WEEKEND  AT   RALPH'S

David Woodhead

FEATURE PERFORMER | WORKSHOP PRESENTER

 

As one on Canada's most respected multi-instrumentalists, Toronto's David Woodhead has the distinction of being the Corktown Ukulele Jam's first-ever guest artist back in the formative days six years ago. Now more ukufied than ever, we are pleased to feature David at Canada Ukes.

 

Best known for his melodic and personal style on the fretless electric bass, David Woodhead has explored much musical territory on his own and with other notable travellers. His creative instrumental work has appeared on over 150 albums in the contemporary folk field, and he has worked with countless artists including Perth County Conspiracy and it's many branches, Garnet and Stan Rogers, Scott Merritt, Don Ross, Oliver Schroer, Loreena McKennitt, Gil Scott-Heron and Valdy.

 

He started by playing banjo at grade school assemblies in Montreal, and his early summers in Vermont  provided much inspiration for the material on his first CD “Sweets and Conundrums”. His new "Confabulation" CD is a meeting of many of the worlds he's inhabited - from Cedric Smith's Coffeehouse Days "wig-bubble" to fanciful jazz-inflected concoctions featuring saxophonists Colleen Allen and Richard Underhill as well as Jaron Freeman-Fox's evocative violin sounds.  

 

Always busy on the studio, concert, and festival scene, David has recently been gigging with his own Confabulation band as well as Malagasy guitarist Donne Roberts (African Guitar Summit) and flamenco rhumba specialists The Sultans Of String, both Juno award nominees, along with many others. He frequently appears at Toronto’s Hugh’s Room, and other performances have included the Montreaux Jazz festival, Guadalajara’s Fiesta de Octobre, two recent tours of the UK with James Keelaghan, and practically every contemporary folk venue and festival in Canada. He has produced many recordings for other musicians, including engineering and arranging credits, and scored television and film projects. He has done instruction at the Ottawa Folklore Center, the Goderich Celtic College and the Haliburton Winter Folk Camp. And now David's got a new obsession - watch out for a new approach to the ukulele! 

 

→ visit davidwoodhead.com