Rick Stanley
Singer/Songwriter and Harper

Rick Stanley is an award-winning singer/songwriter/guitarist/harper and harp-maker. These days he designs and builds custom folk harps and performs the music of his Celtic-folk roots. He embodies the resurgence in the late 20th century of the ancient oral tradition of performance, and the rekindled interest in the folk lever harp. Rick’s innovative rhythmic and complicated picking style on Irish harp stands in stark contrast to the simple chords often plucked by modern troubadour harpers. “… Rick Stanley is a world-class musician, arranger and artist who has performed or recorded with many great musicians: Paul Horn, (Mike Love, Linda Ronstadt & Kenny Edwards, Al Kooper, Jackson Browne), Glen Campbell, Ry Cooder, Hoyt Axton, Steven Stills and other fine musicians in his long career with Columbia and Epic Records. Rick is one of those rare musicians who were first in line when talent was being passed out…”(Eric Cathcart, The Kilt & Harp, Winter 2002). He will be performing in the _________ area at _____________________, hosted by __________________________.

Rick has had a long career in folk music as a guitarist and singer/songwriter. He started performing in the coffee houses of Boston, New York and ultimately the West Coast where Columbia Records signed him. Under Byrds producer Terry Melcher, Rick Stanley and Pam Polland as “The Gentle Soul” made the charts with two singles, and their self-titled album on the Epic label was called “Most beautiful…album of the year” by Billboard Magazine. Sony/Sundazed Records released the complete recordings of The Gentle Soul in March 2003. The next decade found Rick living in Europe and touring the world, all the while writing songs for two more highly acclaimed albums recorded at A&M Studios in L.A. with Joni Mitchell’s talented producer, Henry Lewy.

Years before the recent Celtic renaissance, Rick recorded a powerful album called On English Hills, containing some of his favorite Scots, Irish and English ballads and a few of his originals. Rick is a world-class guitarist, but once he started singing with a Celtic harp Rick found the perfect accompaniment to his rich “Cat Stevens” voice. Because his formative years were not only filled with music, but as apprentice to a master cabinetmaker, Rick has excelled at designing and building both nylon and wire-strung harps (see www.celticharps.com).

Don’t miss Rick Stanley’s performance at _________________. For more information, call ___________.