Each of our coaches are experienced professional musicians as well as music educators. In addition to our core team, we will be inviting various guest coaches to join us.
Cheryl Arena
Cheryl is a harmonicist, singer/songwriter & band leader, playing on numerous cds over the course of 30+ years. She’s coached harp enthusiasts since 2001 in workshops, private lessons & also teaches band ensembles at Morningside Studios in her home town of Arlington MA. She has played in musical combos ranging from duos to a 20 piece orchestra. Cheryl has spent her career heavily steeped in the blues since the mid 80’s, touring the U.S. and abroad. In 1994 when she heard that the Maxwell Street Marketplace was about to be bulldozed down, she drove to Chicago to join the protests & play on Maxwell Street in an attempt to try to save the iconic place in Blues history where Little Walter first electrified the harmonica. During the trip she got to sit in with blues legend Jr. Wells at The Checkerboard lounge and ended up in the documentary “Cheat You Fair, The Story Of Maxwell Street”. Searching for the origins of the Blues, propelled her & her band to tour all over the south…playing festivals like the King Biscuit in Helena, Arkansas, which lead her up the road a piece to Clarksdale, & The Shack Up Inn for Pinetop Perkins’ annual bday party and down to Jr. Kimboroughs juke joint in Holly Springs MS where she met and became friends with RL Burnside.
Throughout her career, Cheryl has shared the stage with many well known blues artists such as RL Burnside, Louisianna Red, Honey Boy Edwards, Lazy Lester, Charlie Musselwhite, James Cotten, Duke Robillard, Candye Kane, Johnny Clyde Copeland, Smokin Joe Kubek & Bnois King, Sonny Rhodes, Pinetop Perkins, Luther “Guitar Jr.” Johnson, Johnny Rawls, Kim Wilson, Big Jack Johnson, Kenny Neal, Jr. Watson, Big Bill Morganfield, Ronnie Earl and many more…
Cheryl performs in the James Cotten film, “Bonnie Blue” along with many other notable harp players like Rick Estrin, Jerry Portnoy, Curtis Salgado, Paul Oscher, Annie Raines and more.
Brian Calway “aka” Hash Brown
Hash Brown is our house band leader and “guitar slave”. He’s been playing harmonica and guitar since 1972. Which was the year he first saw the Muddy Waters band perform. Seeing Muddy play was the “epiphany” that sparked a life long commitment to playing blues music. Brian has played on 50+ blues recordings, as a sideman or featured artist. He’s performed and/or recorded with Barbara Lynn, Lazy Lester, Zuzu Bolin, Sam Myers, Duke Robillard, Milton Hopkins, Henry Qualls, Robert Ely, Ray Sharpe, Classie Ballou, U.P. Wilson, Paul Orta, Darrell Nulisch, S.P. Leary, Kim Wilson, Willie Willis, Al Dupree, Bobby Rush, Al Blake, Lee McBee, and many many other artists in the blues world.
He was close friends with the great Mississippi Sam Myers and shared a house with him in Dallas TX. for 3 years. Sam was a mentor to Hash and taught him quite a bit about classic Chicago/ Mississippi style blues harmonica playing. Throughout his career he’s fronted bands as a guitarist /singer and as a harmonicist/singer playing mainly classic styles of blues, jazz and even some country music. In addition to coaching at our workshop, Brian is partners with Ralph Carter at the “Down 2 the Crossroads” guitar workshop, also held at The Shack Up Inn.
TJ Klay
TJ does a great job running our acoustic break out jams and really has a knack for coaching & mentoring harmonica lovers, helping to take them to that next level on their musical journey. He is our resident country music aficionado. With 35 years in Nashville as a sought after session player, he has played on numerous albums, TV and Film scores. He’s also recorded several cds of his own.
TJ is a founding member of the country group Western Flyer. He’s recorded and performed with many other artists including Firefall, Dave Perkins, Jerry Reed, Gene Watson, Richie Furay, John Prine, Michael McDonald, Steve Winwood and more. He played for President Clinton on his “Whistle Stop Tour”. For several years he has been in the house band for the Carols by Candlelight Christmas Concert backing Collin Raye, America, Juice Newton, BJ Thomas, Jamie O’Neil & many more…
TJ & Steve Winwood
TJ & John Prine
Ralph Carter
Ralph is our resident bass player in our house band laying down a solid groove for our daily jam sessions. He is also available for bass & guitar lessons as well as teaching songwriting classes. Ralph has been a professional touring musician since the late 70’s getting his first big break touring with Danny Kortchmar opening for Linda Ronstandt. In the 80’s he toured with Eddie Money and co- wrote the hit songs “Shakin’ & No Control”. Most recently he’s played and co-written on several cds with International Blues recording artist, Sugar Ray Rayford, touring across the US, Canada & Europe. He is a resident of Southern California and has composed & produced music for television, film & various multimedia productions. He continues to record and produce independent artists & teaches private lessons. He has established 2 other workshops that are also held at The Shack Up Inn, “Down 2 The Crossroads” guitar workshop & “Songs at The Shacks” for songwriting.
Johnny Mastro
He flies a bit under the radar but has played in 16 countries, made 14 records and recorded for the BBC in London. His music has been used in movies as well as national TV shows and his approach is uniquely loose. Johnny resides in New Orleans where he plays with his band and often can be heard doing a blues radio show on WWOZ 90.7fm
