Biography
2001 RAW Awards Performer's Choice 1st Place
2002 RAW Awards Audience Choice 1st Place
2002 S.W. Songwriter Shootout Finalist
2002 Tuscan Folk Festival Finalist
2006 Telluride Bluegrass Festival, (Honorable Mention)
“Really, Really Good.”
Phoenix New Times
“Brett, who has worked with such other obscurity-haunted luminaries as Richie Havens, Rickie Lee Jones and Leo Kottke, falls deep into the hollow hole of Cohen’s resonance and rasps it right back up to Waits’ gravelly grace.”
- Desert Advocate
"Major talent"
Acoustic Scene Magazine (Sept. 99).
“A great songwriter, a great record.”
Bob St. John (Grammy winning producer)
Supporting/ Opening act for Shawn Mullins, Peter Mulvey, Ellis Paul, Jr. Brown, Kelly Joe Phelps, Todd Snider, Tracy Grammer, Hans Olson,John Gorka, Roy Rogers, Jeff Lang, Steve Poltz and more.
A seasoned performer with over 1000 gigs in music venues, micro breweries, coffee shops, farmers' markets, restaurants, festivals and private parties.
Voted Best Songwriter in Phoenix 2 years in a row
(RAW AWARDS). Made the top 20 in a field of 600 at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Songwriting Competition. Finalist in 2 national songwriting competetions (Cave Creek Shootout, Tucson Folk Festival)
An award winning author of over 500 songs Gus Brett is an true original. He plays a mixture of rock, blues, folk and country with deep grooves and thought provoking lyrics. This former head-banger and Zen monk now uses acoustic music to express his experience of earth, spirit and everything in-between. His musical strengths are his natural rhythm and lyrics. As a performer he excels at crowd interaction and humor and has a strong dedication to professional presentation.
Between the walls of black and white, right and wrong, pleasure and pain, you will find Gus Brett, singing his heart out and laughing into the microphone. Gus has risen from the ashes from many of life's challenges including chronic illness, to bring his music to the stage. From the pain of his life and the world's distress, Gus has found humor and a light heart to guide him throughout the musical journey.
Gus is a straight forward, honest person and performer. He doesn’t pretend to be an angel or a demon, but rather embraces his flaws and graces. Gus's benchmark as a performer is his stage presence, high energy output, humility, and dedication to his craft.
His paradoxical nature allows him to rock out or chill out depending the venue. Gus can play a church function in the morning and a bar gig that night.
Gus cares. He has played for burn survivors, high school seniors, hospice patients, people with mental disabilities, orphan support foundations, animal welfare groups, an inner city youth garden project, creative writing students (college and high school), and the elders at rest homes. Started an internet action network program that informs fans of legislative and humanitarian issues and been a freedom writer for Amnesty International. He has also taught Zen Meditation to children, seniors and adults at community colleges.
Produced and recorded three CDs: Soul In Hand, Simplified and Whispers From the Mind Volume One. Received air play on KVNF, KXCI, KRCL, WMUA, MILO.
As a professional sound engineer Gus has worked the boards for such greats as Richie Havens, Michelle Shocked, Greg Brown, Rickie Lee Jones, Alison Brown, Chris Smither, Willy Porter, David Wilcox, Eliza Gilkyson, Hal Ketchum, Janis Ian, Leo Kottke, Lucy Kaplansky, Patty Larkin, Sugarland and more. He brings his gear and his ears to every show, and puts great effort into the art of “Good Sound”.
Thank you for considering his services. Gus feels it’s a true gift to perform for a living and will work diligently to perform well at your venue.
Blessings to all.
Instrumentation
Gustavo Brett, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica, Stomp Box, plays (at times) with rhythm section backing tracks.. Two basic modes of performing 1) Mello Singer songwriter (restaurants, listening venues ect...) 2) Rocking Solo Acoustic Dance Music (Bars, Dance Venues Ect..)
Discography
Soul In Hand, Simplified, Orphan Of Love, Here To Please (Single)
Links
| http://www.gusbrett.com |