Fred Sokolow is an extremely versatile musician! Although he is most often seen playing jazz guitar and singing in Los Angeles night spots, he is just as likely to turn up playing 5 string banjo at bluegrass festivals or rock guitar at studio sessions. You may even spot him playing Resonator guitar or mandolin on various folk revivals seen on cable and public television.     Born in Los Angeles September 14, 1945, by the early 1960s Fred was well known in the California bluegrass scene, playing with Jody Stecher, Brantley Kearns, Sandy Rothman and Eric Thompson. Relocating to Berkeley, he toured and recorded with a hippie rock band throughout most of the 60s, the Bay Area-based Notes From the Underground.     In the early 70s Fred performed with R&B, rock, country and bluegrass bands. By 1975 Fred had played with bluegrass luminaries like John Herald, Frank Wakefield and Jerry Garcia, had opened for the Grateful Dead, the Doors, B.B. King, Country Joe and the Fish and countless other acts.       Besides soloing as a jazz guitarist/vocalist, Fred Sokolow has also fronted his own jazz, bluegrass and rock bands. He has toured with Bobbie Gentry, Jim Stafford and The Limeliters. He has performed in such diverse settings as The Fillmore, The Fairmount Hotel and The Boarding House in San Francisco, The Denver Folklore Center, The Alladin, Sahara and Harrah's in Las Vegas and the Banjo Cafe, Donte's, and McCabe's in LA.     Fred has written over 50 instructional books and DVDs. If you think that Fred Sokolow still isn't versatile enough, know that he has MC'd for Carol Doda at San Francisco's legendary Condor Club, accompanied a Russian balalaika virtuoso, won The Gong Show, played lap steel on The Tonight Show, played Resonator guitar with Chubby Checker as well as written and performed the music score for the movie Rampaging Nurses!

Fred Sokolow - The George Gershwin Songbook - DVD
George and Ira Gershwin's beautiful songs are timeless jazz standards and they sound great on the guitar! In this DVD, Fred plays and teaches six complete arrangements of Gershwin songs, including guitar rhythm chord backup comping (for singing) and instrumental chord melody solos for each tune. Just for fun, Fred includes the rarely-heard introductory verses to three of the songs, as well as ad-lib instrumental solos. After playing each tune, Fred gives you a run-down on the arrangement, going over tricky spots and analyzing the chord progressions and chord substitutions, Then he re-plays it slower, on a split screen with close-ups of both hands. Chord melody soloing (playing the melody and chords at the same time) is a very complete and exciting guitar style. This lesson will get you playing some of the classiest jazz tunes ever written! Songs include: "They Can't Take That Away From Me, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Our Love Is Here To Stay, Oh Lady Be Good, Someone to Watch Over Me, A Foggy Day".
(98 min) Printable Tab Booklet.............................................Price - $29.95  ON SALE NOW! - $24.95
Also Available For Instant Download - Click Here Now!

Fred Sokolow - The Hoagy Carmichael Songbook - DVD
In this DVD, Fred plays and teaches six of Hoagy Carmichael's best songs, including guitar rhythm chord backup comping (for singing) and chord melody solo instrumental versions of each tune! Just for fun, Fred also includes the rarely-heard introductory verses to four of the songs as well as ad-lib instrumental chord solos. After playing each song, Fred gives you a run down on the arrangement, going over tricky spots and analyzing the chord progressions and chord substitutions. Then he replays it slower, on a split screen with close-ups of both hands. Chord melody soloing (playing the melody and chords at the same time) is a very complete and exciting guitar style. This lesson will get you playing some of the classiest jazz tunes ever written! Songs include: "Stardust, Georgia On My Mind, Lazy River, Skylark, Rockin' Chair, Lazybones".
(100 min) Printable Tab Booklet...........................................Price - $29.95  ON SALE NOW! - $24.95
Also Available For Instant Download - Click Here Now!

Fred Sokolow - The Cole Porter Songbook - DVD
Cole Porter's beautiful, witty songs have become timeless jazz standards and they sound great on the guitar! In this DVD, Fred plays and teaches six complete arrangements of Cole Porter gems, including guitar rhythm chord backup comping (for singing) and instrumental chord melody solos for each tune. Just for fun, Fred includes the rarely-heard introductory verses to three of the songs, as well as ad-lib instrumental solos. After playing each tune, Fred gives you a run-down on the arrangement, going over tricky spots and analyzing the chord progressions and chord substitutions. Then he re-plays it slower, on a split screen with close-ups of both hands. Chord melody soloing (playing the melody and chords at the same time) is a very complete and exciting guitar style. This lesson will get you playing some of the classiest jazz tunes ever written! Songs include: "Night and Day, At Long Last Love, Let's Do It, All Of You, You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To, Easy To Love".
(90 min) Printable Tab Booklet.............................................Price - $29.95  ON SALE NOW! - $24.95
Also Available For Instant Download - Click Here Now!

Fred Sokolow - The Irving Berlin Songbook - DVD
In this DVD, Fred plays and teaches six Irving Berlin favorites, including guitar rhythm chord backup comping (for singing) and chord melody solo instrumental versions of each tune! Just for fun, Fred includes the rarely heard introductory verses to some of the songs and plays ad-lib instrumental chord solos for all of them. After playing each song, Fred gives you a run down on the arrangement, going over tricky spots and analyzing the chord progressions and chord substitutions. Then he replays it slower, on a split-screen with close-ups of both hands. Chord melody soloing (playing the melody and chords at the same time) is a very complete and exciting guitar style. This lesson will get you playing some of the classiest jazz tunes ever written! Songs include: "Cheek to Cheek, Say It Isn't So, Blue Skies, How Deep is the Ocean, I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm, Change Partners".
(95 min) Printable Tab Booklet.............................................Price - $29.95  ON SALE NOW! - $24.95
Also Available For Instant Download - Click Here Now!

Fred Sokolow - The Music Of Bessie Smith - DVD
In the 1920s and 30s Bessie Smith was "empress of the blues." Her passionate singing and performing style and her songwriting influenced all the blues and jazz singers that followed. Many of the songs she popularized, both blues and "tin pan alley" tunes, have become standards in blues, jazz, rock and pop music. Songs in this collection have been recorded by artists as diverse as Eric Clapton, Leadbelly, Billie Holiday, Chet Atkins, Bing Crosby, David Lee Roth, Big Bill Broonzy, B. B. King and Sam Cooke. They're great tunes for guitar pickers and Fred shows you how to back yourself up singing them as well as how to fingerpick instrumental versions of six classics. With his explanations of the arrangements, split-screen, slowed-down versions of the songs, and with the tab and music in the accompanying booklet, you'll learn how to play: "The St. Louis Blues, Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out, Backwater Blues, After You've Gone, I Ain't Got Nobody and the sensational Send Me To the Electric Chair". The songs sound terrific on guitar and with Fred's instruction the arrangements are easy to follow. A 1920s film of Bessie Smith singing The St. Louis Blues is featured at the end of the lesson!
(98 min) Printable Tab Booklet.............................................Price - $29.95  ON SALE NOW! - $24.95
Also Available For Instant Download - Click Here Now!