MUSICAL BOB

I started writing songs in the late sixties. It was a time of social protest and my early influences included Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, Pete Seeger, and John Prine,. And there were lots of places to play - coffee houses, protests, grape boycott pickets, “folk masses,” and coffee houses. Working for Youth Corps, a faith and social justice experience for young people, I performed several times at Toronto’s famous Massey Hall for events with Jean Vanier, Mother Teresa and Cesar Chavez. 

In the eighties, Paula Kriwoy, David Graham and I teamed up for a decade of wonderful musical experiences and the production of two live recordings. The new music of Latin America became a strong influence, reinforced by living in the region for five years, reporting for the CBC.

The last decade-and-a-half has found me in Ottawa, performing at solidarity events for projects such as housing in Central America and water pipes in Africa. My inclinations have meandered a bit - to the mandolin and banjo (with a feature on CBC Radio called Banjo Bob). And I compose music at a local parish that supports music for the spirit, for the heart and for a more just world.