, a magazine
dedicated to the life and music of Chet Atkins.
In addition to recording
and performing his own music, Ohlschmidt has made five CDs with
singer/songwriter Mae Robertson, and plays electric guitar with the
Star Devils, a traditional rockabilly trio from Cincinnati that
recently played a three-week tour of England and Scotland. Jim
performs locally with the Boxcar Scholars at Dunn Brothers Coffee on
Grand in St. Paul, and on Saturday mornings at the Black Sheep Café
in South St. Paul with Alternate Route, an informal bluegrass band.
Jim currently teaches fingerstyle guitar at the Homestead Pickin’
Parlor in Richfield, MN, and also teaches in the guitar program at
Lakeland College, Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
Jim lives with his family
in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota.
Upcoming Gigs
My acoustic trio plays an
eclectic mix of original songs, country and city blues, Mississippi
John Hurt, old country and fiddle tunes, and unusual covers of classic
songs. In addition to myself on acoustic guitar and lead vocals, the
group also features Mike Cramer on mandolin and guitar, and Charlie
Riddle on upright bass. We are currently playing every other Thursday
at the original Dunn Bros. coffee shop on Grand Ave. in Saint
Paul. Come see us:
March 24
April 14 & 28 May 12 & 26
June 9 & 23
We are also playing at Dulano's
Pizza in Minneapolis June 3 & 4
Check out these mp3 samples recorded live at a recent
appearance at Dunn Bros. The mp3's are big, so may take a minute
or two to load.
