Clive Carroll began his musical journey in Chelmsford, Essex. His parents had a taste for American country and old time music and it wasn’t long before Clive was playing in the family band on a homemade banjo. By his early teens, guitar in hand, Clive was traversing the worlds the soul, pop, funk and traditional Irish music, balancing his affinity for Slayer with the etudes of Tárrega. This breadth of musical curiosity was to become one of his strengths; even as a child Clive was as comfortable accompanying a group of folk singers as he was jamming along to Nirvana or performing standards with the Essex Youth Orchestra.

Clive went on to earn a 1st Class Honours Degree in Composition and Guitar from the famed Trinity College of Music in London, all the while balancing his classical work with forays into the world of the steel string guitar. By the time he graduated from Trinity, Clive had not only penned orchestral works, he had a written an album’s worth of solo acoustic guitar music. A chance meeting with English guitar legend John Renbourn proved the catalyst for Clive’s debut album, “Sixth Sense”, which Renbourn deemed “a milestone in the journey of the steel-string guitar”. He subsequently took Clive on the road with him and the pair toured North America and Europe together, thus launching Clive’s solo performing career.

Since then, Clive has established himself as one of the world’s premier acoustic guitar players. He has toured across Europe, Australia, the Middle East and North America, garnering praise for his sublime performances of everything from 16th and 17th century lute music to Jazz standards, Blues, Irish reels and his own groundbreaking compositions. Lauded guitarist Tommy Emmanuel has also taken Clive on the road with him and similar nods to Clive’s musicianship have been given by everyone from classical guitarist John Williams to Madonna, Guy Ritchie, Michelin award-winning chef Jean-Christophe Novelli and the Sultanate of Oman.

In addition to Clive’s three solo albums - “Sixth Sense”, “The Red Guitar” (which Tommy Emmanuel cites as one of his desert island discs!) and “Life in Colour” - Clive has written music for television and film. He notably composed the music for the film “Driving Lessons”, which features Julie Walters and Rupert Grint of Harry Potter fame. Clive's latest CD “The Furthest Tree” is entirely self-penned and features a collection of music that showcases the prodigious developments in Clive’s music world in what is arguably his most original, compelling and groundbreaking album to date. 2021 Total Guitar Magazine cited Clive as “...arguably the most accomplished fingerstylist in the world today...” - Total Guitar Magazine

Dariush Kanani has emerged from the large crowd of young would-be guitar players by virtue of his stunningly good technique, inspired by his heroes John Renbourn and Bert Jansch, amongst others.

30-year-old Dariush first discovered Bert in his teens through Jimmy Page! Seeking out Bert’s music, Dariush says “the first time I listened to his ‘Blue’ Album I was instantly changed forever!

Hearing ‘Strolling Down the Highway’ for the first time was like something dropping out of the sky – what was that sound he was making? It was so inspiring – but seemed light years away from my ability at the time.” However, with dedicated study of Bert’s and other fingerstyle music of Davey Graham and John Renbourn, mentored by John himself and Stefan Grossman, Dariush has become an aficionado and is regularly invited to perform with some of the most influential figures in fingerstyle guitar.

He played at the tribute concert for Davey Graham in 2009 on John Renbourn’s recommendation, and at the tribute concert in 2016 after John passed away, alongside Jacqui McShee, Ralph McTell, Bernard Butler, Graham Coxon and more, at Cecil Sharp House. In April 2019, Dariush was invited to perform at the Wizz Jones 80th birthday concert at the Cadogan Hall in London with Wizz, Clive Carroll and others. In September 2019, Dariush was invited by Jacqui McShee to play guitar in Pentangle for a show at the Isle Of Wight commemorating the 50th aniversary of the 1969 Isle Of Wight Festival – The original Pentangle line-up which included Bert Jansch and John Renbourn performed at the now famous I.O.W. 1969 and 1970 festivals.

The guitar virtuoso, Stefan Grossman, chose Dariush to be his personal teaching assistant for all his annual UK guitar workshops and masterclass. Dariush is now also a workshop leader for the Bert Jansch Foundation’s Guitar workshops. Dariush is so pleased to be able to introduce others from many countries to the music of Bert and see the same instant musical awakening that he had experienced in his teens.

Dariush is now collecting and arranging new material for his next album which he hopes to record in the Bert Jansch Studio in Frome in 2020. Dariush has been chosen as one of the two Bert Jansch Foundation Young Artists for 2020-2022.