Along with his Taylor guitar, and sometimes accompanied by a musical friend or two, Craig Bickhardt tells stories of a lifetime, translated into words and melody. From Los Angeles to Nashville to Philadelphia he is known and respected by audiences and fellow musicians alike. "I start a lot of songs because I feel conflicted," he explains. "I may begin from a point of darkness, but I usually end up writing towards the light because, for me, hope is the thing worth singing about. The characters in the stories I sing aren’t heroic; they’re very ordinary. But they're reaching for something beyond themselves, and I find nobility in that."
Craig grew up in a musical family and is a singer/songwriter of the old school - reminding one of such '60s folk revival artists as Tom Rush, Gordon Lightfoot and Eric Andersen in his work. But there’s also musical sophistication. Craig’s guitar work often leaves jaws dropping. "The guitar isn’t just an accompanying instrument for me - sometimes it’s the front man and my voice is the accompanist."
For many years Craig was more behind the scenes in Nashville, writing songs for the movie, Tender Mercies, having his songs recorded by Kathy Matea, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Johnny Cash, the Judds, Tony Rice Judy Collins, and Alison Krauss. He would come out from hiding to play the Bluebird Café and other clubs in Nashville and finally, the stage called him again. "I think people come to my shows to be reminded that there’s something profound in the small stuff we experience every day," he says. "My goal is to get an audience to look deeper at the things we all take for granted."
Simply put - it's live acoustic music in a private living room with an audience of friends, both new and old, and great food that everyone brings to share. The music is outstanding - these are very talented musicians. Most tour professionally, usually nationally, some even internationally. More...
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Guitar painting provided by Lena Karpinsky