Kort McCumber

Artist Information

Biography

KORT McCUMBER: Americana Music * Singer Songwriter * Multi-Instrumentalist

"Good music is good music no matter what you call it and Kort's music certainly qualifies for good...no make that GREAT…"
-- B. Dutch Seyfarth, No Depression

An incredibly talented multi-instrumentalist, dedicated performer, prolific songwriter, gifted and expressive vocalist, Kort McCumber has wandered beyond good and into the elusive land of great. More than a decade into his musical pilgrimage, he continues to define, and redefine, his sound, his persona, his love for music and his unwavering commitment to bringing good music, "no make that great" music, to listeners throughout the United States, Europe and Australia. And, as with any true pilgrimage, it's not merely about defining and redefining, but more about discovering and rediscovering the person behind the persona.

"Writing and performing music feels like an extension of myself. I'm most comfortable in life when I am playing music. I love being able to share that with other musicians and with listeners. It makes me feel good and full and I always hope that will carry over to the crowd. That is my goal when I play. I love that transfer of energy."

While he readily admits to loving the 'playing music part of it … anywhere, anytime'', it's the in between times that get tough; the getting there, getting set up, getting packed up and getting up to get going to the next show that makes the road wearisome. That and the fact that he misses his home, wife, dogs "and the sanity they afford me. But when I weigh it all out, I know this is what I want to do. This is what I gotta do."

Along the way, he's discovered a thing or two - about himself, about life on the road, life off the road, along the road, beside the road and beyond the road. That's the essence of Americana. And Kort captures it. Luckily, for us, it's a catch and release program. Self-discovery, after all, means little if there isn't a broader revelation, one that compels the explorer to say what he's heard, to show what he's seen and to share what he's felt. Americana is, or ought to be, a nod to the past, a snapshot of the present and a hopeful yearning for the future, born in an intimate understanding of what life in America is - on, off, along, beside and beyond each and every road.

"I travel these highways/and listen to the wheels roll along …" Kort McCumber in ‘Middle Child’

"I don't know for sure," says Kort, "but I'd guess I'm creeping up on a half a million miles over the last ten years." That's a lot of miles, a lot of smiles, and a fair share of calamities, mishaps and broken-down rigs along the way. Not all the stories are born when the "wheels roll along." Some roll along when the wheels don't. And, it’s that in-between time that gives Kort the chance to continually rediscover everything that is good, bad and real in America. His ability to capture and relate those discoveries is what makes Kort a truly great purveyor of restorative Americana.

"I really felt early on that playing music full time was something I was supposed to do, that it chose me. It's been over ten years now, and I haven't looked back."

After moving to Colorado in 2003, Kort’s music took a decidedly more country/bluegrass turn and dug deeper into the roots of his Scotch-Irish heritage. In 2007, he released his sixth CD, “Lickskillet Road,” featuring appearances from Vince Gill, Sally Van Meter, Don Conoscenti and more. In 2008, he was back in the mixing booth putting the finishing touches on a live DVD, captured at the famed Boulder Theater. Last year, he released two equally defining CD’s, Moors & McCumber, a collaborative effort with Wisconsin songwriter James Moors, and the critically acclaimed Ain’t The Same As Before: Like the title suggests, this latest effort literally “ain’t the same as before”. Less country, more gritty; less acoustic, more electric; less tentative and more confident; this CD puts Kort into a broader category of Americana, with an increased social and musical consciousness.

“While most Americana records released by well known artists this year so far have all been pretty good, I'd have to say that the difference between Kort's new record and all of the other releases thus far in 2009 is sorta like the difference between running into a familiar acquaintance or sharing a beer with an old friend. After almost 2 months of repeated listens to Kort's new album, I continue to find new treasures buried in the songs that somehow comfort me or give words to the frustrations of modern daily life. For these reasons alone, Kort McCumber's fantastic new album gets my vote for best Americana album of 2010.” - B. Dutch Seyfarth, No Depression

Whether it’s been ten years of evolution or ten seconds of revolution – it really doesn’t matter. What does matter is that Kort continues to search for, find and share new music - music that ventures beyond good and into the realm of great. They say an expert is anyone who comes from more than 50 miles away and carries a brief case. About 300 nights a year, that’s Kort! His brief case is a motor home filled with guitars, banjos, mandolin, bouzouki, harmonicas and a plethora of great original tunes. Night after night, Kort weaves a rich and diverse tapestry of musical experience, skill and energy into each and every show. The live experience is a must for any and every fan of on-the-road Americana.

The recordings speak for themselves. Follow the musical pilgrimage through the years and listen to the evolution and revolution of Kort’s sound. Where does it go from here? Time will tell. But one thing is certain – the attention to detail and commitment to quality that forms the foundation of each and every seemingly new moment will always remain. In fact, that is the map that has led Kort into, and will continue to lead him deeper into, the land of great.

songwriter-Kevin Deforrest

***Recent Highlight Performances***
2010 Main Stage at Groovefest in Cedar City, UT
2009-2010 Clay County Fair Main Stage in Green Cove Springs, FL
2009 SW Regional Finalist for the Mountain Stage New Song Competition
2009 Main Stage at Solarfest in Tinmouth, VT
2009 Main Stage at Flat Rock Music Festival in Flat Rock, NC
2009 Finalist for the ISC, International Songwriting Competition (over 15,000 entries) The song "Middle Child" won honorable mention in the Country category
2008 Winner of the Flat Rock Music Festival songwriting competition in Flat Rock, NC
2008 Main Stage at Founders Title Folk & Bluegrass Festival which featured Tim O'Brien, Sam Bush Band, Chatham County Line, Hackensaw Boys, Lori McKenna, Peter Rowan, The Wilders and Cherryholmes.
2008 Kort selected as a nominee for the
ISSA contest: Independent Singer-Songwriter Association
2008 Bohemian Nights at New West Fest in Ft. Collins, CO wich featured Taj Mahal Trio and Little Feat
2008 Main Stage at Carbondale Mountain Fair in Carbondale, CO
2008 CD Release at the Boulder Theater, Boulder CO with opening Special Guests Mollie O'Brien & Rich Moore
2008 Lickskillet Road named a Finalist for BEST ROOTS CD OF 2007 by Indie Acoustic Project!
--
2007 Winner of the Founders Title Folk and Bluegrass Festival Songwriter Showcase
2007 Sundance Film Festival Songwriter Showcase
2006 Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder CO opening for Rosanne Cash
2006 Fox Theater, Colorado
2006 Boulder Theater, Colorado
2006 Sundance Film Festival, Utah
2005 Rocky Mountain Folk Festival (Wildflower Stage), Colorado
2005 Songwriter Competition Finalist Susquehanna Music Festival, Maryland
2005 “Greetings From McCumberland Gap” Finalist, Best Roots CD 2005 by Indie Acoustic Project
2004 “Until I Return” Finalist, Best Americana CD 2004 by Indie Acoustic Project
2001, 2002, 2003 Nashville River Stages (only musician to appear 3 years in a row;
previous artists include Bob Dylan, Black Crowes, and The Wallflowers)
2001, 2002, 2003 Opened for Vince Gill in Nashville, Tennessee
2002 Performed Kort’s original song “Living On” with the Jacksonville Symphony
Orchestra in their Memorial Day Tribute Concert, Florida

Instrumentation

Ian Morlock - Drums
Ray Smith - Vocals, Electric Guitar

Discography

"Ain't The Same As Before" - 2010 w/ Russ Lawton on Drums
"Moors & McCumber" -2009
"Live Licks from the Boulder Theater" - 2008 Live DVD
"Lickskillet Road"- 2007 w/ special guest Vince Gill
"Greetings from McCumberland Gap" - 2005 w/ special guest Tim Stafford
"Until I Return" - 2004 w/ special guests Don Conoscenti and Ellis Paul
"Bobber's Bentgrass" - 2003 - EP - Bluegrass CD
"...after the rain" - 2002
"Somewhere To Go" - 2000

Links

• Facebook

Audio

• Shaking Off These Blues
  Listen  
• Pay The Fiddler
  Listen  
• Your Father's Son
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• Couldn't Make It On My Own
  Listen  
• Middle Child
  Listen  
• Take Me To Mexico
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• O'Brien's Dance
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• Chenille
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• Highway 50
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• Hard Livin' Blues
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Middle Child
• Broke, Homeless & Lonely
• I Drank A Lot
• Take Me To Mexico
• Pay The Fiddler

Video

Slipstream-from Songs from the Silo

Photo Gallery

Press

• Kort McCumber releases new album and raises the bar with the best americana album of 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  The last few months in my family have been a challenge of the sort that we all go through at one tim...The last few months in my family have been a challenge of the sort that we all go through at one time or another: relationships coming to an end, new relationships forming, love, pain, and the whole crazy thing (to quote Keith Urban). With all of this as my recent frame of reference in life, perhaps the new album from Colorado's Kort McCumber couldn't have come at a better time. A good musician can make you forget about your troubles for a little while; a great musician can provide words of encouragement and sympathy that stick in your psyche and grease the wheels of progress to transcend the monotonous grind of daily life.
  
  Kort McCumber's new album "Ain't the Same as Before" is that truly great album and KortMcCumber has eased into the role of a truly great musician.
  
  The absolute best track of "Ain't the Same as Before" has to be track four, the uptempo country rock song "Pay the Fiddler" which eloquently covers the subjects of modern day greed and corporate shenanigans better than damn near any song I've ever heard yet. The rest of the brilliantly produced album is a blend of haunting ballads, simmering country blues, and folk rock that recounts other tales of the difficulties of a man meandering his way through life's challenges. Much to my delight whether intentional or not, I kept noticing a profound Mark Knopfler / Dire Straits-esque emotional sparseness from the lead guitar throughout the record which complimented the heartfelt lyrics of each song as well.
  
  While most records americana records released by well known artists this year so far have all been pretty good, I'd have to say that the difference between Kort's new record and all of the other releases thus far in 2009 is sorta like the difference between a running into a familiar acquaintance or sharing a beer with an old friend. After almost 2 months of repeated listens to Kort's new album, I continue to find new treasures buried in the songs that somehow comfort me or give words to the frustrations of modern daily life. For these reasons alone, Kort McCumber's fantastic new album gets my vote for best americana album of 2009.

• Music and golf fit together perfectly for McCumber [+ Show ]
  

  Singer-songwriter Kort McCumber says he is grateful for two gifts passed on to him by his parents: h...Singer-songwriter Kort McCumber says he is grateful for two gifts passed on to him by his parents: his musical talent and the ability to play golf.
  
  The former Middleburg resident and graduate of St. Johns Country Day School is the son of Jim McCumber, a golf course designer (his father owns McCumber Golf, a worldwide leader in course design and operations), and Joy Myers, a musician who played with the Jacksonville Symphony for two decades.
  
  His uncle is pro golfer Mark McCumber, who spent nearly 30 years on the PGA Tour and now plays on the Senior Tour.
  
  "Music and golf are two things you can do all of your life," said McCumber, who attended both the University of Virginia and the University of Florida on golf scholarships. "I love them both. I can go out and play golf all day and then turn around and play music all night."
  
  McCumber, who now lives in Colorado with his wife, Amy, and their two dogs, Guinness and Nugget, describes his place of residence as "on top of the world at the bottom of Lickskillet Road," just west of Boulder, Colo.
  
  Many of McCumber's songs are influenced by his life in the mountains, where he always dreamed he would live.
  
  Currently on tour with his band, The McCumberland Gap, he recently performed at the Friday Musicale in Jacksonville.
  
  "I love coming home, but I always knew I would live in the mountains," said McCumber. "I feel comfortable there, and it inspires me."
  
  A classically trained pianist and cellist, McCumber, 30, is an accomplished musician who plays a number of instruments including guitar, mandolin, banjo, harmonica, piano and bouzouki.
  
  He is right at home on stage. His relaxed style, which includes conversation with the audience about his family, friends and home life, was lighthearted and humorous.
  
  The band's foot-tapping, feel-good musical performance included a number of original songs containing elements of country, blues, folk and bluegrass, and drew a standing ovation from the cheering crowd.
  
  Music is a serious business to McCumber, but it is also a family affair. His sister, Beth Wilberger, plays fiddle and sings harmonies with the band and during their recent performance in Jacksonville, their mom joined them on stage playing both piano and accordion.
  
  "When we were kids she [mom] lined up the whole family including all of my cousins like the Von Trapp children from The Sound of Music," McCumber said. "We all learned to play instruments at a very young age. She told us that music was a gift we could give to others."
  
  "I knew that I wanted to pattern my life after Maria Von Trapp," said Myers. "I wanted to become a nun at that time, yet I also dreamt of having a musical family that traveled and made people happy playing music for them. When my children were young, I was pretty relentless with teaching them to play, not only piano, yet another instrument. I loved violin and cello, and so that is what they played!
  
  "They are now teaching me how to play [accordion] with them in the bluegrass/folk/Americana music. And I'm lovin' it!
  
  "My dream as a 12-year-old girl came true - I'm truly thankful and feel very proud."
  
  Myers' legacy has now spread across the United States and into Europe.
  
  McCumber has spent the last 10 years playing more than 1,000 live shows throughout the U.S. and Europe.
  
  He released his first CD in 1999 and recently completed his sixth project, Lickskillet Road, featuring an appearance from country music star Vince Gill.
  
  McCumber met Gill in Tennessee.
  
  A love of golf originally brought the two together. A love of music sealed their collaboration.
  
  "He [Gill] is a big golfer, and he plays a course in Tennessee that was designed by my dad," McCumber said. "I knew I wanted to work with him, but I wasn't sure how to ask. A friend of mine said to just call him. I did. Working with him was the best experience of my life. He is a great guy."

• Mind the Gap [+ Show ]
  

  Kort McCumber started his music career in Nashville, but he found his roots in Colorado by Dave Ki...Kort McCumber started his music career in Nashville,
  but he found his roots in Colorado
  by Dave Kirby
  
  Despite the fact that the shrinkwrap on his sixth album, Lickskillet Road, has been cool for some time now, Kort McCumber will still be hosting a CD-release party for it at the Boulder Theater this Friday night.
  “The last couple of records, we didn’t really get a chance to do something here in Boulder, so this time we wanted to do something big.”
  Named for the bumpy foothills road west of town where McCumber lives, this latest release brims and crackles with original bluegrass and assorted Appalachia stylings, with a confident and buoyant energy that belies his 30 years. But while most of the record was finished a year ago, recorded largely at Jim Gilmour’s place in Vermont in fall of 2006, McCumber held it up in deference to a guest artist’s schedule.
  “I did the bulk of it in about a week, then worked on it over three days in December here in Colorado. Then we kind of sat on it for while so we could get Vince Gill to sit in on a couple of tracks.”
  McCumber’s history with the estimable country star extends back to the mid-’90s, when Gill was a regular at a charity gold tournament in Nashville — McCumber’s dad, who is founder of a renowned golf course design and operations company (his uncle is tour pro Mark McCumber) were friends-of-friends of Gill’s. Kort was a scholarship collegiate player, as well.
  “We’d go out and play golf during the day, and Vince would play some music in the evening. I got to meet him in his trailer one year, and he says, ‘So, you’re a songwriter. Just keep at it, keep doing what you’re doing and sooner or later you’ll get there.’
  “We stayed in touch over the years. He kind of watched my progression. The last record I left a message for him about getting to play, but didn’t really pursue it aggressively. This time, I managed to get him on the phone, and he said he’d love to play but was booked until May. So, we waited until he was free.”
  McCumber, who grew up in Jacksonville, spent some time in Nashville to expose himself to the business and make some contacts. But he says that he didn’t seriously immerse himself in roots music until he made his way to Colorado about four years ago. Since then he’s developed a solid writing partnership with Denver songwriter Kevin DeForrest
  “I knew that I was only going to be in Nashville for a little while. The thing is, the country music that’s produced there, the really commercial stuff, isn’t really the old style of country that I always liked. No pedal steel — maybe a tele here and there, but mostly it’s pop music.”
  His prior records lean more to the indie singer/songwriter motif, he says, and it wasn’t until he hit the thin air and the busy acoustic scene of the Front Range that he found his stride as a roots player.
  “It was totally the move to Colorado that inspired me to make this record. When I got here, I just couldn’t believe all the incredible players and bands that were happening in the acoustic music scene. I’ve been playing one instrument or another ever since I can remember, but I’ve always loved acoustic music — whether it’s Irish music or honky tonk or bluegrass or country.
  “It’s kind of weird that I had to move away from Nashville to really get into playing bluegrass and country music. All the players here, it seemed, developed their audience and styles on their own, without having the industry and all their rules telling them what it should sound like. Everyone here is open to playing any kind of music, crossing genres — and the thing is, they can play any kind of music.”
  McCumber’s sister, Beth — also a former collegiate golfer and lifelong musician who provides fiddle and vocal harmony in his band McCumberland Gap — has likewise relocated to Boulder, at her brother’s urging.
  “Once I got here, I realized the potential for making a living playing music, playing all the mountain towns and ski towns, and I told her she really needed to come out, also.
  “My dad used to ask me when I was going to come back to Florida, and I think he’s gotten the message that that’s probably not going to happen.”
  And what about the clubs?
  “Yeah, I get out to play once in a while. I’ll go out with some friends and still shoot right around par, and they’ll get on me about trying to make it out on tour. They don’t understand — making it as a touring golf pro is a lot harder than playing music for a living. I think I’ll stick with that.”
  On the Bill
  Kort McCumber & McCumberland Gap will perform with Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 4, at the Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., Boulder, 303-786-7030.
  Respond: letters@boulderweekly.com
  

• Kort McCumber Lickskillet Road CD Review [+ Show ]
  

  February 1, 2008 Kort McCumber Lickskillet Road Lucky Nugget Records 4 out of 5 Kort McCumbe...February 1, 2008
  Kort McCumber
  Lickskillet Road
  Lucky Nugget Records
  4 out of 5
  
  Kort McCumber is one of those guys on the local music scene that is, simply put, one hell of a nice guy. So it’s no wonder that when he sat down to record his latest album, Lickskillet Road, that he had a ton of fellow Front Range musicians who offered their help.
  
  McCumber is joined by Danny Shafer, Greg Schochet, Sally Van Meter, and other Coloradoans, but McCumber also goes a little Nashville with the help of Vince Gill, who plays on a couple tracks on the album.
  
  McCumber presented the CD at a release party in early January at the Boulder Theater to a packed house, and once you get the album on your stereo, it’s no wonder that so many folks showed up for the release.
  
  Ten years ago this album would have been labeled straight country, but these days, the more discerning palette can easily detect the Americana, bluegrass, folk, singer/songwriter and, yes, country influences that permeate the entire album. It’s not like McCumber has a song from each genre. He has found a way to blend them into one, and does so with an effortlessness that’s truly amazing.
  — Brian F. Johnson
  

• Kort McCumber to play opening day at Gold Hill Inn [+ Show ]
  

  The Gold Hill Inn is opening their doors for the 45th year on Friday, April 27th. This momentous occ...The Gold Hill Inn is opening their doors for the 45th year on Friday, April 27th. This momentous occasion will be accompanied by the musical ingenuity of Kort McCumber and McCumberland Gap. All concertgoers are invited to join the musicians to enjoy gourmet all-inclusive 6-course meal before the FREE show.
  Kort McCumber found his Folk spirit after years of orchestral training in Northern Florida. His string background shines brightly and his brilliant voice meshes impeccably with his sister, Beth McCumber Wilberger. “I grew up out in the sticks an hour outside of Jacksonville up on the Black Creek playing classical music,” explains McCumber, “My mom was a classical pianist in the Jacksonville Symphony so I started playing piano at the age of 4.” Kort continued on with Cello at the age of 8 and played solidly until the age of 16 before taking a break from the strict motifs of the classical style. “I picked up guitar about ten years ago at the age of 19 and started playing harmonica, bouzouki, banjo and mandolin a but later on.” His down-home roots writing style portrays the life of a Colorado mountain man akin to the old-time spirit of Jeremiah Johnson.
  In January of 1859, a group of prospectors panned and dug their way up Four Mile Canyon in search of gold. They discovered the precious metal in Gold Hill and the town site began upon the formation of Mountain District #1 – Nebraska Territory. In 1872 The Wentworth Hotel was built and housed such notables as Clarence Darrow and Eugene Field. In 1920 the hotel became the Bluebird Lodge where many women came up to vacation from Chicago until women’s rights greatly improved in the late 1950’s. In 1962, the hotel changed hands once more and new life began once more at The Gold Hill Inn.
  Over the years, many incredible musicians have graced the stage at the mountain venue including Peter Rowan, Charles Sawtelle, Hot Rize, Tim O’Brien, Left Hand String Band, Leftover Salmon, Sam Bush and Stephen Stills. This summer, Kort McCumber will release a new CD entitled “Lickskillet Road” which documents his life in Colorado. As he elaborates, “Six out of the thirteen songs on the new album reference my life in and around Gold Hill. My music is inspired by the history, beauty and charm of this place I am fortunate to call home. It’s always a privilege to play this room.” This Friday Kort will be accompanied by his sister Beth on fiddle and vocals and Dan Rose on upright bass and mandolin. Showtime begins at 9pm. For more information logon to www.kortmusic.com and for directions to The Gold Hill Inn logon to www.goldhillinn.com or call 303-443-6461.
  

• Kort McCumber
  

  "One of Colorado's finest songwriters"

• Kort McCumber-Lickskillet Road Cd Review [+ Show ]
  

  Publication: Maverick-Country Kort McCumber Lickskillet Road Lucky Nugget Records JKM006 4 ½ sta...Publication: Maverick-Country
  Kort McCumber
  Lickskillet Road
  Lucky Nugget Records JKM006
  4 ½ stars
  
  Thank God new music still excites me-a true golden nugget of a record.
  Kort McCumber is yet another of those great unheralded Americana singer-songwriters and I'm more than a little gobsmacked that I've only just discovered him. I've always prided myself on being pretty much aware of all the good'uns out there and rather blindly assumed this was his debut album. After many listens I have just fallen totally in love with it. So imagine my total surprise when I finally got around to reading his press release to discover that LICKSKILLET ROAD is his sixth album. How come, I asked myself, could he have made five previous albums and remained way beneath my usually reliable radar? Especially as this is one of the best albums I've heard this year-and I have to say, there's been some pretty amazing ones so far.
  Middle Child starts out the CD with a great lolloping groove and a memorable melody. Sort of sets the tone for what is to come, tells the story of being a restless guy seeking his life role. Some great, great mandolin courtesy of Vince Gill (who also adds harmonies), lots of nice guitar, Dobro (Sally Van Meter) and pedal steel. Got Me A Woman is much more edgy with impeccable acoustic guitar picking from Gill, and Kort adding his own banjo and harmonica to the mix. Just as impressive is the plaintive One Day, with a great airy feel that reminds me of David Ball. On personal/reflective pieces like There'll Be Time and Lucky Man he sings with authority and passion. Kort McCumber is equally skilled at using both sentiment and humour without going overboard with either and really lives out his songs so that you become completely involved with what you’re listening to. Possibly the discovery of the year. AC
  

• Live Licks from the Boulder Theater-DVD Review [+ Show ]
  

  4 out of 5 stars This is a really well done video of a really well done country set at the Boulder ...4 out of 5 stars
  This is a really well done video of a really well done country set at the Boulder Theater. McCumber harnesses the power of Colorado’s former country-fried artists and blends it with a Todd Snider-esque delivery that is sincere and professional. Having Greg Schochet on guitar and mando certainly doesn’t hurt either.
  McCumber has been churning out Colorado country for several years now, and this video confirms that he’s getting better and better with age — like an old pair of boots.
  -Brian F. Johnson

Setlist

Kort's show consists of about 80% original tunes with a few traditional favorites mixed in. Generally, 2- 45 minute sets when it is a listening room environment, but we also do 3 to 4 sets in clubs and bars. Kort is flexible and is willing to work with the venue to customize a show for the situation.

Basic Requirements

Calendar