Charles Shultz (of ‘Peanuts’ fame) said, “If you want to know all about me, just read the strip,” – a statement that usually elicits a slap on the forehead with the heel of the hand.
Because, of course, it’s true … the best way to know someone is to take a look at what they do in the world. So with that in mind, I’ll keep this brief and leave the music, writing, bushwhacking and the rest of it to speak for themselves.
In a nutshell, I’m a musician, writer and ne’er do well bush rat, born to musical and literary parents in the UK who moved to Canada when I was 9 years old. I come out of the Jazz/Blues world, with some Afro/Samba influences. My musical compositions draw from many sources. My writing leans towards what I know: music, guitar, and the bush.
Over the years, I’ve played with plenty of people, well known and otherwise; recorded all kinds of music; written several books; done tons of studio work and taught guitar – both privately and through various institutions. I’ve been written up in Guitar Player magazine and International Musician. In short, I’ve managed to make a fool of myself in every place imaginable.
Still, all of this ends up being pretty ordinary except for the fact that I’ve managed to balance this career with my other passion – the outdoors and living, for a good portion of the year, off the grid. It’s an odd combo, but an exciting one, and one that has allowed me some full moon experiences that are just not available to the average guitar player.
So now, welcome to the site. Poke around, listen to the music, visit the workshops, look at the books and read the blog – The Rant and Rave Gazette. If you want the inside skinny on the whole catastrophe, read my new book, “A Guitar Player On The Yukon Border.” I am tossing sample chapters up on the site on a regular basis. Oh, and take the time to look at the slide show … there are a bunch of pictures up there along with several spectacular drawings done by two of the best cartoonists in the world, Lynn Johnston and John Reiner.