Paul ("Pazzo") Mehling has been a professional musician for over 30 years. He is the founder and lead guitarist of the Hot Club of San Francisco, a group dedicated to performing and recording Gypsy-Swing music. They have released nine CDs and have appeared at festivals throughout the world dedicated to Django Reinhardt and other jazz manouche musicians.

An accomplished multi-instrumentalist (guitar, violin, bass, plectrum and tenor banjo, mandolin), Paul has toured as a member of Dan Hicks' Acoustic Warriors, appearing on Austin City Limits and many other venues. When not performing and recording with the Hot Club, Paul conducts clinics and private lessons, is a staff teacher for the Jazz Masters Workshops, is a contributing staff writer for Frets and Flatpicking Guitar magazines and has been awarded a citation for excellence by the International Jazz Educator's Conference.