Music & Concerts
Tom May & Doug Smith
An exciting evening of virtuosic guitar and spirited singing, by two Pacific Northwest treasures!
Doug Smith has a Grammy Award for his exquisite
Guitar work, multiple recordings and other awards.
Tom May has performed the world over, worked
with Gordon Lightfoot and others, and has 14
acclaimed albums to his credit. He is also founder of Portland's Winterfolk,and hosted the national radio broadcast "River City Folk" for 40 years.
This is a Once a year performance, to celebrate two birthdays, that have revolved around a life in song-not to be missed!
Artichoke Music, Saturday, January 10th 2PM (early!)
Tickets $20
Bio: Tom May
Writing and playing his own music, and eloquently interpreting the songs of others; sharing through his music history, romance, and his travels with audiences throughout the U.S., Canada and overseas in concert halls and clubs; hosting and performing weekly on the national radio/TV program River City Folk; that is just a glimpse at some of the highlights of Tom May's more than 40 years as a professional folksinger.
Originally from the plains of Nebraska, Tom has called Toronto, Boston, St. Louis, Omaha, and since 1996, the Pacific Northwest, home. On twelve and six string guitars, he accompanies his baritone voice with intricate stylings not often heard in folk music. Stories, humor, and occasionally even the Irish pennywhistle introduce the songs featured in his concerts.
Tom May has performed in every region of the U.S., as well as Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany and Belgium. His performing venues have included prestigious concert halls, small town auditoriums, and humble coffeehouses--all of which have given him an uncommon rapport with audiences both large and small. His festival appearances include The Kerrville Folk Festival; the Napa Valley Music Festival; Sisters Folk Festival; (Oregon) The Juan De Fuca Festival (Port Angeles, Washington); and dozens more.
Tom’s music was chosen to represent Nebraska at the National Arts Council’s annual conference in 1994 and 1995 in South Carolina and Omaha. In September of 1994, Tom headlined a special series of concerts with the Omaha Symphony Orchestra, one of the most acclaimed regional orchestras in the U.S. He performed a set of his music with full orchestral accompaniment to capacity crowds. In 1997 and 1998, Tom did a series of concerts throughout Alaska in honor of the Klondike Gold Rush centennial. Other highlights include performing appearances at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, and special concerts and events across the continent.
Tom has toured with and opened for many well known artists, such as Gordon Lightfoot, Alabama, Willie Nelson, and many others. He currently performs and tours solo or with his acoustic trio, consisting primarily of Donny Wright on bass and Fuzzy Purcell on lead guitar. He has also released fourteen critically-acclaimed, widely-distributed albums. His most recent CD is the 2013 release, Before the Time Slips Away, with his longtime pal Chris Kennedy from Wyoming.
In addition to his live concert appearances, he has appeared on dozens of radio and television programs, including National Public Radio’s syndicated Mountain Stage, Radio Eirhenn’s (Ireland) Andy O’Mahoney show, and the Canadian Broadcast Corporation’s Ian Tyson Show (Television) to name just a few.
Tom also produces and hosts his own national radio/TV broadcast, River City Folk. The show is heard weekly on over 100 radio stations from Alaska to New York. River City Folk highlights the vitality of the acoustic music scene by featuring diverse performers and styles. The radio version of River City Folk remains one of the premier showcases for acoustic singer/songwriters nationally as it nears its 30th anniversary in 2015.
In 1994, the popularity of the radio program led to a television version of the program that Tom hosted. The show was produced for the Americana Cable Network out of Branson, Missouri. The show aired on commercial and cable outlets across the U.S., and can still be seen on select public television stations. And several full episodes are available on this website, as well as on Tom's YouTube page. Click here to view them.
In 2007, Tom was the primary author of a book (along with Dick Weissman) commissioned by international publisher Routledge, based in New York. Promoting Your Music; The Lovin of the Game features interviews with Gordon Lightfoot , Eliza Gilkyson, and others, as well as May’s own insights on this artistic profession.
He also coordinates and founded Winterfolk, a benefit for Sisters of the Road Café - an annual SRO benefit concert at Portland, Oregon’s Aladdin Theatre, which has become Portland, Oregon’s largest annual acoustic music celebration. Through the years Tom has directed and consulted for many other festivals as well, including the Festival at the Fort in Omaha, Nebraska; The Lark at the Mountain festival at Mt. Rainier, Washington; and the North Coast Festival in Ocean Shores, Washington.
Over 40 years as a professional musician has led Tom May to describe the "true wealth of the music business--the friends that you made and the folks you are lucky enough to have a chance to play for." He has lived a life performing, writing, and promoting this music that he truly believes is "music that makes a difference."
The people who hear Tom are captivated by his unforgettable voice, evocative melodies, the history and romance in his songs,and a warmth that gives his performance a degree of musicality and professionalism unsurpassed in acoustic music.
https://www.facebook.com/tommayfolk/
Bio: Doug Smith
Grammy Award winner Doug Smith is an internationally renowned acoustic guitarist who weaves together folk, classical, jazz and contemporary forms into a unique, flowing, original fingerpicking style recalling the playing of Chet Atkins, Leo Kottke, Michael Hedges, and Alex de Grassi.
Doug began playing in the mid-60’s when he was around 10 years old. His parents wanted him to take piano lessons (as he had learned piano both by ear and teaching himself note-reading), but Doug had developed an interest in the Beatles and was drawn to the guitar instead, so he began lessons from a local music store and continued these lessons for about a year.
At first, Doug’s playing style revolved around strumming on a steel-string guitar. Then one day he saw Chet Atkins with the Boston Pops Orchestra on television. After that he changed his direction to pursue finger-picking. He also began playing nylon-string guitar almost exclusively. During this time Doug taught himself using Frederick Noad’s book “Solo Guitar Playing”. Other musical influences during this time were singer/songwriters such as James Taylor, Harry Chapin, Don McLean and Gordon Lightfoot, as well as progressive rock bands such as Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull and Gentle Giant. After high school Doug attended Cal State Fullerton where he majored in classical guitar. The formal education in music and composition added to his technique, style, and writing ability.
In the late 70’s Doug heard John Renbourn’s album The Hermit, and once more Doug changed his direction, this time in two ways. First, he switched his focus back to steel-string guitar (which he now plays almost exclusively). Second, he became interested in alternate tunings, and many of his tunes are written using them. Doug also credits other guitarists, such as Alex de Grassi and Michael Hedges, as influencing his use of alternate tunings.
During this time Doug earned a living as a bass and Chapman Stick player in several Southern California rock bands, most notably Dexter (including future film composer Mark Mancina), which in 1986 won Musician Magazine’s Best Unsigned Band in America Contest….the first of many awards for Doug!
In 1989, John Archer of American Gramaphone Records (the home of Mannheim Steamroller) heard a demo tape of Doug and signed him to record. Doug completed two albums with American Gramaphone, Order of Magnitude and Labyrinth. “Renewal” and “A Fine Line”, being two of his most popular compositions, are from these projects. Besides his solo albums with AGR, Doug has contributed to several of Gramaphone’s popular “Dayparts” series: Sunday Morning Coffee, Dinner, Romance, and Sunday Morning Coffee II.
Doug later recorded Deep Heart with Honest Records and at the same time Honest published the Best of Doug Smith. In 1998, Doug joined James Jensen’s Solid Air Records and released his hit CD Alone At Last, which finally featured Doug in an entirely solo acoustic setting. This CD was co-produced by Laurence Juber, fellow acoustic guitarist and former lead guitarist for Paul McCartney’s band Wings. 2001 saw Doug release Christmas Guitar, followed in 2002 by Alone Again. This first self-produced CD was released along with a compilation album called Doug Smith: The Collection.
Other Doug Smith releases include A Guitar for Christmas, Another Guitar for Christmas, Guitar Hymnal, Six-String Paradox, and Just for Fun with his talented wife Judy Koch Smith. Doug's latest CD, Guitar Americana, is comprised of his take on some of his favorite melodies from American history. One review states: “Cowpokes meet Bach….love it!”
Doug collaborates with other performers as well. He performs regularly with guitar greats Mark Hanson and Terry Robb as the Acoustic Guitar Summit, and sings with the folk group Three Together. In 2015 Doug joined with classical guitarist Andrew Leonard for the CD Guitar Duo which features their arrangement of Chopin’s “Revolutionary Etude”. He has added his sparkling guitar playing to several other artist’s recordings, including playing classical guitar on Paul Chasman’s opus I Hope.
In February of 2005, Doug and eleven other guitarists from Solid Air Records won a Grammy Award for “Best Pop Instrumental Album” for the tribute CD Henry Mancini - Pink Guitar. Other tribute CDs followed: Cole Porter, Elvis, Lieber & Stoller, and Burt Bacharach. Also, Doug was honored to arrange and play “Feed the Birds” from Mary Poppins on the tribute Poppin’ Guitars; A Tuneful of Sherman. In his review of this CD, film critic Leonard Maltin said: “Every track is a treat, though I must single out Doug Smith’s exceptional performance of ‘Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag)’ ”.
In September 2006, Doug won the prestigious International Fingerstyle Guitar Competition in Winfield, Kansas. This is a tough competition against some of the best players in the world.
Doug’s music has been heard on radio and TV stations throughout the country, including The Discovery Channel, NPR, TCM, CNN, ESPN, and E!, as well as Martha Stewart and Good Morning America. He has appeared on local and nationally syndicated radio and TV shows, including Oregon ArtBeat, West Coast Live, Echoes and River City Folk. Doug also played guitar on the soundtracks for several movies, including Twister, Moll Flanders, and August Rush.
Doug Smith is a well-traveled performer, playing at various venues and festivals around the country. His travels have taken him to Taiwan, China, South Korea, and four tours of Japan. He is a popular instructor at guitar and music workshops across the country, including the Swannanoa Gathering, Colorado Roots Music Camp, Puget Sound Guitar Workshop and the Crown Guitar Workshop and Festival in Montana, where he taught alongside Pat Metheny and Dweezil Zappa.
In 2019, Doug traveled to New York and Chicago to be a member of the ensemble for the Broadway production of August Rush - the Musical.
Doug currently resides in Vancouver, WA (near Portland, OR) where he teaches guitar, writes and performs. The incredible music keeps on coming from this amazing artist ~ Enjoy!
Doug plays James Goodall and Lance McCollum guitars.
dougsmithguitar.com
