Blue Willow (Bob Welch/Helen Reisen)
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Blue Willow (Bob Welch/Helen Reisen)

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Band Folk Acoustic

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Music

Press


"Blue Willow Live Shows"

"...well known in the Dubuque area for their musical talents and ability to relate to a crowd. You'll enjoy every minute of an evening with this duo." - Dubuque 365.com


""They were terrific!""

"They were terrific! The duo had a fabulous rapport with the audience...for live music, my first call will be to Blue Willow."

(Shelly Grokowsky, Area Marketing Manager/Borders Books/Music/Cafe.) - Borders Books


""You can't miss with this pair!""

"Robert and Helen always draw a large crowd! For good reason. Great musicians with a wide range of songs. You can't miss with this pair." - Access Dubuque Web Site


Discography

"Sunsets and Dreams" CD Robert A. & Helen-2001
"Flame and Fortune" CD Robert A. & Helen-2003

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

Bob Welch and Helen Reisen are the acoustic duo, "Blue Willow." Helen seems to have a natural ability to perform songs from many different genres and make them her own. The "queen of harmony" always seems to lend just the right mood, the right harmony that makes one of Bob's compositions come alive. Her 12 string guitar provides a richness to the texture of their music, recorded and live. She also plays the 12 string and leads the choir at Sylvia Switch church, in her hometown of Zwingle, IA.

After performing his first "paying gig" at the age of 13, Bob Welch was hooked on making music.
It was the Beatles who ignited his life long love of the guitar and making music in general, it was Bob Dylan and Paul Simon that sparked the songwriter within.

A multi-instrumentalist, Bob plays guitar, dobro, harmonica, mandolin and the full menu of percussion instruments.
Bobs song, "Population 692", received an Honorable Mention in the July/August 2005 lyric contest, sponsored by Nashville based, "American Songwriter" magazine.
"Population 692" got Bob a listing on the "Suggested Artist" list in the "Song of the Year" International songwriting competition for May, 2005, and again in "Song of the Years" Lyric competition in August, 2005. Recognized four times by the Song of the Year International Songwriting Competition, he was a top four finalist in 2004 for "Snow Flakes In June (A Daughter's Wedding Day.)" Bob was also a finalist in the 2004 songwriting competition sponsored by the Fondy Acoustic Music Alliance, Fond Du Lac, WI.

As a solo artist and as part of the duo, "Blue Willow", he picks and sings his way through around 70 performances a year in Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. Venues including the legendary Tootsie's Orchid Lounge in Nashville, TN. Cafe Carpe in Ft. Atkinson, WI, Mad Folk's "Folk @ One" concert series on State Street in Madison, WI. and The Wild Hog In The Woods, Madison, WI.

Welch has been a guest and his music featured most recently on WORT radio in Madison, WI. Down On The Corner with Bob Dorr on Iowa Public Radio, KUNI, and Midwest Music Makers on KGRR radio, Dubuque, IA.

Bob and his songs have also been featured in numerous print publications, including Midwest Folk Magazine, River Stages, Dubuque Vue 365, Juliens Journal and the nationally distributed, Gettysburg Companion. (Bob also provides period music for numerous Civil War battle re-enactments.)