Music has been part of my life since I was young. Like many teenagers in the 80s, I grew up with Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, the heavy metal bands of the era — and of course the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley. But even then, something pulled me further back. Country, folk, blues — music that felt raw and real. None of my friends shared this fascination. I was an outsider with my taste, but I couldn’t help it.
Over the years, I started swimming upstream. Where did Knopfler’s fingerpicking come from? Why did the Rolling Stones name themselves after a Muddy Waters song? How did Elvis turn a Civil War ballad called “Aura Lee” into “Love Me Tender”? Every answer led further back — to the Mississippi Delta, to the first recordings on shellac and wax, to songs that are older than any recording technology. And that’s where I found what moves me most: music stripped down to its essence. One voice, one instrument, one story.
The more I dig, the more I marvel — at musicians like Blind Blake or Doc Watson, who did things on the guitar decades ago that I still can’t fully grasp. At songs like “Home on the Range” or “Aura Lee” that have carried human longing for over 150 years.
The fingerstyle technique, shaped by these early blues guitarists, is at the heart of what I do. I’m largely self-taught, but workshops with Dave Goodman and Werner Widmer helped me grow as an acoustic guitarist. I love the acoustic guitar for its warmth and versatility — it’s the only instrument I need to carry a whole song.
In recent years, I’ve been drawn ever deeper into traditional Irish and Scottish folk music. It’s a different world from the blues, but the same honesty runs through it — the same love of melody, the same joy of playing together. I’m still discovering its depths: the ornamentation, the stories behind the tunes, the way a session feels when it all clicks.
Working on my voice remains a rewarding journey that enriches everything else.
Set lists are managed with a custom Setlist Generator.
The musical projects I am involved in:
