The New Orleans Guitar Masters photographed by Vatrice Rankin
The New Orleans Jazz Museum presents The New Orleans Guitar Masters on Friday, September 2nd at 2:00 PM CDT.
This program takes place inside our third-floor Performance Center, listening room. Admission is free and open to the public, seating is limited and offered first come, first serve. Learn more about our program admission policy.
Enjoy jazz music from home with the New Orleans Jazz Museum! Join the Jazz Museum online for our daily Live-Stream Concert Series, in which dynamic jazz musicians perform live from the Jazz Museum! Tune in at 2 pm on facebook.com/nolajazzmuseum/live to watch for free.
The New Orleans Guitar Masters (Jimmy Robinson, Cranston Clements, and John Rankin):
Jimmy Robinson
Jimmy Robinson has been recording and touring for over 40 years. He has received critical and audience praise for his unique virtuoso approach to the guitar, and his rich compositional skill. Jimmy studied classical guitar and composition at Loyola University in New Orleans and The Eastman School Of Music in New York. He combined these elements with his electric experience to forge the solo acoustic style that he now tours with. His has three solo albums to his credit, Vibrating Strings, Guitarworks and Three.
He has toured the world with appearances at The Acoustic Franciacorta and Madame International Guitar Festivals both in Italy, The Gutarrenzauber Festival, Gros Rohrheim, Germany, The Zihuatenejo International Guitar Festival, Zihuatenejo, Mexico, The New Orleans French Quarter Festival, over 25 Years at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and more. He has opened concerts for John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Chick Corea’s Elektrik Band, The Neville Brothers, and many more!
Cranston Clements
With a career spanning forty years, Cranston Clements has performed literally thousands of gigs, having toured world-wide and recorded with a long list of renowned performers. Being a native New Orleanian has afforded him the opportunity to work with many of the city's premier artists.
His resumé includes the likes of Cyril Neville, Dr. John, Johnny Adams, Wayne Cochran & the C. C. Riders, Marva Wright, Stanton Moore, Boz Scaggs, Maria Muldaur, Allan Toussaint, the Dixie Cups, the Neville Brothers, Mighty Sam McClain, Joe Clay, Irma Thomas among many others. He has also partnered in original projects including Twangorama, the Rockabyes, the Clements Brothers, Sexdog, and the New Orleans Guitar Quartet, to which he has contributed numerous original songs and arrangements.
John Rankin
John Rankin is an accomplished New Orleans musician and performer. He has been described as a New Orleans hybrid of Leo Kottke and Chet Atkins, but his expansive style covers many genres. A versatile master of solo acoustic guitar, he blends New Orleans feel and charm with originals, jazz, classical guitar, folk, blues, rhythm and blues, and the American songbook. He is also known as a powerful singer/songwriter with a wide array of songs, vocal and instrumental, that reflect his broad approach. His powerful harmonica playing, in sync with his guitar, adds a real impact to his songs and stories.
He has been a featured performer at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival since 1981. He has taught guitar and songwriting at Loyola University New Orleans for over thirty years, as well as Tulane University, University of New Orleans, and Xavier University. He was given a Lifetime Achievement Award in Music Education award in 2012 by Offbeat Magazine for his commitment to teaching.