|
Bing Futch
Bing Futch has been
playing Appalachian mountain dulcimer since 1985 and is one of the most
high-profile performers of this uniquely American instrument today.
Devotees of CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) may recognize him as a
founding member of techno-punk trio CRAZED BUNNYZ, which enjoyed
moderate success in the underground music scene with college radio and
international airplay in the mid to late 80's. In 1999, he founded
Americana band MOHAVE, a free-wheeling, good-timing collective of
musicians that has performed at numerous festivals and county fairs,
played to audiences at venues such as Hard Rock Live Orlando and the
House Of Blues at Walt Disney World, and opened for national acts MOLLY
HATCHET, SUBJECT TO CHANGE, ST. SOMEWHERE, WRONG and THE CRESTS,
all while keeping the dulcimer front and center.
Over the years, he has also worked steadily as a
composer of music for film, television, theater, commercials and themed
attractions. In 1997, he served as composer and musical director of
"Jungle Book: The Musical", which ran for 67 shows in Orlando. He also
composed music for The Castle of Miracles at Give Kids The World Village
in Kissimmee, Florida.
As a solo performer, Bing displays the same
high-energy performances and engaging audience interaction that infuses
every MOHAVE show. His original songs are rooted within international
folk music, mixing African and Native American rhythms and melodies,
blues, bluegrass, funk, jazz, Dixieland, Celtic, country/western, middle
eastern and latin influences with original rock and pop grooves. Keeping
one foot firmly planted on traditional music soil, Bing explores
exciting new territory with the mountain dulcimer and Native American
Flute; from acoustic explorations to fully electric soundscapes.
Named "2006 Songwriter of the Year" by the
Songwriters Showcases of America with a 2007 award for "Song of the
Year" ("Crazy Feels Like"), Bing writes and sings tunes that defy
comparison due to their genre-hopping nature and rollercoaster approach
to subject matter. His clear and expressive tenor vocals alternately
whisper and wail from smooth, soulful depths to powerful high harmonies,
all wrapped in imaginative arrangements that are as unique as they are
catchy and memorable.
After discovering the mountain dulcimer in 1985
while working in parking control at Knott's Berry Farm theme park in
California, he quickly transferred to the Dulcimer Shop, which was owned
by Bud and Donna Ford. Twenty years of experimenting, practicing,
recording and performing went by before he finally got plugged into the
mountain dulcimer community. It was an out-of-the-blue phone call from
renowned dulcimer player and instructor Stephen Seifert that encouraged
him to bring his unique approach into the national dulcimer scene. Since
then, Bing has emerged on the festival circuit as a one-of-a-kind
performer and an innovative teacher of the instrument.
Bing has performed and taught at a number of
festivals including Jerry Rockwell's SEODfest, Roscoe Village Dulcimer
Days and Dulcimore in Ohio, the Mountain Music Festival in Manitou
Springs, Colorado; Kentucky Music Week in Bardstown; the Nutmeg Dulcimer
Festival in Hamden, Connecticut; the Gebhard Woods Dulcimer Festival in
Morris, Illinois; Redwood Dulcimer Day in Bonny Doon, California and the
NGFDA Fall Festival at Unicoi State Park in Helen, Georgia, just to name
a few.
In August of 2007, Bing became part of MANITOU, an
all-star "folk-fusion" group which includes Dave Batti, Robert Force,
Bud Ford III, Judy Piazza, Quintin Stephens and Roger Zimish. Their
album, "In The Garden Of The Gods", which was recorded live in Colorado
in the Garden of the Gods, was released late in summer of 2008.
Two solo releases from Bing in 2008 showcase his
theatrical sense of composition, performance and arrangement. "Kokopelli
Rising", released early in the year, showcases the Native American Flute
both solo and couched in organic and imaginative tapestries of
percussion and mountain dulcimer. His newest release, "Christmas
Each Day", is his first holiday recording and features everything from
traditional mountain dulcimer renditions of classic holiday favorites to
world-beat, gospel-blues and Celtic treatments of well-known carols and
hymns.
Bing endorses Folkcraft Instruments mountain
dulcimers and has been performing with them for over 15 years.
Instrumentation
Bing Futch - Vocals,
Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer, Native American Flute
Guy George
GUY GEORGE is a
rhythmic, melodic hammered dulcimer player with a definite jazz
influence to his playing style. He tours throughout the United States
and Canada performing and teach workshops on the hammered dulcimer,
steel drums, and penny whistle. He also plays steel drum to a very high
standard, often joining mountain dulcimer and other musicians,
complementing their performances. Having studied at Berklee College of
Music in Boston, Guy comes from a background in jazz and performance on
the saxophone.
|
