Fingerstyle guitarist and composer, Mize appeared with the emerging acoustic guitar movement in the 1980s (by way of the Windham Hill Guitar Sampler and the Winfield Guitar Competition), and has continued to developed a style and sense of taste that influences many of today's guitarists.
Applauded by critics and guitar enthusiasts alike for his composition, tone, emotion and smooth "multi-part" style, Tennessee guitarist Bill Mize is a past winner of The National Finger- style Guitar Competition at The Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas. (Guitar Player Magazine has labeled this event the U.S. Open of guitar competitions) Bill's music is featured on the Grammy-winning recording, Stellaluna, as well as popular guitar compilations Windham Hill Guitar Sampler by Windham Hill Records and Masters of the Acoustic Guitar by Narada Records. John August Music/Mel Bay Productions have transcribed Mize's second cd, Tender Explorations, into a songbook, and several guitar magazines have published some of Mize's arrangements and original compositions. Bill tours nationwide and is a frequent clinician / performer at guitar camps including the Swannanoa Gathering in North Carolina, and Steve Kaufmann's Guitar Camp in Tennessee.
While Mize has drawn inspiration from legends of soul, jazz, folk and rock, his original music is more difficult to peg. It has been described as varying from delicate Appalachian highland melodies executed with classical sensitivity, to greasy Memphis grooves, performed in such a smooth yet syncopated fashion, you'd swear there was another guitarist on stage. Rather than only rely on wowing with his impressive "chops", Bill draws an audience in with his composition, emotion and tone. (He does let the fingers fly every now & then!)
For over a quarter century Brent McElroy has been driven to bring his craft as close to perfection as possible.
You can hear it in the incredible tone.
You can feel it with the smooth action and effortless playablity.
You can see it in beauty of each instrumemt.
