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ASH GRUNWALD

Ash Grunwald singer songwriter from Australia has an Ellis Stomp box

www.ashgrunwald.com

It is too simplistic to describe Ash Grunwald as just a blues musician.

While it's true that his music is steeped in the Delta blues tradition of the legendary acoustic musicians who proliferated in pre-World War 11 Americas deep South and the giants of electric blues who shaped rock and roll, its the young Victorians willingness to combine these influences with grooves and sounds common in contemporary music that sets him apart. A soulful singer and guitar player, Ash immediately drew attention with the release of 2002s Introducing Ash Grunwald a collection of originals and blues standards that included Smokestack Lightnin (Howlin Wolf) The Sky Is Crying (Elmore James) and Rolling And Tumbling (Robert Johnson) recorded live with only acoustic guitar and foot percussion consisting of a stomp box and tambourine. The albums most revealing track is Dolphin Song, a true story of dolphins saving a surfer (Ash) from a shark attack. The tale is exciting, humorous and real and in the context of a blues based album, liberating.

The positive response to Ashs debut resulted in two Victorian Blues awards for Emerging Talent and Album Of The Year. The following year he scored two Australian Blues awards for Male Vocalist Of The Year and Best New Talent in addition to the MBAS Blues Performer Of The Year. He also reached the final of the International Blues Performer Of The Year in Memphis.

Ash Grunwald singer songwriter from Australia has an Ellis Stomp box

In 2004 Ash released his follow up album I Dont Believe, once again recorded solo and live. Since his initial release hed been made aware of 2 Tom Waits albums, Swordfishtrombones (85) and Bone Machine (92). In a daring move he emulated Waits experimental bang and clang percussion using hammers, spanners, pots etc, in addition to a boss loop station as a bed for his lap steel, dobro and acoustic guitars. The album included 6 originals, 2 Waits compositions, Going Out West and Jesus Gonna Be Here (a-cappella with handclaps) and blues standards Walking Blues and Cross Roads (Robert Johnson), Empire State (Son House) and How Many More Years (Howlin Wolf). On the strength of this release Ash won an ARIA award nomination for Best Blues And Roots Album, and the Victorian Blues award for Male Vocalist Of The Year (equal with Lloyd Spiegel) and in 2005 the MBAS Vic / Tas award for Solo / Duo Of The Year (equal with Dave Hogan).

For the Live At The Corner album (songs from his first two releases plus Willie Dixons Spoonful featuring Ian Collard on harmonica) Ash won the 2005 MBAS Vic / Tas and Australian Blues awards Album Of The Year in addition to being nominated once again for the Best Blues And Roots album at the ARIAs. Ash has built a substantial following performing at countless live venues around the country and at major festivals including Byron Bay, Port Fairy, Falls, Apollo Bay, Fremantle, Cockatoo Island and Margaret River. In May 2005, Ash was invited to take over the reins as host of Triple Js popular Thursday night show Roots N All. Ash Grunwald continues to forge his own identity with the release of twelve original songs on album number four, Give Signs recorded on his own label Delta Groove Records. As usual it will be live and solo. And as usual, it is another terrific offering from this talented performer.

Billy Pinnell

The Ellis Stompbox is called by many names such as Cajon, Foot Drum, Hand Drum, Percussion Drum, Australian Artists have embraced the Stomp Box and it is being used in the Studio and on Stage by Ash Grunwald, Nathan Gaunt, Desert Child, Dave Mann, Jack Ceriani, Second Gear, Khin Myint, Joe Camilleri, Bruce Mathiske, Matt Katsis, Phil Manning, Michael Fix, Josh Pyke, Craig Sinclair, Toby, James Michael Thompson, Roy Martinez, Andrew Winton and many more.