Événement

Focal Point Friends of Old-time Music presents: Dakota Dave Hull

Hailed by everyone from Dave Van Ronk to Doc Watson, from the Washington Post to Downbeat, Dakota Dave Hulls guitar style spans a wide musical geography to create an infectious, uniquely personal blend of jazz, ragtime, folk, blues, Western swing, and vintage pop. Dakota Dave is a restlessly curious, adventurous traveler along the broad highway of Americas music. In his playing the masters speak, but in a vocabulary that is Daves alone: alternatively mirthful and moving, always melodic.

A gifted composer as well as a strikingly original interpreter of older tunes, Dave calls what he does classic American guitar. Folk legend Van Ronk called Dave one of the best guitarists in the world.

Most of all, Dakota Daves music is great fun. As Douglas Green (Ranger Doug of Riders in the Sky) puts it, There is an imp within Dave Hull that always expresses itself on the fretboard; a witty, intelligent, yet respectful imp who frolics in his music, an imp Dakota Dave neither fights nor lets take control, but simply absorbs into the heart of his style.

On stage or in the recording studio Dave has performed with Utah Phillips, Doc Watson, Robin and Linda Williams, Dave Van Ronk, John Renbourn, Paul Geremia, Spider John Koerner, Cam Waters, Sally Rogers, Butch Thompson, Peter Ostroushko, Garrison Keillor, Norman Blake, and many others. His albums include three with early performing partner Sean Blackburn and six solo efforts (the acclaimed Hulls Victory and Reunion Rag, both on Flying Fish) with four more, New Shirt, Sheridan Square Rag, The Loyalty Waltz and Time Machine on Arabica Records. Airship, a duo album with singer/guitarist/fiddler Pop Wagner was widely praised. His three albums with guitar and mandolin ace Kari Larson (Double Cappuccino, Moonbeams and The Goose is Getting Fat, also on Arabica) have become legendary.

More recently, Dave recorded an album of mostly traditional music duets with the noted guitarist Duck Baker, When You Ask a Girl to Leave Her Happy Home. A book of original compositions, Ragtime Guitar in the Classic American Style came out in 2012. A double CD of original compositions, Under the North Star, was released in 2013, and 2016 brought two more CDs, the Sacred and Profane set, Heavenly Hope and This Earthly Life.

Dave is a recipient of a 2013 Traditional Arts grant from the Minnesota State Arts board.