Chris Bartos

Bio:

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.. Multi-talented multi-instrumentalist Chris Bartos has, at last, treated us to his first solo recording, Fort William. Chris has been recognized internationally for his virtuosic versatility on fiddle, guitar and piano, and we are fortunate that he has now offered his vocals and songwriting into the mix. Bartos proves to have an understated but gently persuasive vocal style that stands as the perfect complement to well-crafted compositions of real emotional eloquence. Having written songs for years, Chris has now compiled a colourful array of roots music with styles ranging from folk to bluegrass to gospel. “I have been involved with a lot of musical traditions,” he explains. “I don’t like to use the same colours all the time.” The beautifully quaint lyrics of Fort William will transport you to a serene lakeside dock on a hazy summer afternoon. The mellow rhythms will have you swaying as with the gentle motions of the waves. The steel guitar, violin and harmonies add a particular twang that, in some tracks, takes us right into old-country territory, invoking a faint and sweet sense of nostalgia. Armed with a collection of songs of which he was justifiably proud, Chris commenced the initial recording for Fort William in Montreal. “I rented a friends loft that is a studio. It’s a beautiful room with high ceilings and tons of analogue gear. I took my own rig, put it in a taxi, then bunked down there for five days. At the end of that, I knew I had something that was going to be really fun.” The results of his effort impressed veteran record label head and producer Andrew Hermant, who came on board to produce the project. He and Chris recorded and mixed the album together, and it is being released on Hermant’s famed independent label, Duke Street. Bartos plays all guitars, bass, violin, fiddle and pump organ on the record, while ace instrumentalists featured include drummer Claude Desjardins, pedal steel player Joe Grass, and backing singers Dara Weis and Senja Sergeant. Hermant contributes banjo, pedal steel and the brass and string arrangements that add depth to such haunting tunes as Love Is The Ocean, Keep Your Light and Deep And Wide. Chris' fluent guitar playing is at the core of the album's sound, and it reflects his years of intense experience with the instrument. “I’ve been around it since I was a toddler,” he laughingly recalls. “My parents tell me I’d crawl on it.” Bartos is part of a highly musical family. His dad (of Czech heritage) is a guitar player and huge Neil Young fan, while his British-born mother plays violin and loves classical music. Chris’ brother Andrew is also a very accomplished musician and songwriter. He co-wrote three tunes on Fort William, and he and Chris create film and television soundtracks with their company Robot Music. By four, Chris was playing guitar, violin and piano, and at 15 he was earning serious money as a guitarist in a rock cover band in the bars of Gatineau and Ottawa. Next up was study at Boston’s famed Berklee College of Music. “I primarily studied performance and be-bop guitar,” says Chris. “My most important teacher there was Jon Damian, the same guy who taught Bill Frisell. He’s an infinite pool of great creative ideas and concepts for any artistic discipline. Chris was awarded the Stephen D. Holland Scholarship at Berklee, and he gained invaluable experience performing at school recitals and in public. A subsequent period spent in Boston proved crucial in rekindling Bartos’ interest in the violin. “I met and had lessons with a world-class violin player called Matt Maneri who just blew me away,” he recalls. His skill as a violinist/fiddle player stood Chris in good stead when he moved to Toronto in 2001 as it helped him quickly become a key member of the city’s flourishing roots music community. Over the following decade, he has performed and recorded with the likes of Jeff Healey, Lynn Miles, The Ennis Sisters, Crazy Strings, La Grande Bouche Swingtette, Dan and Chris Whiteley, and Rubberneck, and toured internationally as a member of Sarah Harmer's band. In 2008, Chris recorded and co-produced The Law and the Lonesome, an acclaimed album by U.S. songsmith Jonathan Byrd. I’ve worked with some incredible singer/songwriters,” says Bartos. Lessons learned in these different roles and genres are now paying off for Chris Bartos as he launches his solo career in compelling fashion with Fort William. Definitely an artist to watch for.

Member Since:

January 06, 2009

Record Label:

Duke Street records