I steal liberally from Jeff Lang and with good reason.
Other folks in no particular order.... Tom Waits, Christabel and the Jons, Mark Eitzel and the American Music Club, Richard Thompson, Bill Mallonee and the Vigilantes of Love, Jimi Hendrix, Yo Yo Ma, Eric Johnson, Chris Whitley, Kelly Joe Phelps, Adrian Legg, Michael Hedges, Leo Kottke, David Schnaufer, Robert Force and Al d'Osscche, Stephen Siefert, Uncle Tupelo, Jerry Rockwell, Ani DiFranco, Shaun Colvin, Bill Morrissey, U2, The Smiths, The Sex Pistols, The Crooked Jades, the Foghorn Stringband, The Wilders, Adam Brodsky, Antje Duvekot, Austin City Limits, Mountain Stage, Woodsongs, The Saturday Jams at Bread and Bagel, the "contemporary" singer/songwriters I hate because they're really just failed actors trying to get their pedestrian love songs placed on Grey's Anatomy, all the people I've forgotten and you.
Despite all this wrongness, somehow it all sounds just right.
Okay, sure, he plays his own funny, poignant songs and some traditional mountain tunes, but somehow, in Butch's hands, they rock, too.
Besides, it's pretty clear that Led Zeppelin always intended for "Stairway to Heaven" to be played on the dulcimer. It just took Butch to figure it out.
Butch Ross was given a mountain dulcimer for his birthday a few years ago, at the time the regionally touring singer/songwriter had no idea of the impact the instrument would have on his career. "I thought it's be cool to have one around the house, but I found myself playing it more and more. It had made music fun for me in a way that I hadn't felt since I first picked up the guitar."
More than "making music fun," this primitive mountain instrument began to open doors for him too. Not long after adopting the dulcimer he met Robert Force a musician, producer, independent label owner and all-around hippy who had once written a best-selling book on the mountain dulcimer. He saw in Butch "a spirit, talent and vision" that he last saw in his own idol; 60's folk-icon Richard Fariña. Almost immediately, he offered to sign him to his Blaine St. Records and produce, for free, his debut CD "the Moonshiner's Atlas."
The dulcimer has opened other doors for Butch Ross as well: a full-ride scholarship for a graduate degree in folk studies, a quickly-earned reputation amongst the dulcimer community as one of the most innovative and exciting players on the scene, endorsement offers, including one builder who working with him on a "Butch Ross Signature Model,," opening slots for wide variety of performers from Hayseed Dixie and Little Country Giants to the Jazz Mandolin Project, Great Big Sea and the legendary Jean Ritchie. Additionally the dulcimer has found him invited to play festivals and clubs in England, Scotland, Ireland, Sweden, Belgium, Germany and most recently Budapest, Hungary.
Sean Phipps of the Chattanooga Times Free Press says, "His set consisted of folk songs and various instrumentals, including blistering version of Richard Thompson’s 1952 Vincent Black Lightning and The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby.” We’re lucky to have such a talented, interesting musician living in Chattanooga."
Hey, It's Dave Clupper. If I haven't told you thank you for your support yet, thank you! Check out the video below for a live clip shot from Downtown Tulsa with my daughter Ellen. Also, stop by my profile and enjoy a majority of my new record "Letting Go" released earlier this month. If you want to own a copy, look for the Buy Now Button on my profile or to just own a track, visit iTunes by clicking here. Talk soon!
Why are you so excited about Hamell on Trial? I get to go see his record label lady next weekend. Ani Difranco! I bet you I'll be the only huge prego lady there!
HAHA, well... I have to be able to say at least one Thing is going right for me ya know?
Things (aside from the Thing) are actually going quite well now that the roommate is gone... the only thing that could make it better is going to see Butch Ross :-P
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