Glenn Jones

Glenn Jones first made a name for himself with the ‘rock band’ Cul De Sac, a band that played with Can-singer Damo Suzuki more often than Can itself. Since then, he has become one of the most important American Primitive guitarists of the 21st century.

Over the course of ten albums, Jones has developed an undeniably unique fingerstyle voice. His music forms a deeply personal melodic grammar: witty, reflective and rooted in memory. Sketches of Fahey, his friendship with John Jackson, early visits to 78 rpm collector Joe Bussard and his bond with Jack Rose all leave their mark on his work.

Equally present are the tender portraits of his mother, Nora Smith, and the small anchor points in daily life, such as his beloved cats. Jones’ compositions feel like living memories, shaped by curiosity, dedication and the fleeting beauty of everyday life.

Over the years, he has remained a vital figure in the underground scene, someone who continually refines and reinvents the steel-string tradition. His pieces carry emotional power without sentimentality and are anchored in experience, yet always open to surprise. His last appearance at AB now dates back to 2013, when he was support-act to Linda Perhacs.

Liam Grant

Liam Grant is a guitarist and improvisor from New England, moulded in the American Primitive tradition, who we already welcomed to AB in 2024. His modal epics, restless improvisations and driving rags echo Takoma Records and the path laid out by Fahey, Basho, Walker and (later on) Glenn Jones and Jack Rose.

Grant draws deeply from the landscape in which he grew up: memoires of the Merrimack, Amoskeag and the waters flowing toward the great flood of Dead River. He has toured extensively in the US and beyond since 2021 and regularly works with Glenn Jones and fiddler Mike Gangloff.

His debut album Amoskeag (2023) confirmed his place as a rising voice within the steel-string tradition. His album Prodigal Son (2025, VHF Records) – a lo-fi statement for 12 string, 6 string and lap steel guitar – was praised by NPR’s Viking’s Choice and featured among The Quietus’ and Wilco’s favourite albums of 2025.

Grant’s collaborations include releases with Gangloff, Sam Shalabi and members of The Three-Top Serenaders, as well as contributions to compilations like The Sun Is Not True. He is among the young players revitalising the American Primitive vocabulary, still rooted in tradition but driven by curiosity and shaped by the rivers and history of New England.