Duck Baker was among the new breed of guitarists who, inspired by the mid-century folk, blues, and jazz revival, reinvented the art of acoustic guitar playing by tapping into the traditional music reservoir. The Virginia-bred fingerstylist, who now lives in Europe after many years in the Bay Area, plays state-of-the-art guitar interpretations of Irish and American traditional music, ragtime, swing, modern jazz, classical, klezmer, and original compositions. Duck recently re-issued his influential 1980s album of Celtic tunes, The Kid on the Mountain, as well as a new album, Ms. Right (AMR).

Praised by Guitar Player magazine for "the poetry and elegance of his bouyant, graceful compositions," Italian-born steel string guitarist Peppino D'Agostino combines technical prowess with a rich, lyrical approach that is reminiscent of his Mediterranean heritage. Dynamic rhythms, unconventional tunings, and evocative melodies mark Peppino's compositions. Now residing in the Bay Area, Peppino has released eight critically acclaimed albums, most recently last year's Classic/Steel in collaboration with classical guitarist David Tanenbaum; he also composes film soundtracks and has recently been touring with the World Guitar Ensemble.