Known as the father of the American primitive guitar style, former Takoma Park resident John Fahey forged connections between acoustic guitar, country, bluegrass, and the Delta blues, influencing a generation of musicians who would follow him.

In a lecture and solo guitar performance, Max Ochs will share poetry, pictures, and live music in appreciation of some blues greats who befriended him and Fahey in the 1960s. Ochs and Fahey were part of a group of musicians called the “East Coast Blues Mafia" who played together, including on "Contemporary Guitar," the first compilation album released by Fahey’s Takoma Records label in 1966.

Photo: Max Ochs playing a Gretsch Electromatic slide guitar