Chuck Brodsky

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Chuck Brodsky's songwriting pokes fun at political corruption, road rage, mischief he made as a kid, even dumping garbage in the river; he sings about unsung heroes and forgotten but incredible people…odd characters from the game of baseball, migrant fruit pickers, the Goat Man, a clown, or "Radio," a developmentally disabled man and the love showered on him for 40 years at a high school in South Carolina (this song was used in the 2003 movie "Radio"). In addition to being fixtures on the Dr. Demento show, his songs have been recorded by Kathy Mattea, David Wilcox, Sara Hickman, Chuck Pyle, and many others, and his tune "Blow 'em Away" was selected by Christine Lavin for Shanachie's 1996 Laugh Tracks album. He's appeared on nationally syndicated radio programs "Mountain Stage," "Acoustic Cafe," and "River City Folk," and has performed three concerts of his celebrated baseball story songs at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Chuck's debut album, A Fingerpainter's Murals, was released in 1995 on Waterbug Records, and was a critical favorite with its collection of vividly rendered stories--from a farmer losing his land ("Acre by Acre") to a washed-up pitcher trying to hold on a little longer ("Lefty"). In 1996, Brodsky signed with Red House Records and released Letters in the Dirt, introducing us to great characters such as a roadside peach vendor still wondering after thirty years if he married the right woman ("Bill & Annie"), and the first white baseball player in the Negro Leagues ("The Ballad of Eddie Klepp"). The album earned critical raves, and Brodsky's 1998 release, Radio, was even more widely acclaimed for its great stabs at our laughable culture, like "The Come Here's & the Been Here's," "Our Gods," and "On Christmas I Got Nothing." "Last of the Old Time," Brodsky's third album for Red House was released in 2000, and further cemented his reputation for telling it like it is with songs about phony politicians on the campaign trail ("He Came to our Town"), secret meetings ("The Boys in the Back Room"), and "Schmoozing." In the summer of 2002 Chuck released The Baseball Ballads, which Tim Wiles, Director of Research at The National Baseball Hall of Fame calls "a new chapter in the folklore of our national pastime." His most recent effort, Color Came One Day, produced by JP Cormier, was recorded in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and was released in June of 2004.

Chuck has toured extensively throughout the US, Canada, and Ireland for 12 years, playing at folk festivals such as Tønder in Denmark, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Kerrville, Philadelphia, and Strawberry, as well as the Lincoln Center Out of Door series in New York, among others. Some of the artists he's appeared in concert with include Arlo Guthrie, Janis Ian, Pete Seeger, Tim O'Brien, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, John Hartford, Greg Brown, Gillian Welch, Dick Gaughan, Tom Paxton, Ferron, Richie Havens, Patty Larkin, Steve Forbert, The Kingston Trio, and Christine Lavin.

This down to earth musical storyteller, with his dry, barb-witted social commentary combined with a deep underlying compassion, knows that the best stories are the little things in the lives of everyday people trying to muddle through with some grace. Chuck Brodsky's great gift as a writer is to infuse these stories with humanity and humor, making them resonate profoundly with his listeners. His spoken introductions to his songs can be as spellbinding as his colorful lyrics, which he brings to life with a well-travelled voice and a delivery that's natural and conversational. His groove-oriented strumming and fingerpicking draw on influences from the mountains of western North Carolina where he now lives, and from lots of different good old traditional folk stuff of all kinds.

Color Came One Day Includes touching stories of real love and suffering ("Claire & Johnny"), history lessons involving fascinating people ("Miracle in the Hills"), environmental statements ("Trees are Falling" and "Seven Miles Upwind"), political irony ("Dangerous Times") and hilarious accounts of personal experience ("The Room Over the Bar"). Produced by J.P. Cormier and recorded in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. CD Price: $14.97

The Baseball Ballads Nine highly acclaimed original baseball story-songs. Among the characters covered on this CD are Eddie Klepp (first white man to play in the Negro Leagues), Moe Berg (a catcher who also was a US spy just before WWII), Max Patkin (Clown Prince of Baseball), Dock Ellis (who pitched a no hitter under the influence of LSD), Richie Allen (booed by racist Philadelphia fans, he'd write "b-o-o" in the dirt in response), Fred Bonehead Merkle (whose baserunning error cost the NY Giants the pennant in 1908), and Eddie Waitkus (shot by a female stalker, his story was the basis for the movie "The Natural"). CD Price: $14.97

Last of the Old Time Arthur Wood writes in Froots (UK): True to form, on his fourth CD Brodsky spins tales that draw the listener helplessly into a (lyrical) web of intrigue and human interest. Apart from the closing "40 years,", there isn't a weak cut in this pack of eleven. Halfway through the set, Brodsky even knocks you sideways with a humorous lyric that consists of the directions by interstate, highway and farm track to a house. Testifying once more to his unflinching love of America's national sport, Chuck weighs in with "Gone To Heaven" and "Bonehead Merkle", a couple of tales from the annals of baseball history. The former recalls the late baseball clown/coach, Max Patkin, who lived in a simpler time, and "never, ever, not one time - sold an autograph." Last of the Old Time features many classic stories. In fact, there's barely room to mention the political corruption practised by "The Boys In The Back Room". or the (tongue in cheek) environmental rule that allows you to "Take It Out Back" as long as you "keep the front yard looking good." CD Price: $14.97

Radio Radio is a confident, in-the-pocket effort from Chuck Brodsky, travelling singer. "La Migra Veine" is a memory from his days as a migrant fruit picker. Brodsky is back, and it's some of the best music you'll hear on the airwaves. The cover image of Brodsky hanging out in a car graveyard lets you know that this is not your run-of-the-mill singer/songwriter or your typical folk album. Radio rocks more than Brodsky's previous work, with some driving electric numbers and swamp rock complementing the acoustic fare. There is more of the scathing humor and biting observations on which he's built his reputation. There are plenty of amazing, unlikely, and overlooked characters and communities--people that Brodsky has found in our history, on the road, and in his imagination--with stories you'll never forget. Brodsky is not an introspective songwriter. He looks at stories other than his own, writing songs to keep people's memories alive. The great stories on Radio include the title song, about a small community in South Carolina and the severely retarded man that it embraces, "La Migra Viene", about migrant workers pursued by Immigration authorities, and "Moe Berg: The Song", about the man who combined the careers of catcher for the Dodgers and pre-WWII spy for the U.S. CD Price: $14.97

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