JamPlay Member: Eric.Madis
| Member Since: | Hidden |
| Name: | |
| Sex: | Male |
| Location: | Seattle WA |
| Occupation: | Musician |
| Website: | www.ericmadis.com |
| Eric Madis is a Pacific Northwest guitarist, singer, composer, recording artist and internationally recognized guitar instructor known for mastery of blues, as well as his skill in jazz and ethnic folk styles. His electric ensemble music blends his rich Chicago and Texas blues experience with a lifetime love of jazz and many years of work in country bands. His acoustic music is an original blend of Piedmont and Delta blues, jazz, ragtime, Hawaiian slack key, country and contemporary acoustic music. Eric grew up surrounded by music, from the Sons of the Pioneers to Broadway show tunes to the operas of Puccini and Verdi. His mother, an accomplished opera singer named Isabelle Bellis, sent Eric for piano lessons at the age of 9 and he excelled at them. However, his real love was guitar, and being caught strumming on a broom to Marty Robbins' "Big Iron", he was given a brand new Stella guitar from a Denver pawnshop. Eric's first gig was at the age of 10, performing "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" for hundreds of youths at a Denver theatre. His first band, the Phynx of Babylon, played popular folk-rock, particularly that of the Byrds. Eric's family moved to Chicago in 1969, where he began performing regularly in Chicago coffeehouses at the age of sixteen. Shortly thereafter, he became part of the Chicago blues community, eventually becoming friends and/or playing with some of that city's blues greats: Willie Dixon, Big Walter Horton, Sunnyland Slim, Otis Rush and more. Chicago blues at that time was a unique style, employing contrapuntal and polyrhythmic arrangements somewhat similar to traditional New Orleans jazz. This contrasted from other urban blues, which was primarily background music for soloists. Chicago blues, big band blues arrangements by Count Basie and Duke Ellington, and contemporary groups such as the Allman Brothers Band, the Mothers of Invention and the Pat Metheny Group significantly influenced Eric's concept of ensemble arranging. After graduating from the University of Illinois in 1975, Eric continued to play in Chicago and central Illinois, leading groups such as Open Road and the Madis-Johnson Band, as well as playing with Pat Burton (bluegrass) and Illinois state senior fiddle champion Halbert Thornberry. Eric moved to Dallas, Texas in late 1979, where he worked as a session guitarist and arranger and performed with Deacon Jones, Willie Willis, Craig Wallace, Faded Red and others. He was a finalist at the Kerrville National Folk Festival in 1981. Eric returned to Denver, Colorado from 1981-1984, where he led Ukiah and then Don't Go No Further, did a year-long weekly solo acoustic gig at the Mercury Café and taught blues guitar at Denver Free University. Since locating to Seattle in 1984, Eric has led groups such as the BluesCast, Blue Madness and his own jazz ensembles. He has also worked with many of the finest in Seattle's blues, swing and jazz scenes, including Little Bill Englehart, Paul Anastasio, Steve Bailey, Ryan Burns, Runaway Train, Paul Green, Grant Dermody, Mike Lynch and many more. He played lead guitar in the last mainland tour of the iconic Hawaiian Farden family, including Irmgard Aluli, Kekua Fernandez and Emma Sharpe. He also has played with Hawaiian jazz ukulele great Bill Tapia. Eric has also opened shows for Robben Ford, Little Charlie and the Nightcats, James Cotton, Hawkeye Herman and others. Eric's five CDs on Luna Records have received excellent reviews, regional airplay and nominations from NAMA and Washington Blues Society (WBS). His most recent, "The Dues Will Never Be Paid in Full", was released in November 2009. Eric has received 20 Best Blues nominations from WBS, his music has appeared on four film soundtracks and he was a finalist in the 1991 Seattle Guitar Starz competition sponsored by Guitar World magazine. A respected guitar instructor since 1976, Eric has taught for the National Guitar Workshop , Guitar Workshop Plus of Canada, Northwest Folklife, University of Washington Experimental College, Denver Free University, Dusty Strings and JamPlay.com. | |
| In a Band: | Yes |
| Skill Level: | Advanced |
| Guitar(s): | Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion, Eric Madis Custom Solid Body, Martin MC28, Webber JM, Martin OM18 |
| Amplifer(s): | Anderson 20-112, Anderson 45-112. |
| 1963: Began playing guitar. 1964: First performance at a theater in Denver for day camp. 1966: Formed Phynx of Babylon with Steve Simmons, et. al. 1967: First paid gig (w/Phynx of Babylon) (Denver, CO) 1968: Performed w/Steve Simmons (Denver) 1970: Began performing solo at coffeehouses in Chicago area. 1971: Performed w/Nick Felice in Chicago coffeehouses. 1971-72: Performed w/Steve Marshall at coffeehouses. 1973-1975: Performed solo. (Chicago & central Illinois) 1975: Formed Gutbucket (blues) band (Champaign, IL) 1975-76: Played blues around Chicago in various groups. 1976-78: Guitar instructor & luthier for Rosewood Guitar Shop. 1976-77: Led Open Road (Champaign, IL) 1977: Performed in duet w/Pat Burton (Rounder Records) 1977: First film soundtrack-Like a Wild Geese in the West (Randee Ladden) -Ann Harbor Film Festival 1977: Joined Sangamon (Champaign, IL) 1977-78: Performed in duet w/Halbert Thornberry (Illinois State Senior Fiddle Champion) 1977-78: Co-led Madis-Johnson Band (Champaign, IL) 1978: Second film soundtrack-Tangent (R.Ladden) -Ann Harbor Film Festival 1979: Played with Avatar (Craig Wallace) (Dallas, TX) 1979-81: Session Musician: Dallas, Grand Prairie, Longview, TX 1979-81: Performed as solo act in Dallas venues. 1979: Played with Deacon Jones and Willie Willis (Dallas) 1980-81: Played with Faded Red (Dallas) 1981: Led Crazy Legs w/Kitt Gamble (harmonica designer) 1981: First television ad soundtrack-Sierra Club (R. Ladden) 1981: Chosen as New Folk Finalist at Kerrville Festival 1981: Third film soundtrack-Visions of the Inner Eye (R Ladden) 1981: Led Ukiah (Denver) 1982: Played in Buck's Kin (Dallas) 1982: Played in Fusion Workshop (Denver) 1983-84: Long-term solo engagement at Mercury Cafe (Denver) 1983-84: Taught Blues Guitar at Denver Free University 1983-84: Led Don't Go No Further (Denver) 1984: Played in Smokestack Lighting (Seattle) 1984-97: Taught two courses@ U of Washington Experimental College 1985-present: Solo act in Seattle venues. 1985-present: Duets with many NW artists in Seattle venues. 1985-87 Led Eric Madis Blues Band 1986-2006 Taught for Northwest Folklife Festival 1988-92 Led BluesCast 1991- Released first record Nine Shades of Blue 1990-2003 Led Big Kahunas 1992-94 Played with Runaway Train. 1995-present Led Blue Madness 1995-2018 Led Eric Madis Trio/Quartet 1997- Released second record Traveling Light 1997-2008 Taught for National Guitar Workshop 1998-present Taught workshops for Dusty Strings (Seattle) 2002- Released third record Third Step 2003- Released fourth record Wood, Wires & Bone 2006-present Taught for Guitar Workshop Plus (Canada) 2009- Released fifth record The Dues Will Never Be Paid in Full 2010-present Taught for Jamplay.com 2015-present Played with Swingmatism | |
Interested in becoming a JamPlay member? Visit our main page.