Naomi Burkhart

Naomi Burkhart was born of the earth and was raised on the blues and prairie thunder. As a youngster she became an experimenter - finding out what music means on her own terms. There was punk rock, psychedelia, mix tapes, angst, wild haircuts, keen eyes and long days. Eventually her road led to Bolivia via fundraising and a benefit show where she sang somber jazz backed up by the legend Ronnie Hayward on bass. We did not see her for some time but when she returned to Canada Naomi had tales of food, mountains, people - folk music. The sincerity of children, the common thread of stories told, hopes & woes shared were evoking more passion, more focus, and more song.
Attending the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Naomi discovered the music room. Hidden, but unlocked, under the student residence, the multiple pianos and gorgeous acoustics led to sessions with local and touring musicians - and ultimately the realization that academia was not her way to freedom. Summers in Canada make for excellent road trips, and Naomi takes advantage of these. Packing up into her trusty car with her autoharp, her lover and her dog, Naomi conquered the west. From Winnipeg to Calgary to Vancouver Island, Naomi met, shared, and sang with her fellow troubadours and minstrels - playing in tea houses and at house shows, at folk fests and on the radio.
Naomi continued with her floor-shaking folk shows straight down on into California where she was blessed by elders of wisdom and joy. She was invited to record professionally, and has since been back for follow-up recordings which have led to the release of her cassette Dark Sweet Love EP, a hand-made CDR release Sparrow, and now a professional full length.
Residing temporarily in Quebec City and learning the art of the Quebecois call-and-response songs, then devoting summer to be blown by the wind in the Maritimes, Naomi will make the best of the music by loving travel and make the best of travel by loving vitality. The car never left Oregon, but she can't be held back by four wheels and may soon be standing on your side of the highway. Mrs Burkhart will no doubt be a common name to see on independent radio charts in days to come. Her live shows will have you stomping and singing along - and wanting more still, while her recordings will chill you, make you cry, and then shout with excitement. Her expansive repertoire of folk songs, her working knowledge of pop music, and her skill with the written word make her a true folk singer. If the wind blows her your way, count your lucky stars, and expect to hear very soon from this deep-voiced itchy-footed hootenanny storm of a chanteuse.