|
|
|
SINGER-SONG WRITER COVER SONG STYLINGS IN FOLK COUNTRY POP |
BIOGRAPHY Dave Martin’s baritone voice has a presence that doesn't intrude. Accompanied by his own finger-style acoustic guitar playing he is well suited to a strolling minstrel styling. Think of Gordon Lightfoot, and Don Williams, with a hint of Chet Atkins.His repertoire lists “Canadiana” songs by less known artists such as Joe Grant of Tanglefoot, Lu Robitaille, and Marg Raynor of Georgian Bay. It includes renderings of easy-listening country favourites by Anne Murray, Gordon Lightfoot, Glen Campbell, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Coming from Muskoka, Dave now lives at Snow Road Station, Ontario, at the hub of the Lanark Highlands, the Madawaska Highlands and the Land O’Lakes. He owns an adventure company called Adventure Agent, specializing kayak tours and instruction, mainly in the Lanark Highlands. Next-door to Dave lives a member of the “old” country music group "North of Seven Country," who focus on traditional country music. The spectacular Abrams Brothers bluegrass duo call this home and have their own concert venue here, John Thomson Hall. Nearby live Juno Award winners Christine Graves, Jenny Whiteley, Joey Wright, David Francey, and Terry Tuff. The Martin roots are in France and Champlain’s pioneering; a strong history of Saguenay voyageurs to Georgian Bay resorts, Lakes Captains, and logging. Dave was born in a part of Toronto known as Yorkville Village, on Yorkville Avenue. In “The Sixties” this was the musical centre of Canada. He did six-month stints at The Mynah Bird, a Yorkville club that featured fire-eating, glass-eating, glass-walking limbo-dancer King Ricardo. It had Canada’s first topless dancer window. Joe Grant (founding member of Tanglefoot) played there. With its variety show, it had a circus-like atmosphere. At the Zorba Club, also in Yorkville, he alternated the stage show with world-renowned magician Doug Henning. He was the founding performer of Fat Albert's Coffee House, (30 yrs running), located just “outside” the Village. He enjoyed regular performances there over many years. Well-known Canadian songwriter Ron Sexsmith often mentions his good times at Fat Albert's, and the excellent performers who frequented it. Nancy White of CBC was another regular. Dave hung out with delta blues master Leon Redbone, and spent time with the late Willie P. Bennett in Grand Bend’s Mennonite coffeehouse “The Missing Piece” in the seventies. Rick Fielding, and Elmvale bluesman Wayne Buttery (the man who taught BB King how to sing?) are part of his musical history. He’s opened for Fred Eaglesmith and for Tom Cochrane in his early Toronto years. The Ontario Government commissioned Dave to write a song about Canadian unity. He had a concert at the Ontario Parliament Buildings. An integral part of his musical history was selling elite, handmade Canadian guitars by Jean Larrivee, David Wren (12th Fret Guitar Shop, Toronto) and others, at the Millwheel Guitar Shop. David Wilcox, children's singer Raffi, and others used to regularly jam in the shop. Even Bob Dylan dropped by for a while. Jean Larrivee even built a signature Millwheel guitar model. All part of the migration to what is now home: Snow Road Station in Eastern Ontario. Welcome home, Dave, The Man from Snow Road.
|
