DAVID ESSIG was introduced to Canadian audiences in 1971 as a "talented newcomer" at the legendary Mariposa Folk Festival. Now, over 30 years later, he is considered one of Canada's finest interpreters of original, contemporary folk music. Always paying homage to his roots in Bluegrass and Country Blues, David uses these traditions to create new songs that are both timely and timeless. His intense energy and incisive wit have made him a favourite with audiences around the world...
David is highly respected as a thoughtful and intelligent songwriter, with Canadian folk standards like “Albert’s Cove” and “High Ground” to his credit. His work moves from pieces as contemporary as today’s news, to songs that sound as if they were rediscovered from old country blues 78’s. These are songs that tell stories and paint portraits that will start you laughing and leave you crying.
Equally renowned as an instrumentalist and traditional performer, David is a master of the blues and slide guitar. Whether on the lap-style Weissenborn or the electric Godin guitar, his spontaneous style crosses all the borders between country, blues and the avant-garde. And with his 5/8” socket and a sound that could peel the petunias off your mother’s porcelain, he is considered one of Canada’s great slide guitarists.
David's masterful songwriting is the theme of A Stone in My Pocket, the milestone double CD project released in 2004 by Pacific Music in Canada and IRD in Europe. For this album, David recorded fresh new versions of 30 of the most popular and moving songs from his 35 years of writing, including 2 new songs recorded here for the first time. He was joined on this project by renowned musicians Oliver Schroer on violin and Tobin Frank on bass. With David adding nearly 100 guitar parts to the original trio sessions, A Stone in My Pocket has received critical aclaim as a landmark in Canadian roots music.
