The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast8 Heinä 2020

Podcast 290: Craig Ventresco

For years, ragtime guitarist Craig Ventresco was one of the music world's best-kept secrets: The only way to see him was to catch him in his hometown of San Francisco, playing a solo show at a small cafe or with his gypsy jazz band, Gaucho. He seldom left the city and recordings weren't a big part of his career.

Like many others, when COVID-19 and shelter-in-place orders hit, Craig and partner Meredith Axelrod turned to the internet to keep performing. Here's where things get interesting: With a minimalist setup, Ventresco and Axelrod started live streaming their performances on Facebook... not once a month or weekly, but every single night. As of this interview, Ventresco and Axelrod were up to 100-plus shows. And their unique take on ragtime guitar is suddenly finding new fans around the globe.

On this week's podcast, we chat with Ventresco about growing up in Maine, getting turned on to 78 records, the years he spent busking around SF, his role on the 'Crumb' soundtrack, and his life online. We also talk about his Fraulini guitars, the music he's been obsessing over and much more.

Links:
Meredith Axelrod's Facebook page (where Craig and Meredith perform every night at 8pm PT): https://www.facebook.com/meredithaxelrod

Their tip jars: Paypal.me/meredithaxelrod Venmo: @meredithaxelrod

Fraulini Guitars: http://fraulini.com

Fretboard Journal: https://www.fretboardjournal.com
(Use the discount code PODCAST when you check out and save $5 off any order)

This episode is sponsored by Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Mono Cases.

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Podcast 558: Glen Hansard Remembered

Today, we pay tribute to singer-songwriter Glen Hansard (1970-2026), frontman for the Frames and Swell Season. In 2009, Fretboard Journal publisher Jason Verlinde sat down with Glen at Seattle's Kell...

31 Heinä 50min

Podcast 557: Summer School Electronics' Mark Turley Returns

Today on the podcast, Summer School Electronics founder Mark Turley joins us once again. We talk about Summer School's current pedal offerings, the 2026 Fretboard Summit, and the two pedal-making clas...

16 Heinä 38min

Podcast 556: Louis Campbell

Today on the podcast, we are joined by guitarist Louis Campbell, who talks to us about growing up playing traditional music, studying with Martin Simpson, his affinity for using the electric guitar li...

3 Heinä 39min

Podcast 555: Micah Preite

LA-based singer-songwriter/composer/guitarist Micah Preite joins us this week! https://micahpreite.bandcamp.com Though millions have streamed his lo-fi/indie songs on Spotify, Preite's background inc...

19 Kesä 34min

Podcast 554: Alex Amen

Today's podcast episode is with songwriter and guitarist @alex.amen, who has a new album out today on ATO Records. https://alexamen.com In this conversation, we talk about Alex's Texan roots, mountain...

12 Kesä 51min

Podcast 553: Ryan Salm and the Home Team String Band

On this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast, we're joined by photojournalist and musician Ryan Salm. When the 2026 World Cup descends on North America, Salm and his group of friends, The Home Team Strin...

4 Kesä 48min

Podcast 552: Darryl Rahn

On this week's episode of the Fretboard Journal Podcast, we talk to singer-songwriter Darryl Rahn about his new album (out today on Capitol Records). Darryl shares a look into his recording process, h...

29 Touko 33min

Podcast 551: Brad Barr (The Barr Brothers)

Musician Brad Barr joins us this week to share the story of the Barr Brothers' 2025 album, Let It Hiss, and talk guitar. Brad's guitar playing is uniquely shaped by world music sounds. For years now, ...

22 Touko 42min