Ed says: I have been collecting and performing folk songs for over 40 years. My early musical influences were Frank Profitt, Larry Older, Bob and Evelyn Beers, George and Gerry Armstrong, and Howie Mitchell. Later I learned from and sang with a number of other musicians whose commitment and talent were extraordinary: Gordon Bok, Bob Coltman, Cathy Barton, and Ann Mayo Muir. Each taught me that it’s the song, not the singer, that’s important. Over the years I’ve performed in coffee houses, colleges, folk music festivals, and varied other occasions in the United States, Canada, and the British Isles. I have also had the opportunity of appearing on several wonderful radio programs across the country, including Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion (St. Paul, MN) and Rich Warren’s Midnight Special (Chicago).

I’ve learned hundreds of songs, and probably forgotten as many as I know. My repertoire ranges from traditional ballads to songs of the sea, labor songs, songs of love, and parodies. I am not a song writer. I am a song finder and a song crafter. I gravitate toward beautiful melodies and good stories. While I play primarily 6 and 12 string guitar, I also play the hammered dulcimer, which I use primarily as an accompaniment instrument. Singing with the hammered dulcimer is a little like rubbing your stomach and patting your head while singing. My recording efforts began in 1964 with the Golden Ring (Folk Legacy #16), a loose collection of friends who used to gather in the living room of George and Gerry Armstrong in Wilmette, Illinois. I’ve been part of 4 other ensemble recordings since then, as well as recording 4 solo albums, the most recent of which is Echo on the Evening Tide (Azalia City Recordings). In addition, for 26 years I sang with Gordon Bok and Ann Mayo Muir, out of which came 10 CDs. I’ve also had the privilege of accompanying a number of wonderful musicians, including Don McLean, Rosalie Sorrels, Mark Spoelstra, Sara Grey, Sally Rogers, Cathy Barton and Dave Para, and Joe Hickerson.

My greatest musical disappointment was going to Woodstock in 1969 with Dave Bromberg and Rosalie Sorrels, getting flown by helicopter at dawn and seeing all those people, but, in the final analysis, not getting to play on what admittedly was one of the more minor stages.