Long bio
The full version
Jim Botsford has been playing guitar since he was nine years old. Over the decades, fingerstyle Americana — blues, gospel, country, and singer-songwriter material — has remained the center of the work. He studies at Fur Peace Ranch in southern Ohio with three of the most respected players in the tradition: Jorma Kaukonen (Hot Tuna, Jefferson Airplane), Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan, Levon Helm), and Chris Smither. That long apprenticeship shaped both his repertoire and his approach to the instrument.
His sets pull from a wide American songbook — Rev. Gary Davis, Townes Van Zandt, John Moreland, Gretchen Peters, Jorma Kaukonen, Chris Smither, and Blake Shelton sit alongside his own originals. He also keeps a working catalog of gospel and contemporary Christian material suitable for sacred settings, including Rev. Gary Davis's "I'll Be Alright," Jorma Kaukonen's "True Religion," and contemporary songs from Zach Williams and Laura Story.
Based in Milford, Michigan, Jim performs at coffee houses, breweries, wineries, listening rooms, summer concert series, church festivals, weddings, and private events throughout southeast Michigan. He runs a veterinary practice during the week — the music is the long-standing parallel pursuit, and he plays the rooms that suit the sound.
Past venues include the Brighton Coffee House (Brighton), The Depot Coffee Shop (Plymouth), River's Edge Brewery (Milford), and The Olde Palate Restaurant (Milford), among others.
