MIKE BARRIS

MIKE BARRIS is a New Jersey-based swing, blues and roots guitarist whose influences range from Chet Atkins to B.B. King to Charlie Christian.

A champion of the music of Americana who was born and raised in Canada, he has co-hosted workshops at festivals with bluesman Paul Geremia and singer-songwriter Bob Franke and has played the Stone Pony, the original stomping ground of N.J. rock legend Bruce Springsteen.

The Asbury Park (N.J.) Press calls Mike’s music "as cheerful and refreshing as a glass of just-squeezed orange juice … loaded with the multi-grain goodness of country, swing, rockabilly, blues and coffeehouse jazz."

A contributor of articles to Acoustic Guitar magazine, Down Beat, and Britain’s Jazz Journal International, Mike’s specialty as a writer is the how-to piece which mixes instruction in a useful skill with philosophy based on his world view, which is influenced by his practice of yoga.

One such article was "Troubleshooting Your Show," which first appeared in Acoustic Guitar and then in Performing Acoustic Music, a book of advice by Acoustic Guitar’s editors. The piece ran alongside contributions by Leo Kottke, Sharon Isbin and others.

Mike, who lives in Elberon, N.J., on the Jersey Shore, just south of New York City, also teaches guitar and speaks and teaches courses at community colleges, high schools and public libraries on performing, the music business and music in general.

His most recent courses are "Perfectly Frank: An Appreciation of the Music of Frank Sinatra," and "Have Fun and Make Money as a Singer-Guitarist."

Mike, who writes original songs based on older styles of American roots music, has released a CD, "Mike Barris & Delta Sunrise: Swingbilly Blues," on the Pannahill Records label.

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MIKE BARRIS & DELTA SUNRISE: SWINGBILLY BLUES

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