Chico Schwall

Folksinger, songpoet and multi-instrumentalist Chico Schwall plays more music on more instruments than anyone ought to do.

He has sung at Labor gatherings, played in pit bands, directed folk song camps for kids, designed music for plays, fiddled for contra dances, guested with orchestras, released three albums of original music and performed at festivals, clubs and venues of every stripe.

Born in Illinois, currently resident in Oregon, he rambles the Northwest with the Low Tide Drifters, hosts a weekly Irish music session, curates a concert series called “Chico Schwall’s American Roots,’ teaches Everything with Strings at the Shedd Institute for the Arts and travels, mostly by rail, to sing and play all over the country.

His songwriting reflects his colorful musical upbringing, and suggests that there IS enough to go around, that we CAN figure out how to make it work better, that history matters and that hearts can heal.

Chico plays the Spencer Creek Growers Market at 1 p.m. on September 9th.