2025 CHICAGO BLUES GUITAR WORKSHOP
Johnny Burgin, billy flynn, noah wotherspoon, yoshimi hirata
The Chicago Blues Guitar Workshop was born out of the Chicago Blues Camp, which ran
from 2016 to 2022.
The ‘25 edition will run from Sunday night through Friday morning, June 1-6. Johnny Burgin,
Billy Flynn, bass instructor Yoshimi Hirata, and veteran drummer and band coach Marty
Binder will all return, and we’ve added a great new instructor, Noah Wotherspoon. All
instuctors are seasoned pros who are currently releasing music and touring, and who are
steeped in the subtleties of Chicago blues. Better yet from a students point of view, they
truly enjoy teaching and will create a supportive environment for participants to hone their
skills.
True to our history, this is a limited registration workshop which will refine your blues
playing, teach you to play rhythm and lead more confidently, and to become more
confortable performing with others and onstage. Yes there’s plenty of time in intimate,
supportive classes with lots of individual attention. But we’ll also test our knowledge
outside of class by forming bands, playing in a student showcase, and for the first time,
recording in Rec Room studios in Des Plaines, IL.
There are lots of guitar camps. But this is the only one focused on Chicago blues, with on’t
miss this unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the glorious guitar styles of Muddy
Waters, Otis Rush, and other great artists of the Chicago Blues heritage.
photo: Bob Kieser
photo: Pete Federico
LOCATION SpringHill Suites, 8101
West Higgins Road / Chicago, IL
60631 (Sunday night)
Rec Room Studios. 110 S. Des Plaines
River Rd. Des Plaines, IL (Mon-Fri)
SUNDAY, JUNE 1, evening class/meet
and greet.
MONDAY-THURSDAY, JUNE 2-5:
morning and afternoon class.
FRI JUNE 6: morning class
Morning classes: 9.30-12.30
Afternoon classes: 1.30-4.30
INSTRUCTOR SET/
STUDENT SHOWCASE
6.30-10 THURS JUNE 5
location TBA
Johnny Burgin
Lead instructor Johnny grew up in Starkville, Mississippi, and went to the University of Chicago. That began his other schooling, at "blues university" in Chicago for over 25 years! Since the early 90s Johnny has toured and recorded with blues legends such as Pinetop Perkins, Sam Lay, Tail Dragger, and Billy Boy Arnold as well as eleven of his own CDs. Johnny was nominated for a Blues Music Award for Best Traditional Blues Artist in '23, for two Blues Blast Awards in ‘24, and for Best Traditional Blues CD of 2017 for Howlin' at Greaseland, a Howlin' Wolf tribute. Johnny’s latest release, “Ramblin From Coast to Coast” was the 6th most played blues relase on the Big Blues Chart for 2024. Despite Johnny’s grueling tour worldwide touring schedule, he’s managed to build a loyal following on YouTube by releasing a weekly deep dive guitar lesson every Monday.
Billy Flynn
Billy Flynn won a Grammy in 2010 for his contribution to the hit movie "Cadillac Records" soundtrack, but this was no overnight success. For the last thirty years, Billy's been a highly sought-after sideman, known for his tasty playing, versatility, and authentic playing. As a teenager in Green Bay WI, he managed to join Jimmy Dawin's band, and from there he went on to perform with Otis Rush, Sunnyland Slim, Willie Smith, and some of the deepest originators of classic Chicago Blues. Billy has recorded with Kim Wilson, The Cash Box Kings, Mark Hummel, Willie Smith and The Legendary Blues Band, Billy Boy Arnold, Mississippi Heat, and many more. Blues Blast magazine stated: Billy is one of the best at his craft...truly a renaissance blues man.
photo by Jeff Griffin
Noah Wotherspoon
Noah Wotherspoon is a guitarist/singer/songwriter from Dayton, OH. He performed at The Chicago Blues Festival at the tender age of 16; soon after, he recorded his debut CD, featuring the legendary Hubert Sumlin. In 2015, Noah received the Albert King Award for Best Guitarist at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. Noah has performed and conducted guitar workshops around the world, including Eastern Europe, Mexico and Iceland. In 2023, Wotherspoon launched “The Mobile Woodshed,” an online guitar workshop series.
Noah’s based near Cincinnati where he maintains a busy performance schedule. Beyond music, Noah has numerous artistic endeavors in the works such as “Visions of Eli” and “Ishkabibble,” which integrate fictional stories, original music and visual art.
Yoshimi Hirata
Yoshimi grew up in rural Japan where she fell in love with 60's and 70's era American and British rock music. She began playing bass guitar in her 20s after moving to Tokyo and shortly thereafter, she joined a blues jam session to gain some stage experience. That experience soon developed into an obsession with Chicago blues. That obsession led her to visit Chicago in 2013, where she played with local blues musicians. In 2022, Yoshimi made the decision to permanently relocate to Chicago to pursue her musical ambitions. She has played with Tail Dragger, Willie Buck, and Johnny Burgin and currently plays with Mississippi Heat, Woodlawn Four, Joey Saye, and others. Her playing style is heavily influenced by Dave Meyers, Ernest Johnson, Willie Dixon and other masters of Post War Chicago Blues.