Spencer Bohren
Encyclopedia
Spencer Ward Bohren is an American
roots musician
, singer, songwriter
, teacher, and visual artist. He plays guitar
, lap steel guitar
, banjo
, and percussion, and utilizes the roots of American traditional music to write songs in blues, country, gospel and folk styles. He has released fourteen albums since 1984.
. He grew up in a Baptist
family in Wyoming and spent time in Denver and Boulder, Colorado, southern Oregon, and Seattle, Washington in the early part of his career. In 1976 he began raising a family with his wife, Marilyn, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Bohren has performed throughout the United States as well as in Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Spain, Mexico, and Japan. He has performed on the A Prairie Home Companion
radio program and at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
. He has also taught at the Fur Peace Ranch. In the late 1970s and early 1980s he hosted a weekly Monday-night jam session at the Tipitina's
music club in New Orleans.
Although he most often works as a soloist, he has performed in several bands, including the Funston Brothers, the Eagle-Ridin' Papa, Butterfat, Rufus Krisp, the Earthtones, and Gone Johnson. He has collaborated with folk blues performer Judy Roderick
, diesel-billy guitarist Bill Kirchen
, opera singer Karen Clift, Dr. John
, the Blind Boys of Alabama, and the vocal duo The Tremors.
In the academic world, Bohren presents a musical overview of American roots music, a lecture-performance entitled Down the Dirt Road Blues, which traces the journey of a single song, "Dirt Road Blues," from Africa to the days of slavery in the American South, through the modern age. He uses appropriate vintage instruments to orchestrate the story as the song evolves from a simple vocal melody to a blues song, a dance number, a hillbilly banjo piece, a country hit, and into the age of rock 'n' roll.
His CD Carry the Word was named "Best CD of the Year 2000 by a Louisiana Artist" by The Times-Picayune of New Orleans, and he has won the New Orleans Gambit Weekly
s "Big Easy Award for Best Folk Artist" several times.
He has recorded for the Virgin
, Sony/France, Valve, Zephyr, Public Road, Last Call, Loft, Alpha, Great Southern, and New Blues labels.
Also a visual artist, Bohren creates artworks that he calls "Reliquaries" and shares his philosophy and techniques with interested students of all ages.
Spencer Bohren and his wife Marilyn live in New Orleans and have home-schooled their four children. The family home suffered significant damage during Hurricane Katrina
and Bohren wrote the song "Long Black Line" about the experience.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
roots musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, teacher, and visual artist. He plays guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, lap steel guitar
Lap steel guitar
The lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar, an instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. The player changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings instead of by pressing strings against the fingerboard....
, banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, and percussion, and utilizes the roots of American traditional music to write songs in blues, country, gospel and folk styles. He has released fourteen albums since 1984.
Biography
Bohren's maternal ancestry is Scots-Irish, and his father's family came from Alsace-LorraineAlsace-Lorraine
The Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine was a territory created by the German Empire in 1871 after it annexed most of Alsace and the Moselle region of Lorraine following its victory in the Franco-Prussian War. The Alsatian part lay in the Rhine Valley on the west bank of the Rhine River and east...
. He grew up in a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
family in Wyoming and spent time in Denver and Boulder, Colorado, southern Oregon, and Seattle, Washington in the early part of his career. In 1976 he began raising a family with his wife, Marilyn, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Bohren has performed throughout the United States as well as in Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Spain, Mexico, and Japan. He has performed on the A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion is a live radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor. The show runs on Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Central Time, and usually originates from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota, although it is frequently taken on the road...
radio program and at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, often known as Jazz Fest, is an annual celebration of the music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana...
. He has also taught at the Fur Peace Ranch. In the late 1970s and early 1980s he hosted a weekly Monday-night jam session at the Tipitina's
Tipitina's
Tipitina's is a music venue located at the corner of Napoleon Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street in Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.Local music enthusiasts opened the venue on January 14, 1977. The name was inspired by a well-known song by Professor Longhair who also performed there until his death...
music club in New Orleans.
Although he most often works as a soloist, he has performed in several bands, including the Funston Brothers, the Eagle-Ridin' Papa, Butterfat, Rufus Krisp, the Earthtones, and Gone Johnson. He has collaborated with folk blues performer Judy Roderick
Judy Roderick
Judith Allen Roderick was an American blues singer and songwriter. She was born in Wyandotte, Michigan to Howard and Emily Roderick.-Music biography:...
, diesel-billy guitarist Bill Kirchen
Bill Kirchen
Bill Kirchen is an American rockabilly guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was the guitarist with the original Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen from 1967 to the mid 1970s, although, in reality, his time with the Commander accounts for only a portion of his career...
, opera singer Karen Clift, Dr. John
Dr. John
Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider...
, the Blind Boys of Alabama, and the vocal duo The Tremors.
In the academic world, Bohren presents a musical overview of American roots music, a lecture-performance entitled Down the Dirt Road Blues, which traces the journey of a single song, "Dirt Road Blues," from Africa to the days of slavery in the American South, through the modern age. He uses appropriate vintage instruments to orchestrate the story as the song evolves from a simple vocal melody to a blues song, a dance number, a hillbilly banjo piece, a country hit, and into the age of rock 'n' roll.
His CD Carry the Word was named "Best CD of the Year 2000 by a Louisiana Artist" by The Times-Picayune of New Orleans, and he has won the New Orleans Gambit Weekly
Gambit Weekly
Gambit is a New Orleans, Louisiana-based free alternative weekly newspaper that was established in 1981 as Gambit Weekly. Gambit features reporting about local politics, news, food and drink, arts, music, film, events, environmental issues and other topics, as well as listings...
s "Big Easy Award for Best Folk Artist" several times.
He has recorded for the Virgin
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
, Sony/France, Valve, Zephyr, Public Road, Last Call, Loft, Alpha, Great Southern, and New Blues labels.
Also a visual artist, Bohren creates artworks that he calls "Reliquaries" and shares his philosophy and techniques with interested students of all ages.
Spencer Bohren and his wife Marilyn live in New Orleans and have home-schooled their four children. The family home suffered significant damage during Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
and Bohren wrote the song "Long Black Line" about the experience.
As leader
- 1986 - Down in Mississippi (New Blues)
- 1989 - Live in New Orleans (Great Southern)
- 1994 - Vintage (Zephyr Artists)
- 1996 - Dirt Roads (Zephyr Artists; rereleased in 1998 by Last Call)
- 2000 - Carry the Word (Last Call)
- 2000 - Born in Biscayne (Great Southern)
- 2000 - Present Tense (Sony/France)
- 2002 - Solitaire (Valve)
- 2004 - Southern Cross (Valve)
- 2005 - Down the Dirt Road Blues (Zephyr)
- 2006 - The Long Black Line (Valve)
- 2009 - Live at the Tube Temple (Valve)
External links
- Official site
- MySpace page
- [ Allmusic entry]
Interviews
- Spencer Bohren interview (2007)
- Spencer Bohren interview (2008)