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Steve Palmer
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Steve Palmer Roots and Strings

CD Review by Del Vezeau: Roots and Strings-

Steve Palmer, Independent "Roots and Strings has an interesting moniker on the front cover. It reads “Traditional and Original Music”. The artwork is simple, yet elegant; the back cover displays much the same way; his picture reveals a middle-aged guy who looks like he could sell oatmeal on television.
The music is as pleasant as the packaging. The performances are laid back and seamless; the material breathes. The vocals shine and the instrumentation is all-pro. Steve’s guitar playing is rock-solid and warm.
Positive mention should also go to Rain Coast Studio in Nanaimo, B.C. for their top-notch work. This fifteen song album is a real jewel and would make a fine gift for anyone with a pulse. Grab a copy for yourself while you’re at it."

Look for Steve's next CD Penguin Eggs- Summer 2006

Steve Palmer From Here To Nashville

With more than 35 years experience as a working musician, you could call Steve Palmer a “road-survivor”. If so, he’s a thriving one- still playing live, still touring, and now starting on a new career as a songwriter with his first original CD , “From Here To Nashville”.
“The longer I keep doing this, the more I enjoy it. I’m like the Charlton Heston of folk singers -they’ll have to pry my guitar from my dead fingers. Still smoking, I hope”.
The CD (recorded in Edmonton) contains 8 catchy originals, probably best classified as Roots or Alt-Country. Backed by old friends and past members of various bands, the album has been getting airplay on university and alternate radio stations.
Sometimes compared to Hoyt Axton, Leonard Cohen, or John Prine, Steve lists Doc Watson, Mississippi John Hurt, and Fats Waller as major influences. “But I’m always listening to new stuff, Celtic (Dervish), Bluegrass (Jerusalem Ridge, John Reischman), or Jazz. I’ve got an album by an old friend, Nanaimo guitarist Pat Coleman, that totally amazes me.”
Originally set on a career as a guitarist, Steve suddenly became a singing guitarist when their teenage front man passed out in their first set at a frat party. “I discovered I had a memory for lyrics which has continued to this day. I know literally 100’s of songs, which has saved my life on more than one occasion.”
With summer tours planned for Western Canada and the Yukon, Steve has already appeared at several folk clubs in BC and Alberta as a warm up and as a feature performer, backing himself on 6 and 12 string guitars.

Steve Palmer Morning Road

Steve Palmer's 3rd and most recent CD Morning Road

“A gently timbered voice with heartfelt lyrics backed by some very stellar acoustic players. I detect a bit of Merle Travis in Steve's guitar playing.”
- Gary Fjellgaard

“Nice Playin'.”- Valdy

"Always a treat to hear Steve play. Our audience was surprised and delighted."-Peter Picquet, Full Moon Folk Club

"The Islands Folk Festival was the perfect venue to showcase the music of this dedicated Vancouver Island singer/songwriter/guitarist. Honest, unvarnished and inspiring, served up in a wood smoked tenor accompanied by deft emotive picking, this is classic coffeehouse folk which takes us back to an earlier era when singers didn't need to plug into an amp to make their point, artists like Tom Paxton, Eric Anderson and Ian and Sylvia regularly made the charts and music was less about image and all about integrity. Let it shine, Steve!"
- Brent Hutchinson, Music Director, Islands Folk Festival

"Refreshing, relaxed, Steve's performance brought back so many great memories. I heard someone in the audience say-'Boy can this guy pick!' Amen to that." -Larry Sandberg, South Country Fair

“Steve is true to the roots of music nurtured by and bathed in blues, folk, and gospel. He engages the audience easily and takes them with him on his musical journey. An inspiring talent and a terrific picker too, Steve mines the musical veins that are the principal of roots music and reinvests his own heart and soul. The results are beautiful.”- L.W.Kossey, The Dancing Bean

“Steve Palmer is an amazing performer. His lyrics and at times his vocals conjure up Hoyt Axton, Jim Croce, or Leon Redbone. Steve is also a superb guitar player - the cut "The Water is Wide" is one of the most beautiful instrumental arrangements I have ever heard - and has me in tears each time I listen to it."
- Anne Lawrie, Sound Advice