house concerts and 21st century touring

Would you let a hit songwriter into your house?

I’m the last guy to worship hit songs, or writers just because they’ve had hits. However, sometimes a hit song IS a great song, and it would be bad form to show a songwriter the door just because he’s had some major successes. In fact, we have a bunch of hit songwriters at ConcertsInYourHome, but this one is a real stand-out. – fran

His songwriting credits read like a Who’s Who of the music industry. Ray Charles, B. B. King, Johnny Cash, The Judds, Trisha Yearwood, Allison Krauss, Anne Murray, Art Garfunkel, Poco, David Wilcox, Kathy Mattea, Willie Nelson, Van Zant, Baillie And The Boys, Vince Gill, and Martina McBride are just some of the many luminaries who have recorded songs written or co-written by Craig Bickhardt. A discography like that would be the envy of most songwriters, but the covers are only part of the story. “I never set out to write hits for other artists,” Bickhardt says. “But I always got a kick out of hearing what happened to the songs in ‘translation’.”

“Craig Bickhardt has spent a lifetime crafting intelligently lean, but meaningful songs… meticulously shaped, with a keen literary and narrative approach. Most crucially; he is a communicator, capable of touching the heart of his listeners.”
- John Brindle, Maverick Magazine (UK)

His first break as an artist came when he was asked to write and sing the closing theme for Robert Duvall’s Academy Award winning movie TENDER MERCIES. The success of that film led to a move to Nashville, where Craig hooked up with fellow songwriters Thom Schuyler, Fred Knobloch and Don Schlitz to establish THE WRITERS IN THE ROUND. Their laid back “living room” style of performing at The Bluebird Café became the hottest ticket in town. These days it’s hard to find a city where songwriters haven’t adopted the genial in-the-round presentation pioneered by the foursome in the late 1980s.

“…the real surprise is that Craig hasn’t scored a hit himself. His… finely finessed visions tread in that warm, humane, Americana territory…”
- Jonathan Takiff, Philadelphia Daily News

Eventually Craig, Thom, and Fred took their smooth blend of harmonies into the studio to record their commercially successful CD, NO EASY HORSES. The disk spawned three top twenty singles including Craig and Thom’s song THIS OLD HOUSE, which has since become a standard in the traditional bluegrass genre. The trio, dubbed SKB, disbanded after making an unreleased second album, but not before they helped transform the country music scene, opening the door for a wave of singer-songwriter acts that exploded onto the country charts in the 1990s.

“What really makes his work click is the emotional depth in his voice and his presentation. He puts a lump in a listener’s throat and a thought in a listener’s head, frequently at the same time.”
- Mark Gould, Sound Waves Magazine

Craig cemented his reputation on Music Row when he racked up a succession of chart topping hits, writing the number one songs “Turn It Loose”, “I Know Where I’m Going”, “In Between Dances” (co-written with Barry Alfonso), and “It Must Be Love” (co-written with Jack Sundrud of Poco). His self-penned CD, EASY FIRES, is a collection of some of the strongest material garnered from this period. Bickhardt and Sundrud have also released a CD of their collaborations titled IDLEWHEEL.

Bickhardt’s performing style has often been called “soulful folk”. Craig credits his Philadelphia roots for the influence. “I was lucky to grow up in a town that was a melting pot for musicians. I got to hear lots of R&B as well as the great folk performers of the late 60s, early 70s. It taught me that nothing moves people like a great song sung with some passion,” he says.

Craig’s years in the studio as an A-team picker helped to polish his signature finger picking guitar style, which can be heard on CDs by The Judds, Kathy Mattea, Jonathan Edwards, Suzy Bogguss, and others who invited him to sit in.

Bickhardt now regularly appears in concert around the country traveling with his percussionist and friend Tommy Geddes, often sharing the bill with Livingston Taylor, Maura O’Connell, Billie Joe Shaver, Poco, Suzy Bogguss and others. Among the thousands of troubadours on the scene today, few can outshine him in a concert setting.

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Craig has written four #1 hits, nine top ten hits and is the most in-demand songwriting teacher at www.songu.com. He’s a recent First Place Winner in the 4th International Acoustic Music Awards, and also writes a (fantastic) blog at http://ninetymilewind.blogspot.com

Here’s one of my favorite bits from Craig’s blog:

“We paid a premium for our dependence on record labels, and as it turns out, their jobs weren’t so damn hard. Most of us manage to make our music, update our My Space pages, book a few gigs, print up the posters, submit our CDs to indie radio, ship the CDs that sell on our websites, and still have time to write a blog, answer email, and get to sound check.”

Craig Bickhardt - from his blog http://ninetymilewind.blogspot.com/

Consider booking Craig for a concert in your home. I think your friends will be seriously impressed - even if he is a hit songwriter.

www.craigbickhardt.com

www.myspace.com/craigbickhardt
Craig Bickhardt performance on the YouTube

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His real name is still “classified,” but there’s one thing we know for sure - if you see Freebo at a music conference, he’ll have wet hair and a cup of coffee. I had a chance to spend a few minutes with him at the 2008 Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis, and it was easy to see why he does so well on the house concert circuit. Freebo has an unforced charm, a great spirit, and plenty of talent and good songs to complete the package. It’s a safe bet that if you book Freebo for a concert in your home, you’ll be relaxed and happy by the end of the show. — fran

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Freebo’s success in rock’n’roll has been well documented over the years. From bass player/band member with Bonnie Raitt for a decade to countless studio sessions and tours with artists ranging from John Mayall, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Maria Muldaur and Ringo Starr, to T.V. appearances on “Saturday Night Live,” “Midnight Special,” and “Muppets Tonight,” as well as tuba performances with Dr. John and the legendary Spinal Tap, Freebo has achieved status and respect in a creative and highly competitive field.

Not satisfied with simply resting on his laurels as a top sideman, Freebo has continued to push his creative envelope, and now has evolved into an acclaimed singer/songwriter, with three well received solo CDs to his credit, 1999’s “The End Of The Beginning,” 2002’s “Dog People” (songs about the human/canine connection), and his new CD, “Before The Separation.”

Released in October 2005, Freebo’s latest shows his complete arrival and comfort as a singer/songwriter, with thoughtful and insightful lyrics sung with soul and passion, framed by his acoustic guitar and signature fretless bass, and supported by tasty drums, electric guitar, and harmonica, played by some of rock music’s finest musicians.

Freebo’s songs span styles from folk, blues, and country to R&B, reggae, and rock ‘n’ roll, and incorporate themes of love, struggle, triumph, peace, and the journey of life. His live performances, mainly on acoustic guitar, take you on a musical and lyrical ride. Freebo creates an intimate unity with his audience and will likely leave you with a tear in your eye, but with a smile on your face.

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Wayne Gratz

Do you have a grand piano in your home? Does it bother you how often it is unused? Or do you simply wish you could hear someone do it justice? What if you could have a major label talent do a concert in your home for you and your friends?

Born in Winston Salem, North Carolina, in June of 1954, Wayne acquired his love for music at a early age. At the age of five, Wayne moved to Reading, Pennsylvania. Inspired by his kindergarten teacher, Wayne began playing the piano at age six and studied piano into his high school years. He then began studying guitar. With the onset of cool keyboard bands such as Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Yes, and Genesis, Wayne decided to return to the keyboards.

Over the past 15 years, Wayne has released 10 albums of original compositions on the Narada Label and 4 albums of cover music on the Enso label. Wayne also contributed to some of the most memorable compositions on Narada’s best selling collections, The Wilderness Collection, A Childhood Remembered, Piano Solos, and two Christmas collection albums, all of which are available at most retail music and book outlets. Wayne’s music can also be ordered directly from Narada Records www.narada.com or www.waynegratz.com or www.itunes.com

We are pleased to welcome Wayne Gratz to concertsinyourhome.com - contact him directly through the website, and explore this blog for tips on how to create a memorable concert event in your home. It’s not out of reach!

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