Eric Garrison
Looking for Egypt
Combining a laid-back performance style with carefully crafted original material, Eric's music reflects his long association with a wide range of styles, from traditional and contemporary folk to Celtic and rock and roll.
"Eric Garrison is a man of many talents - teacher, singer, songwriter, storyteller. He has marked his territory in each arena with warmth and intelligence, and, quite simply, he is a folk performer in the purest sense." ESP Magazine 2/02
Eric Garrison has been plying his trade as a singer/songwriter since the mid-1980's, touring the eastern half of the United States and occasionally venturing farther west. His performances combine original music (and occasional forays into traditional and cover tunes) with a storytelling style that is reminiscent of Garrison Keillor.
One reviewer likened an Eric Garrison concert to "listening to an old friend telling tales over a campfire of memories." ESP Magazine (North Carolina) says,"Not all singer/songwriters set out to be dazzling storytellers, and even among those who do, few succeed. Eric Garrison can be counted among that small group that does succeed." The Stamford (CT) Advocate calls Eric's music "folk music the way it's supposed to be."
Eric's contributions to the folk community are also reflected in his role as a teacher and producer. A veteran workshop instructor, he teaches classes in performance, songwriting, sound reinforcement, and recording.
As designer and coordinator of the Swannanoa Gathering's Contemporary Folk Week each summer, Garrison brings together amazingly talented groups of instructors for a week of work in songwriting, performance, vocal technique, and business classes. Past staffs have included Tom Paxton, Holly Near, Maura O'Connell, Johnsmith, Cosy Sheridan, Catie Curtis, Bob Franke, David Wilcox, Sloan Wainwright, Steve Seskin, Chuck Pyle, and Kate Campbell, among others.
At the Gathering, Garrison also offers a very unique program called Performance Lab, in which he works with a select group of musicians on performance issues and then takes the group on the road for a mini-tour of three leading North Carolina venues where they put their work to the test in real-life performance situations. (More information about the Swannanoa Gathering is available at )
As a producer, Eric has helped over 25 artists in his Connecticut studio, China Moon Productions, earning a reputation as a capable and empathetic musical mentor.
As a recording artist, Eric has 5 albums to his credit. "Simple Truths", his first, was a self-produced effort released in 1990. In 1992, he worked with producer Scott Petito on "Under a Winter Moon", a collection of six songs which was warmly received by folk DJ's across the country. In 1994, he teamed up with singer/instrumentalist Christina Muir for the children's collection "Over, Under, Around, and Through."
His 1998 release, "Looking for Egypt", features a stellar array of supporting musicians, including Garth Hudson and the late Rick Danko of legendary group The Band, as well as Rex Fowler of Aztec Two-Step, John McCutcheon, Leslie Ritter, Bar Scott, Bob Franke, and John Platania of Van Morrison's band, as well as producer Scott Petito. Looking for Egypt garnered national airplay and was well-received by reviewers.
In 2000, Garrison and Alabama singer Mae Robertson released a collection of songs about "home" aimed at the family market. Entitled "Sweet Dreams of Home," the CD has won numerous awards from Parents' Choice, the Oppenheim Foundation, and others.
Eric looks forward to the fall 2002 release of his new project, tentatively titled "Grace," which will be produced by Nashville legend Bil VornDick.
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