Author Archives: Bob

About Bob

... is an award winning, Canadian finger-style guitarist and the 2003 U.S. National Fingerstyle Guitar Champion. He combines an eclectic mix of contemporary finger-style guitar and traditional roots music with a warm vocal style, tilted sense of humour and down to earth stage presence to provide a refreshing performance experience for music lovers in general. Definitely not just for "guitar geeks".

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4 ON 6 (2007)

Outstanding Instrumental Album – 2008 Western Canadian Music Awards

Instrumental – The Beatles for solo fingerstyle guitar.

Dr. Bob’s Acoustic Tonic (2010)

Dr. Bob's Acoustic Tonic

Vocal and guitar – a collection of classic and contemporary tunes in the ragtime-blues style.

The Voice in the Grain (2004)

Nominated Outstanding Instrumental Album – 2004 Western Canadian Music Awards

Nominated Best Instrumental Album – 2005 Canadian Folk Music Awards

Instrumental – a collection of orginal compositions and arrangements for solo fingerstyle guitar.

Caffeinated Coffee (1999)

Outstanding Instrumental Album – 2000 Prairie Music Awards

Instrumental – a collection of orginal compositions and arrangements for solo fingerstyle guitar.

Killer Thriller – Gareth Pearson

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If you’re a fan of Michael Jackson, you’ve got to check out Gareth Pearson’s latest Youtube posting. It’s a terrific fingerstyle arrangement of Jackson’s Thriller. And be sure to check out Gareth’s many other Youtube entries.

If you don’t know of him, Gareth is a 20 year old (as of 2009) fingerstyle guitarist from Wales. Many people are aware of him from his “boy-wonder” phase where as a teenager he wowed people with his a technical ability beyond his youth and the ability to keep up on stage with the likes of Tommy Emmanuel.

Many kids go through the “boy-wonder” phase of dazzling audiences while emulating their early influences but then can’t seem to move on to the next step of finding their own voice through their own compositions and arrangements. Gareth is making that shift and is emerging as an artist with his own voice. Definitely keep an eye on him.

Six Strings North of the Border – 3 CD Box Set

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Six Strings North of the Border – 3 Disc Box Set

Borealis Records has taken the three volumes of its Six Strings North of the Border series and packaged them as a box set.

This collection features 47 of Canada’s finest acoustic guitarists. It’s a great introduction to the Canadian acoustic guitar scene.

Six Strings North of the Border Box Set Cover

Please Note: Copies can be ordered directly from Borealis Records

Disc 1

  • Gordie Sampson – The Black Jigs
  • Eve Goldberg – Watermelon Sorbet
  • Bruce Cockburn – Foxglove
  • Jason Fowler – Shi Big, Shi Mhor
  • Ken Hamm & Doug Cox – Dave Macon Rag/Strawberry Creek
  • Rick Whitelaw – Bottom Dollar
  • Jean Hewson – Scotty MacMillan’s G Minor Jig
  • Thomas Handy Trio – Spring
  • Stephen Fearing – Martin’s
  • Don Ross – 3 Hands
  • Rick Fielding – Hesitation Rag
  • David Essig – Berkley Springs
  • J.P. Cormier – The Mathematician/Sleepy Maggie
  • Bob Evans – That Infernal Optimist
  • Dave Clarke – Katherine

Disc 2

  • Terry Tufts – Dorval’s Descent
  • Marc Atkinson Trio – Frederic’s Closet
  • Art Turner – Invitation To Circumstance
  • Zubot & Dawson – Wedding Song
  • Alex Houghton – Dear Peace
  • David Rogers – Dallas Rag
  • Jon Park Wheeler – Reverie
  • Dave MacIsaac – The Green Mountain Boys
  • D’Arcy Wickham – New England Rag
  • Colin Linden – In The Deep Field
  • James Cohen – The Wind
  • Martin Posen – Django Townshend
  • Craig Brown – Steeplechase Lane
  • Kristin Sweetland – Hermetica
  • Michael Jerome Browne – Guitar Mama
  • Bob MacLean – Rose of Allendale

Disc 3

  • October Browne – Waterford Girls
  • Andy Sheppard – Dragonfly Helicopter
  • David Gillis – Mr. Skippy Pants
  • Kevin Breit & Harry Manx – Curly Ray and his Brother
  • Alpha YaYa Diallo – Cette vie
  • Mose Scarlett w/ Margaret Stowe – Blue Skies / Somewhere Over The Rainbow
  • Rick Taylor – Ocean Avenue
  • Joël Fafard – Voodoo Hoodoo
  • Olivier Demers – Du haut du balcon
  • Paul Mills (Curly Boy Stubbs) – Stubbs Stomp
  • Amos Garrett – Always Got Your Hands On That Guitar
  • Bill Garrett – Birds Hill
  • Grit Laskin – Paddy Fahey’s / The Road To Lisdoonvarna / Comb Your Hair And Curl It
  • Rick Bockner – Kootnay Jig
  • Ken Whiteley – Summer Sunday Night



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The Peter Gunn Theme (aka The Brand New Anniversary Waltz)

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This is a special Anniversary Edition of my arrangement of the classic Peter Gunn Theme by Henri Mancini. Why an Anniversary Edition? Well, it’s easier for you to watch to find out than it is for me to explain. 🙂

This was recorded at the 2007 Chet Atkins Appreciation Society convention in Nashville – still one of the best events for live guitar music. Highly recommended

Part 1

Part 2

“4 On 6” Awarded Outstanding Instrumental Album

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4 On 6 was awarded Outstanding Instrumental Album at the 2008 Western Canadian Music Awards this October. Needless to say, I’m very pleased and honoured, and I want to thank everyone for their support.

A bonus for myself was I also met and performed a duet with B.C. slide guitarist Steve Dawson as part of the awards show. I have been a big fan of Steve’s playing for a number of years, and so this was a real treat. If you are a fan of slide guitar (slide, steel, pedal steel, etc) and aren’t already familiar with his music, you owe it to yourself to check him out ( www.SteveDawson.ca ).

In addition to being a fine guitarist, Steve is also a great producer, for which he was named Producer of the Year in the Western Canadian Music Industry Awards the same weekend.

I also want to send out congratulations to fellow Saskatchewanians who also took home awards. Little Miss Higgins received Outstanding Blues Recording for Junction City and Elizabeth Raum received Outstanding Classical Composition for her work Dark Thoughts (How Bodies Make Ecstatic Marks)