Mo Shaw

Mo Shaw has come a long way, literally, since his first gigs as a teenage Austin blues guitar prodigy. At 17, he left home to ride the rails across America, 12-string in hand, exploring the land Woody Guthrie said was made for you and me. Mo then took Bob Marley’s advice to “travel wide”, making his way through Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, before settling for a spell in Jamaica. The images, the sounds, the people, and the experiences are evident in his music. With touches of Mississippi John Hurt and Joao Gilberto, Mo combines Delta-style guitar picking with sublime chords while whispering tales of his loves, losses, recklessness, and revelations (though he still picks up his strat and rocks out from time to time). Mo leads his audiences on a journey nearly as broad as his own. While the somber “Know You at All” and “Overdue Thank You” have drawn tears, the whimsy of songs like “Firecracker” and “Smile on my Face” transport the listener to the sunny afternoons that inspired them. Listen at Last.fm