An Evening With Buddy Mondlock

Buddy Mondlock

Buddy Mondlock writes songs. He does it so well that some great songwriters have recorded his songs on their own albums. Guy Clark, Nanci Griffith and Janis Ian, to name just a few. But there’s nothing like hearing the guy who wrote ‘em sing ‘em. He’s not going to pin your ears back with those songs. He’s going to draw you into his world.

It was Guy Clark who first discovered Buddy playing under a tree at the Kerrville Folk Festival in 1986. Guy went back to Nashville, opened the door and yelled, “Pay attention y’all, this kid’s good.” Soon after, Buddy was driving a U-Haul south from his native Chicago. A publishing deal with EMI was waiting. In the years that followed, cuts with the likes of Garth Brooks, Joan Baez and David Wilcox cemented his reputation as

a songwriter. Peter, Paul and Mary recorded his song, “The Kid” and he sang it with them on their 1996 “Great Performances” PBS television special.

But Buddy never considered just laying back and writing songs for others. He’s always been a performer first. The joy he takes in singing and playing and telling stories for folks shines through and his audiences take that with them.

And although never one to rush things, he’s accumulated a string of critically acclaimed CDs including 2002’s “Everything Waits To Be Noticed,” a writing and recording collaboration with Maia Sharp and Art Garfunkel. And his latest album, “Filament,” produced by Brad Jones, explores some new territory for him, both sonically and rhythmically.

In recent years Buddy has been writing songs with military veterans through a program sponsored by an organization called Music Therapy of the Rockies and he includes several of those songs in his shows (and one on his new album). “This has been such a powerful experience and I’m honored to have been trusted with these stories of trauma, and of triumph too,” he says.

Turns out he’s also a fine teacher, hosting songwriting workshops across the US and overseas, sharing the wonder of making something out of nothing and helping others to find their own creative sparks. He’s been on staff at the famed Swannanoa Gathering as well as at the songwriting schools at festivals like Kerrville and Sisters.

“Buddy Mondlock writes beautiful songs and plays the kind of guitar they deserve. He’s a fine person and a fine artist.” Townes Van Zandt

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