Bill Mize Home Page

Fingerstyle guitarist and composer Bill Mize appeared with the emerging acoustic guitar movement in the 1980s and has continued to develop a style and sense of taste that influences many of today's guitarists.

Applauded by critics and guitar enthusiasts alike for his smooth "multi-part" style, Tennessee guitarist Bill Mize is a past winner of The National Fingerstyle Guitar Competition at The Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, an event described by Guitar Player Magazine as the "US Open of guitar competitions". Bill's music has earned him a Grammy Award for his collaboration with David Holt on the recording Stellaluna, and spots on the popular Windham Hill Guitar Sampler and Masters of the Acoustic Guitar by Narada Records. Mel Bay and John August Music transcribed his cd, Tender Explorations into a book. Bill also has songs included in other Mel Bay guitar books, Winfield Winners and DADGAD Music by Pierre Bensusan. Bill is a frequent clinician and performer at guitar camps including The Healdsburg Guitar Festival, The Newport Guitar Festival, Steve Kaufman's Guitar Camp and The Swannanoa Gathering.

Bill's music will be featured in the upcoming Ken Burns documentary "The National Parks, America's Best Idea" to be aired on PBS in 2009.

While Bill has drawn inspiration from legends of soul, hillbilly, jazz, classical and rock n roll, his original music is more difficult to peg. It has been described as varying from delicate highland melodies to soulful Memphis grooves executed with classical sensitivity.

Dale Miller of Acoustic Guitar Magazine writes, "...Mize's tone is lovely and his technique is state-of-the-art. He combines form and substance to create music so sublime and accessible I was almost sighing out loud."

Stephen Ide of Dirty Linen Magazine writes, "...To call Mize a guitar maestro would be understating his abilities to transport listeners beyond what most guitarists could only hope to accomplish."

Bill Milkowski of Jazziz Magazine writes, "...Mize's touch is magic, his ideas flow in rapid succession, and his execution remains flawless throughout this acoustic guitar showcase."

Vintage Guitar Magazine writes, "...An amazing touch, killer tone, and a sense of taste that can't be beat."

News - Winter / Spring 2009

Bill's music will be featured in the upcoming Ken Burn's documentary, Our National Parks, America's Best Idea to be aired on PBS in the Fall.

Bill and the Jim Gray Gallery will be colaborating on a DVD which will feature Jim Gray's beautiful Great Smoky Mountains inspired paintings set to Bill's music.

Bill's music was recently chosen for two documentaries:

"The Appalachian Trail: Past, Present and Future" by Farrar and Ketelle Productions
"Common Cents: Philanthropy Roundtables" by YourStoryFilms Producers Erik Ewers and Christopher Monahan (w/ Ken Burns' Florentine Films)

Currently Available CDs: (for credit card ordering, use ADD TO CART buttons, others see bottom of page)

NEW
CD !

Joyful Noise- $15.00 Add to Cart(credit card)

We're pleased to offer samples in the popular MP3 format. If you don't have it yet, you'll want to

download the latest version of the Real Player

...click to hear a sample...

Joyful Noise

To A Friend

The Cherokee Morning Song

..."An acoustic player that has the whole deal covered...ten songs of pure joy".. Vintage Guitar Magazine

..." Joyful Noise is a melodic marvel....Grade A".. The Knoxville News Sentinel

Coastin - $15.00 Add to Cart (credit card)

...click to hear a sample...

Coastin

Soulmate

"...Mize has always been a knockout solo player, but Martha Jacobs' intuitive cello playing gives Mize's music an even more powerful punch... the duo's take on The Water is Wide is as beautiful a version of the song has has ever been recorded." -- Wayne Bledsoe, Knoxville News-Sentinel

Tender Explorations - $15.00 Add to Cart

...click to hear a sample...

The Road Scholar

Miasma

Tender Explorations Tablature Book & CD (Mel Bay/John August Music)

$22.50 Add to Cart (credit card order)

Bill Mize...places the beauty of tone and composition above pyrotechnics... Don't get me wrong, Mize has chops to burn and all fingers are flying on the opening track, The Road Scholar It's just that he's so smooth that even with the material that is technically very challenging, the listener never sense that he's struggling with the instrument.
-- James Jenson, Fingerstye Guitar

Sugarlands - $15.00 Add to Cart (credit card)

...click to hear a sample...

Spring Fever

The Silverplume Waltz

"Mize's touch is magic, his ideas flow in rapid succession and his execution remains flawless on this acoustic guitar showcase."
-- Bill Milkowski, Jazziz

for check orders, wholesale and bulk orders, or bookings, contact:
Bill Mize
P.O. Box 868 Gatlinburg TN 37738
alienmojomusic@aol.com

Follow the links for more information about:

Bill Mize's Tour Schedule

Bill's 'Big' List of Favorite Links

McElroy Guitars
Brent makes beautiful guitars, one of which I am now a very proud owner. It plays so easy and sounds so sweet and balanced. A real joy to play. I describe them as"the Puget Sound."

LR Baggs
My choice of electronics for twenty years. My favorite setup is the Dual Source with the ribbon transducer and internal mic.

G7 Capos
Extremely well designed and attractive capo. The Mercedes of capos.

Visit Me On MySpace

© Bill Mize; All Rights Reserved

This Site Last Updated in November 2007



Fingerstyle guitarist and composer Bill Mize appeared with the emerging acoustic guitar movement in the 1980s and has continued to develop a style and sense of taste that influences many of today's guitarists. Applauded by critics and guitar enthusiasts alike for his smooth "multi-part" style, Tennessee guitarist Bill Mize is a past winner of The National Fingerstyle Guitar Competition at The Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, an event described by Guitar Player Magazine as the "US Open of guitar competitions". Bill's music has earned him a Grammy Award for his collaboration with David Holt on the recording Stellaluna, and spots on the popular Windham Hill Guitar Sampler and Masters of the Acoustic Guitar by Narada Records. Mel Bay and John August Music transcribed his cd, Tender Explorations into a book. Bill also has songs included in other Mel Bay guitar books, Winfield Winners and DADGAD Music by Pierre Bensusan. Bill is a frequent clinician and performer at guitar camps including The Healdsburg Guitar Festival, The Newport Guitar Festival, Steve Kaufman's Guitar Camp and The Swannanoa Gathering. Bill's music will be featured in the upcoming Ken Burns documentary "The National Parks, America's Best Idea" to be aired on PBS in 2009. While Bill has drawn inspiration from legends of soul, hillbilly, jazz, classical and rock n roll, his original music is more difficult to peg. It has been described as varying from delicate highland melodies to soulful Memphis grooves executed with classical sensitivity.