Biography

Roman Barten-Sherman has been playing and singing the blues since the age of four. Her playing draws from the intricate guitar stylings of Blind Blake and Reverend Gary Davis, and the soulful bottleneck slide of Mississippi Fred McDowell and Charley Patton. Roman has studied with blues elders including Honeyboy Edwards, Robert Belfour, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, Kenny Brown, and Corey Harris.

Roman spent much of 2020 and 2021 at the home of renowned southwest folklorist and musician Big Jim Griffith. During this time, she learned old-time banjo and facilitated the unearthing and digitization of over 60 reel-to-reel tapes of field recordings made by Griffith in the 70’s and 80’s. Additionally, Roman worked with the Field Recorders Collective to release the music of Bill Hensley, a West Virginia banjo player and ballad singer recorded by Griffith in the 70’s.

Prior to COVID-19, Roman performed regularly at prominent Tucson venues, including a six-year stint at Hotel Congress as well as supporting blues legends like The Blind Boys of Alabama, Bobby Rush, and David Bromberg at the Rialto Theatre.

Additionally, Roman has performed locally and nationally at blues festivals in Bisbee, AZ, Silver City, NM, Port Townsend, WA, and Clarksdale, MS. In the Summer of 2019, he toured France and Belgium. In April of 2022, Roman played at MerleFest in Wilkesboro NC.