Heidi Muller & Bob Webb
Enterprise, Oregon, United States | SELF
Music
Press
“One of the dulcimer community’s best songwriters and performers…”
- Dulcimer Players’ News
“Muller’s songs express down-to-earth sentiments in lovely poetry… She sounds like she truly loves singing and wants nothing more than to share that with you.”
- Rich Warren, Sing Out!
“Lark-voiced singer and talented songwriter.” - Charleston Gazette
" Heidi has a voice that could melt the proverbial heart of stone... You simply must hear this singer!"
- Sandy Paton, Folk-Legacy Records
" A disarming and mature songwriter."
- Dirty Linen
"Always a crowd pleaser, Heidi is gentle, kind and full of spirit... one of the finest vocalists we have ever hosted."
- Saturday Night in Marblehead
"One of the finest songwriters and performers in the contemporary folk field... a Northwest treasure." - Chris Lunn, Victory Music
"Heidi’s high, clear alto voice can be playful, powerful, or heart warming. She accompanies herself with guitar and a mountain dulcimer which she plays in a unique style that is skillful without being flashy. ... She fills her most powerful songs with compelling, vivid natural images expressing her love of the northwest." - Folkstuff, Cornell Folk Song Club
“Heidi Muller is arguably Seattle’s most beloved folk singer/songwriter...In a culture simultaneously poisoned by cynicism and starving on empty new-age fluff, Muller’s songs offer a meaningful alternative that constitutes chicken soup, not cotton candy, for the soul. Muller’s warm, playful sense of humor is the common element that shines through them all."
- Doug Bright, Heritage Music Review
"The best of Heidi is in public where her concerts are a living room gathering of friends, stories and sings that mix the joy, sorrow, humor and hope of life in a manner that entertains, involves and raises spirits."
- Percy Hilo, Victory Review
" Muller has the glowing talent of an artist who can connect her extraordinary heart with ordinary scenarios. Her phrases are poetic genius and her lyrics flow faultlessly... Muller’s mountain dulcimer and clear voice blend purely like the night sky and the stars."?
- Heartsong Review
- Reviews, articles, venues
“One of the dulcimer community’s best songwriters and performers…”
- Dulcimer Players’ News
“Muller’s songs express down-to-earth sentiments in lovely poetry… She sounds like she truly loves singing and wants nothing more than to share that with you.”
- Rich Warren, Sing Out!
“Lark-voiced singer and talented songwriter.” - Charleston Gazette
" Heidi has a voice that could melt the proverbial heart of stone... You simply must hear this singer!"
- Sandy Paton, Folk-Legacy Records
" A disarming and mature songwriter."
- Dirty Linen
"Always a crowd pleaser, Heidi is gentle, kind and full of spirit... one of the finest vocalists we have ever hosted."
- Saturday Night in Marblehead
"One of the finest songwriters and performers in the contemporary folk field... a Northwest treasure." - Chris Lunn, Victory Music
"Heidi’s high, clear alto voice can be playful, powerful, or heart warming. She accompanies herself with guitar and a mountain dulcimer which she plays in a unique style that is skillful without being flashy. ... She fills her most powerful songs with compelling, vivid natural images expressing her love of the northwest." - Folkstuff, Cornell Folk Song Club
“Heidi Muller is arguably Seattle’s most beloved folk singer/songwriter...In a culture simultaneously poisoned by cynicism and starving on empty new-age fluff, Muller’s songs offer a meaningful alternative that constitutes chicken soup, not cotton candy, for the soul. Muller’s warm, playful sense of humor is the common element that shines through them all."
- Doug Bright, Heritage Music Review
"The best of Heidi is in public where her concerts are a living room gathering of friends, stories and sings that mix the joy, sorrow, humor and hope of life in a manner that entertains, involves and raises spirits."
- Percy Hilo, Victory Review
" Muller has the glowing talent of an artist who can connect her extraordinary heart with ordinary scenarios. Her phrases are poetic genius and her lyrics flow faultlessly... Muller’s mountain dulcimer and clear voice blend purely like the night sky and the stars."?
- Heartsong Review
- Reviews, articles, venues
HEIDI MULLER AND BOB WEBB Seeing Things
Sing Out! The Folk Song Magazine, Fall, 2006 by Rich Warren
It's hard to imagine Heidi Muller in West Virginia. Her first five CDs were the heart and soul of the Pacific Northwest. Then she met multi-instrumentalist Bob Webb from West Virginia at a music conference and now they are a duo in all aspects of life. Although Muller gives Webb equal billing, this is her CD on which Webb accompanies her on dulcimer, guitar, mandolin and electric cello. Muller continues to play guitar or dulcimer on all of the baker's dozen songs and instrumentals, except for the a capella "Snowdrops." That song is the history of one strong woman from birth to death in Sullivan County, symbolized by the snowdrop flowers that bloom there. Muller wrote all the songs with vocals, except for "I Will" by Lennon and McCartney. Instrumentals include compositions by Webb, Ernie Carpenter and J.S. Bach. Muller's songs are delightful. They express down-to-earth sentiments in lovely poetry on a wide variety of topics, including the history of her new home starting 500 years earlier. She also expresses a great sense of humor in "My Barista" about trying to find a great cup of espresso in her new home, compared with Seattle. The good news is that she found one, which is probably how she managed to produce the CD. The beauty of Muller is not merely the quality of her voice, which is a pleasure, but that she imbues her voice with a great smile that busts through the polycarbonate to reach your ears. She sounds like she truly loves singing and wants nothing more than to share that with you. Not to overlook Webb, a skilled picker who adds a great deal to this recording. Seeing Things is the kind of CD you can program to repeat and it will continue to sound fresh and charming.--RWarr
- Sing Out!
HEIDI MULLER AND BOB WEBB Seeing Things
Sing Out! The Folk Song Magazine, Fall, 2006 by Rich Warren
It's hard to imagine Heidi Muller in West Virginia. Her first five CDs were the heart and soul of the Pacific Northwest. Then she met multi-instrumentalist Bob Webb from West Virginia at a music conference and now they are a duo in all aspects of life. Although Muller gives Webb equal billing, this is her CD on which Webb accompanies her on dulcimer, guitar, mandolin and electric cello. Muller continues to play guitar or dulcimer on all of the baker's dozen songs and instrumentals, except for the a capella "Snowdrops." That song is the history of one strong woman from birth to death in Sullivan County, symbolized by the snowdrop flowers that bloom there. Muller wrote all the songs with vocals, except for "I Will" by Lennon and McCartney. Instrumentals include compositions by Webb, Ernie Carpenter and J.S. Bach. Muller's songs are delightful. They express down-to-earth sentiments in lovely poetry on a wide variety of topics, including the history of her new home starting 500 years earlier. She also expresses a great sense of humor in "My Barista" about trying to find a great cup of espresso in her new home, compared with Seattle. The good news is that she found one, which is probably how she managed to produce the CD. The beauty of Muller is not merely the quality of her voice, which is a pleasure, but that she imbues her voice with a great smile that busts through the polycarbonate to reach your ears. She sounds like she truly loves singing and wants nothing more than to share that with you. Not to overlook Webb, a skilled picker who adds a great deal to this recording. Seeing Things is the kind of CD you can program to repeat and it will continue to sound fresh and charming.--RWarr
- Sing Out!
Discography
Dulcimer Moon (Heidi Muller & Bob Webb, 2013)
Light the Winter’s Dark (Heidi Muller & Bob Webb, 2011)
Songs from the End of the Road (wallowasong.com, 2008)
Seeing Things (Heidi Muller & Bob Webb, 2005)
Gypsy Wind (Heidi Muller, 2001)
Giving Back (Heidi Muller, 1996)
Cassiopeia (Heidi Muller, 1992)
Matters of the Heart (Heidi Muller, 1989)
Between the Water and the Wind (Heidi Muller, 1985)
Photos
Bio
Heidi Muller and Bob Webb perform an eclectic mix of original songs, traditional tunes and contemporary instrumentals. From Enterprise, Oregon, their shows feature Heidi's songwriting and crystalline vocals backed by both on guitar and Appalachian dulcimer, and with Bob additionally on electric cello and mandolin. Heidi was a well-known performer in the Pacific Northwest for two decades before moving back east, where she met Bob at a music conference. Bob’s multi-instrumental talents at accompaniment -- he’s a nine-year veteran of the Mountain Stage Band -- and skills as a recording engineer led to their further collaboration, and they began performing together in 2003. Heidi and Bob have appeared on Mountain Stage, at the Tumbleweed Music Festival, NewSong Festival, Summer Fishtrap, Augusta Heritage Center, Kentucky Music Week, Central Florida Dulcimer and Autoharp Festival, Dulcimer Chautauqua on the Wabash, and concerts for the Seattle Folklore Society, Linden Tree Coffeehouse, Louisville Dulcimer Society and National Music Museum, to name a few. They have shared the stage with musicians including Bill Staines, Robin and Linda Williams, Tim Grimm, Crooked Still, Kate Campbell, Johnsmith and Small Potatoes. They have released three CDs together, besides Heidi’s previous five solo CDs.
Rich Warren of Sing Out! magazine writes, “Muller’s songs express down-to-earth sentiments in lovely poetry… she sounds like she truly loves singing and wants nothing more than to share that with you.” The Victory Review describes her songs as “created from true heart.” Praised by Dulcimer Players’ News as “one of the dulcimer community’s best songwriters and performers”, Heidi has shared her music across the country for over 25 years, headlining at festivals including Kerrville and South Florida Folk and opening for such artists as Nanci Griffith, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Tanglefoot, Bill Staines and Jean Ritchie. She has recorded eight CDs including Seeing Things, Light the Winter’s Dark and Dulcimer Moon with Bob Webb, and collaborated with three other Northwest songwriters on the compilation Songs From the End of the Road. Heidi’s song “Good Road” has been the theme song of the Inland Folk radio show for over 20 years, heard throughout Washington State on Northwest Public Radio. She has published a book of original songs named Good Road, has several dulcimer songbooks to her credit, and worked with the community of Big Ugly Creek, WV from 2004 to 2007 to produce a 200-page book of oral histories and songs named Patchwork Dreams.
Bob Webb has played cello and guitar since childhood, and dulcimer and mandolin for over 25 years. Born in South Carolina and raised in Arlington, VA, he lived in Atlanta and New Orleans before moving to West Virginia as part of the back-to-the-land movement in the 1970’s. His New Orleans-based bluegrass group Swampgrass went to Vietnam for USO’s last tour for the troops. In West Virginia, Bob was a founding member of Stark Raven that became the house band for the National Public Radio show, Mountain Stage. In his years on the show he accompanied musical stars Odetta, Tom Paxton, Shawn Colvin, Arlo Guthrie and many others. Bob is also a recording engineer and producer. He has recorded CDs for jazz guitarist Ryan Kennedy, Mountain Stage music director Ron Sowell, Bare Bones, Jon Wikstrom, Homemade Jam and many others. Bob collaborated with Kate Long on two award-winning productions -- the 2002 radio series “In Their Own Country”, which was nominated for a Peabody Award, and the 2008 radio documentary “Kettle Bottom.” A song he engineered for Ann Savoy, that was recorded in his studio by the Red Stick Ramblers, was included in the 2006 movie “All the King’s Men.” Bob also directed programming at Great Oak Farm and Creative Capers kids’ camps in WV, taught over 700 children and adults to make and play his own design of cardboard dulcimers and, with Heidi, developed the Music Mentors program that gives music lessons to at-risk children in Charleston, WV.
For more information, please see www.heidimuller.com and www.myspace.com/heidimullerbobwebb.
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