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The combination of various influences (including The Beatles, The Clancy Brothers, Planxty, Christy Moore, Blue Oyster Cult and Cabaret Voltaire) and experience is what fuels the eclecticism that infuses the work of Gerard Smith. This variety, along with a propensity to experiment with combinations of styles, is the key to Gerard's music. The album Hamtramck : Heaven marks Gerard's debut solo recording. The album includes an eclectic mix of music, encompassing traditional and original songs, utilizing both electric and acoustic instruments. This diversity in style reflects Gerard's own interests in music, an interest that he hopes that you share. Gerard was born in Detroit and grew up in the Irish enclave of Emmett in the thumb of Michigan. He has played in musical groups around Detroit over the past fifteen years in many genres, including hardcore, jazz and rock and roll. After playing mandolin and acoustic guitar in the role of Jesus in the play Cotton Patch Gospel at the Detroit Repertory Theatre, Gerard began to explore acoustic music. Always a fan of Irish folk music, Gerard slowly built his repertoire of these ballads and tunes. His first official Irish music performance was on St. Patrick's Day 1992. He has since been playing extensively around Michigan and southwestern Ontario as a solo act, and with different groups, such as The Jar, Corktown, The Bowzies, and The Mount Salem Boys. He has recorded the album Wind That Shakes the Barley with Terry Murphy and Colin Paige. Gerard sings in all of these projects, as well as plays guitar, bouzouki, bodhran, tin whistle, mandolin and concertina. Continued exploration of the wealth of Celtic folk music, and synthesis of these songs with performance styles, is the future of Gerard's career. He is also continuing to write new material, and is currently working on home demos of these new songs, preparing them for the recording studio. Gerard hopes that you enjoy his work as much as he enjoyed making it. Gerard Smith plays Larrivee guitars, Weber mandolin family instruments, Gold Tone banjos, and uses John Pearse® strings. In addition, he has received endorsement by the Epiphone Company. Click the SonicBids logo below for Gerard is also listed on:
Updated 06/12/2009
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