Al Parrish (Canada)

That chocolate-voiced bassist from Tanglefoot!

Upcoming tour: late June 2013
Next Tour: 21st August through September 2014

Website: www.alparrish.ca

Hi-res photos and copy for programmes and press.
One page promo - doc file
One page promo - pdf
Tech Spec and Stage Plot
AUDIO TRACKS Listen here to Al Parrish live

"A voice halfway between melted chocolate and sex..." - CBC Radio

"Al is a star in every sense. We had a super night. Presentation of voice and music - excellent."
- Ann Green, Kirkham Concerts 2012

"With stage presence, tall stories and good humour, he was the dynamo at the heart of the Canadian folk supergroup Tanglefoot, from 1994 until the band broke up in 2009. With Tanglefoot you got unbridled ebullience, swashbuckling verve, vigour, good humour and the promise of great entertainment. Nothing has changed."
-- Chesterfield Folk Club

Al Parrish’s huge, charismatic stage presence, his boundless energy, and “that voice” brought fans to Tanglefoot shows across Canada, around the US and throughout the UK, from the evening he first played with the band in January of 1994, through to its final shows in December of 2009.

In 2010, Al began his solo career. Using the songwriting and story-telling magic he honed during 17 years of international touring and the creation of six CDs, he has developed a charming and riveting show which includes new, original material, some carefully chosen covers and a few Tanglefoot favourites. All these songs are accompanied on acoustic guitar, his trademark double bass, or simply sung a cappella.

On January 15th 2011 at a sold-out show at the Registry Theatre, Paul Mills, legendary producer of Stan Rogers’ albums, recorded the whole evening for Al’s first solo CD, ‘Propensity for Joy’. Available now.

What to expect from an evening with Al Parrish: bags of stage presence for starters, a few tall stories, fabulous singing, good humour, some Tanglefoot songs, of course, but also a wide repertoire of traditional and contemporary songs from 'MacCrimmon's Lament' (in Gaelic) to 'When the Bass Players Took Over the World' via 'White Squall' , 'Fall Down Like the Rain' and Stephen Foster's 'Hard Times' with additional verses by Al.

On his first UK solo tour in 2012 the Tanglefoot fans turned out to see Al - and then kept coming back for more. His gig in Birdsedge, Yorkshire had people from as far away as Southampton and Blackpool - and for some of the audience it wasn't their first trip to see Al on this tour and they said it wasn't going to be their last. That's fan loyalty!

It seems inevitable that Al would end up in the entertainment business - his father, Don Parrish, achieved considerable renown both as a singer and broadcaster on the CBC and later for 25 years hosting CHFI's "Candlelight and Wine".

Al grew up in Toronto singing in church choirs and playing tuba in the high school band. A friend convinced him to join an after-school rock band by saying, "You play tuba, you could play bass," . So he did. His musical experience covers everything from pop, country, bluegrass, rockabilly, and rock & roll to heavy metal.

In 1989 that repertoire grew to include folk/roots when he and three friends created Brean Derg Muc, a Toronto-based, pseudo-Irish band that took the Ontario folk festival scene by storm and saw two years of brilliant success.  Al's fondness for folk music outlasted the band, and after several years of freelancing with October Browne, Kirk Elliot, Aaron Solomon, Cape Breton singer/songwriter David Stone and many others, he was invited to join Tanglefoot and began playing with the band in January 1994.  His arrival brought about a major infusion of energy for which Tanglefoot became known. Al plays a Lou Currah double bass nicknamed "The Beautiful Joe".

"I dont think Alice has stopped grinning since she heard you were touring the UK. Hard part is making her wait a year...look forward to seeing you again." - Monty (by email)

2013 TOUR

Al is touring as part of Ritchie Parrish Ritchie from mid May to Mid June 2013 and then doing a few solo gigs:

19th June
Spurriergate Centre, York

22nd June
Alstonefield Village Hall, Derbyshire

24th June
Tudor Folk, White Hill Ctr, Chesham

27th June
Darlington Folk Club