Charlie Spring
Seattle, Washington, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Charlie Spring's debut CD recording, A Grateful Man, welcomes you like an old friend. Reminiscent of the laid-back country folk of the seventies, it sounds like a guy playing music on his back porch. The casual style is enhanced by skillful guitar work and a soulful singing voice, like Neil Young but without the whine. "The only thing we have to prove is what we prove to ourselves", says Charlie. Whether he is proving it to us or to himself, Charlie did a nice job on this album".
Betsy Welling
Victory Music Review, August 2003 - Victory Music Review, Aug 2003
"Charlie Spring is an inimitable tunesmith, a veteran songwriter with a gift for penning achingly beautiful lovesongs. At once reminiscent of Neil Young and Pete Seegar, Charlie's sincerity, wisdom and artistry (which shine through his songs) are an inspiration."
HarryO, Big Step Productions - Big Step Down Productions
Published: Friday, February 10, 2006 Everett Herald
By Sharon Wootton
Special to The Herald
Sometimes we get a second chance. Bothell's Charlie Spring did. He performed music from age 15 to 26, then gave it up for a day job and family responsibilities.
He worked in sales a long time before burning out, then injured his back driving a truck for a nonprofit agency. While recovering in 2000, he picked up the guitar and reconsidered his options.
Tonight, the singer-songwriter will perform in Everett in a double bill with Hettel Street Blues.
It will be one of hundreds of shows that he does each year, performing singer-songwriter concerts but also singing two or three times a day for seniors and the disabled.
His music has "developed into a full-time occupation. I have a lot of afternnon gigs for seniors and other groups that pay the bills."
Wearing his singer-songwriter hat, tonight Spring will perform his originals as well as covers. For his day job gigs, he's had to take a different approach.
"I used to be hung up on singing my own songs, especially back in the old days. But for the varied and diverse audiences I play for now, I had to develop an wide-ranging repertoire.
"I haven't written a song in three years but I've been on this journey, learning about 300 songs... a lot of old cowboy songs, Hank Williams stuff, Elvis, Nat King Cole, lots of '60s folk songs, old standards... it's certainly enriched my appreciation of music and history" he said.
Spring also works with Performing Hearts, a Seattle organization that takes music to those, including the homeless, whose situation prevents them from buying tickets. The organization pays musicians, for instance, to perform at Tent City.
Spring has produced one CD with original material, one covering songs that are in the public domain, and most recently an album of old favorite cowboy songs.
He also plays the harmonica. He was the frontman for a blues band in 1965, which he calls "the first white-boy blues band in the Seattle area," the 31st Street Blues Band. His band backed up John Lee Hooker on several occasions in Seattle, as well as Albert Collins.
While that dates Spring, he cautions against stereotypes: "I'm not an old guy, I'm a musician!"
7:30 tonight, Flying Pig, 2929 Colby Ave., Everett; $5-$10, all ages; 425-339-1393.
- Everett Herald,, Feb 10, 2006
Charlie Spring is "A Grateful Man", turns out he's got "A Real Fine Girl" on the hook, so throw some "Cool Water" on my face to calm me down - "I've Got Spurs" coming out my ear...
- Dewey
Glad to get your music out there. It should be heard, you have a really great sound. Looking forward to playing a show with you down the line.
Drew Dundon, DJ - KMTT 103.7 fm Seattle
I love your 'cowboy songs' album.
Very sweet tunes.
Eva Tree,
Seattle, Washington
Yeah, yeah! I live the honest touch of your songs and recordings. Encore!
Martin van de Vrugt
Deventer, Overijssel Netherlands
Love your unique read on "Cool Water, " one of my favorite Sons of the Pioneers tunes. These songs really come to life again when someone hears them afresh.
Urban DJin
Chicago, Illinois
Hey Charlie, I can hear the peace and quiet in your voice, it sounds fantastic.
Jacques Mees
Tilburg, Netherlands
Been listening to your CD. Sure do love your "Real Fine Girl." That's a good one!
Rachel Harrington
Seattle, Washington
Charlie Spring is "A Grateful Man", turns out he's got "A Real Fine Girl" on the hook, so throw some "Cool Water" on my face to calm me down - "I've Got Spurs" coming out my ear...
Dewey
Buford, Georgia
As for the old stuff - well - just gives us more material than those young punks - and our voices sound better as well!
Steve Horn
New Oxford, Pennsylvania
- various comments
Saturday 8:00 in the evening as I walked in through the old double doors I couldn’t help but notice the fact that Zoka’s epitomizes the fact that Seattle is the high tech capital of the world. There were more wireless laptops in this coffee shop that in some entire school districts. Finding a chair is certainly a challenge as this is a popular spot on a Saturday night.
Charlie setup in a quiet little corner of the room and used a small PA just the right size to carry over the droning sound of computer keyboard strokes and mouse clicks.
Charlie has a gentle easy vocal style that lends itself well to this room. He has a style reminiscent of snow covered silent hills and off in the distance you hear a train churning its way over each hill on its journey. After awhile the drive of the engine morphs into a heartbeat that sounds as comforting as a childs lullaby. Charlie pounds out the beating heart with each foot stomp while the rhythmic picking of the guitar adds a sustaining drive. Add to this Charlies smooth voice and you have a solid style that is unique and enjoyable.
Christie Aitkin joined Charlie to harmonize on “A Real Fine Girl” and "Thinkin ‘bout Love”. He continued throught the 2 hour set without a break and entertained his audience the entire time. As luck would have it, later on Charlie asked Christie and I to join him on a few numbers for some fun 3 part harmonies.
Though most of the room came here for the wireless access and the caffeinated delicacies of this roaster, on this evening atleast, they were treated to a fine performance by one of Seattle’s Best.
- Ron Dalton
Discography
A Grateful Man (2003 full length CD of my original songs, self-released) which continuues to receive local and internet radio airplay.
These Songs Are Your Songs ( 2005 full length CD, featuring folk songs from the Public Domain, self-released).
Cowboy Moon (2006 full length CD, best-loved songs of the Old West, self released).
Photos
Bio
I sing and play the guitar. I've been performing as a singer-songwriter, bandleader and musician in the Seattle area since 1965 (with a few years off in the 70's and 80's) and I've been a full-time musician since 2003.
I perform solo (occasionally adding a fine rhythm section) at many of Western Washington's live music venues as well as fairs, festivals (including NW Folklife Festival 2004, 05, 06, the Yakima Folklife Festival 2006, Bellevue Fesival of the Arts 2006, Tumbleweed Music Festival 2006), farmers markets, hayrides, hoedowns, house concerts, schools, benefits for good causes, private parties, art galleries, and special events. I'm planning a tour of the Western states, hopefully in the spring of 2007.
My live repitoire includes my original songs as well as a broad range of folk, blues, country and old favorites. Songs for everyone!
I've recorded three CD's since 2003, A Grateful Man (a collection of my own songs) and These Songs Are Your Songs (featuring folk songs from the public domain) and my newest, Cowboy Moon (thirteen of the most enduring songs of the Old West).
I recently began to host a monthly Songs-in-the-Round night at the popular "Egan's Ballard Jam House" in Seattle, featuring NW and touring songwriters. Performers have included Kellee Bradley, Jean Mann, Rachel Harrington, JD Hobson, Eva Tree, Joel Tepp and Eva Tree, with more to come...
In 2002, under the banner of Melody House Productions, I began to offer my music to a wider range of audiences which include seniors, children, developmentally disabled adults and children, assisted living patients, alzheimers patients, homeless men, women and children, and teen with special needs. Acting as my own booking agent, I now do over 400 performances a year for these audiences.
I am also affiliated with Performing heARTS, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing life-enriching performing arts experiences to audiences who are unable to access them on their own. I do Performing heARTS sponsored performances and I serve on their Board of Directors.
I've been priviledged to play for some great audiences over the years, as well as share the bill and play with many fine local musicians (and a few famous ones, too), including Christie Aitken, Amber Tide, Scott Andrew, Eric Apoe, Artis the Spoonman, Deborah Bartley, Paul Benoit, MJ Bishop, Camille Bloom, Kellee Bradley, Brian Butler, Carolyn Caruso, Carrie Clark, Rebecca Cohen, Albert Collins, Anna Coogan, Val D'Allesio, Nancy K Dillon, Drew Dundon, PK Dwyer, Emerald City Jug Band, Holly Figueroa, Reggie Garrett, Michael Guthrie, Judd Hamilton, Rachel Harrington, Don Haupt, Alicia Healy, Jim Hinde, JD Hobson, John Lee Hooker, Steve Key, Chris Leighton, David Maloney, Jean Mann, Paula Maya, Richard Middleton, Buddy Miles, Eric "Two Scoops" Moore, Kathryn Mostow, Larry Murante, Jed Myers, Kurt Myhaver, John Nelson, Lee Oskar, Jim Page, Sue Quigley, Carlos Santana, Max Schwennson, Snake Suspenderz, Stanislove, Alice Stuart, Joel Tepp, Amber Tide, Eva Tree, Kate Tucker, India Turner, Kym Tuvim, Leif Totusek, Daddy Treetops, Charlotte Vanderwolf, Steve Wacker, Wes Weddell, John Weiss, Bill White, Andrea Wittgens, Willow, Bill Wolford, Hans York, and Tiger Zane.
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