“Music has always been a driving force in Steve Shanholtzer’s life. He has played in various bands from Northeast and central Florida since the ’70s and has had the honor of sharing the stage with many notable artists including Gregg Allman, Pete Carr, and Pat Travers, to name a few.
Steve has mentored workshops alongside Jerry Douglas, Josh Graves, and Rik Emmett. He has also opened for Steppenwolf, Three Dog Night. Dave Mason, Molly Hatchet, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Nighthawks, Blackfoot, Buckwheat Zydeco, Jimmy Thackery, John Hartford, Jake Shimabukuro, and Southside Johnny.”
As a non guitar player, you may never understand what Steve Shanholtzer is…he’s almost god like. I’d love to be able to share a stage with him again. I used to see him in bars and working at music store in Daytona, totally intimidating presence. The guys I was playing with down there were terrified of him. Then he was in Jax with the Roosters (who were friends and heroes of mine) and I properly met him. When they were playing at Sundog, and we were across the street at Ragtime, I timed our sets so when I was on break I could jet over and get a free 20 minute guitar lesson. Billy Bowers, Gary Smalley and Steve Shanholtzer could achieve the impossible. Three incredible guitarists on a stage, no ego, no stepping on each other. He’s such a physical player, too. He can play the strings clear off a guitar. But all that leads to this. He’s got a sound that is all his. It’s not the rig, he sounds like Steve playing my gear. He’d sound good playing a two by four with baling wire.
Eddy Cotton
*Steve Shanholtzer from the Southeast Branch Library shares songs and his musical insight in Notes from the Stacks. This three-part series will stream in installments. When you have time, take a break and listen in with us! The songs included in this video are:
1. Hello In There by John Prine
2. What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
The video featured here originally aired on Facebook on June 9th, 2020 @ 3PM.
Steve Shanholtzer has traveled many paths, all of them paved with music. His decades-long pursuit of the next musical horizon has resulted in diverse influences, including southern rock, blues, soul, and Americana.
Steve Shanholtzer .com
He has toured extensively, playing festivals and clubs from the Bahamas to Canada. His experience and dedication to shared musical dialogue have made him a sought-after collaborator in North Florida.
Steve Shanholtzer .com
Blues That You Choose
Steve’s new CD, ”Blues That You Choose”, is available for purchase and has a blues backbone and incorporates the diversity of influences he’s accumulated throughout his life. Each song is a new turn down the album’s road.
Produced by: Dan Walters – Conspicuous Bridge Music BMI
Engineered by: Matt McKeown at Sound Mind Studios
Mixed & Mastered by: Oz Fritz
Cover Design by: Matt McKeown & Ann Barrera (Reel Time Studios)
