These are some of my guitar and vocal influences:

The first, of course has to be my family--my father, my mother, and my brother--who not only provided me with nurturing atmosphere with which my musical interests could grow, but were also my first examples of people making and loving music.

My brother V. Thomas Mitchell.

My father, D.D. V. Don Mitchell.

My mother, Nancy A. Mitchell when she was sixteen years old and still known as Nancy Finley from Spokane, Washington.

James Taylor, "Sweet Baby James". I wore out the cassette I had of "Mud Slide Slim" trying to learn every song, and lick on the album. I still sing "You've Got a Friend" to this day.

Chet Atkins, Chester B., C.G.P. (Certified Guitar Player) himself, the man who may just be more responsible for more men and woman learning to seriously play the guitar than any other person except perhaps Andre Segovia.

Joe Pass. Hearing Joe play solo jazz guitar for the first time made me feel like Paul on the road to Damascus. I was thunderstruck. It was like magic: dense and harmonically complex, yet fluid and mercurial. And it swung like mad; and--wonder of wonders--it was all improvised!

Pat Metheny. I heard his song, "Are You Going With Me?" on the radio one night, and was so enthralled I had to have it. He was my introduction to jazz. My investigation of older styles of the music led me to...

Sometime in the 80s Tuck Andress was featured in Guitar Player Magazine as an amazing young virtuoso from the Bay area. In that long article they analyzed his approach to playing fingerstyle solo guitar and it so inspired me that I abandoned using a pick completely for several years. These days I try to keep up my plectrum chops to an least passable level, but I still primarily play fingerstyle. With regard to Tuck: fingerstyle mastery indeed! (This is the cover of his instructional video published by Hot Licks Video)

Not long after the Tuck Andress feature in Guitar Player Magazine, they started running a column on fingerstyle jazz by Howard Morgen. I was impressed and picked up his book, "Concepts" a complete instruction manual on playing technique and arranging pop and jazz tunes for solo guitar. That one book did more for my playing, and helping me to get my solo chops together than any other text. I can't recommend Howard's material enough.

I studied with Jerry Hahn for a short while, and in that brief time he revolutionized my plectrum technique. Another remarkable jazz player who mixes elements of his country swing origins with his very sophisticated harmonic sense. When I first met him he played only with a pick, but has since become an exceptional fingerstyle solo player.

John Stowell. I studied with John for about 8 months many years ago when he was staying close to home. He was my first jazz teacher, and I have a special respect for him because of it. But more than that I respect the remarkable thing that he has accomplished in the instrument; namely that he has truly expanded the vocabulary of the instrument, and carved out a unique voice and style, something unbelievably hard to do when so much has already been said by those who have gone before.

Lenny Breau was found dead in a swimming pool in the mid 80s. What music might he be giving us today if he had lived? For some of the most remarkable improvised polyphonic guitar playing you'll ever hear check out his "Live at Bourbon St."

Earl Klugh has 2 recordings that to me demonstrate that in the majority of his recorded work he is only playing at about 10 % of his real ability. Check out, "The Earl Klugh Trio, Vol. 1" and "Solo Guitar" The later is for me the benchmark of recorded nylon string guitar sound.

Karrin Allyson is my favorite jazz vocalist. Her relaxed manner and versatility are inspiring. Her scat singing is some of the most tasteful I've ever heard, never sounding awkard or taking it "too far", as so many seem to do; and she's the best I've ever heard at vocally paraphrasing a tune.

Martin Taylor is a remarkable player with solo fingerstyle chops galore, and also impeccable plectrum technique. His solo guitar albums are especially important to me.

Jeff Linsky is truly an inspiring player for me. For many years he made his living exclusively playing solo guitar. He has an enormous vocabulary of tunes of which he does not play set arrangements, but is free to change keys and improvise polyphonically at will. Amazing!

Finally I want to honor my good friend and coach, Mark Stefani. Mark has helped me over many years now to hone my solo playing, and perhaps most importantly, my arranging. Please do yourself a favor and check out his astonishing and wonderful web site, www.visionmusic.com, one of the richest instructional music resources in existance on the internet. When Mark's daughters were born, he put his performance career on hold to focus on his teaching so that he could stay home and raise them. But he is the exception to the old axiom: he can teach, but can do as well!