Sounds Like:
Ron Sexsmith meets Richie Havens, Bruce Cockburn, and Daniel Lanois
Influences:
Bruce Cockburn, Neil Young, Joni Mitchel, Richie Havens, Ron Sexsmith,
Daniel Lanois, Babatunde Olatunji, Beatles.
Favourite Singer/Songwriter:
Joni Mitchel
Social Media:
Songs by John Palmer
Best Friend
Everybody's Kissing In Paris
Gulf Isle Getaway
NEWFIELAND
Only The Wind
Region:
Vancouver, BC
Level of Experience:
ON MY WAY
Genre:
Other
I Write:
By myself | With others
I prefer to write:
Lyrics | Melody
Songs Recorded:
Gulf Isle Getaway, Sans Père, Enjoy The Ride, Only The Wind, Jewel, Salute, Lines To Write, Me, Newfieland, Occitune, Won't Be The Same, The Diamond Inside, , Everybody's Kissing In Paris,The Wonder Song (Theme to Knowledge Network Series - Observing And Recording Young Children), Best Friend, and The Cambrian Explosion.
Albums Released:
Salute 2012
The Cambrian Explosion 2013 (with Brighter Lights Thicker Glasses)
The Best Of Body Hum (currently being mixed)
Song Placements:
Youtube
Knowledge Network
Awards:
The Great American Song Competition for Only The Wind
Other Credits:
Du Maurier Search For Stars winner, UBC Certificate for Excellence in School Music, played percussion on 10 Carrot Charlotte (Juno Award Winner)
I am interested in:
Networking | Pitching Songs to Artists | Pitching Songs To Tv/Film/Etc. | Signing with a Label | Getting a Publishing Deal
Biography:
John Palmer is a Vancouver singer-songwriter that's rooted in acoustic Folk but branches out in rock, and jazz veins.
His most recent honor was 4 songs placing in the semi-finals of the inaugural Canadian Songwriting Competition (April 2017). When asked about his thoughts on placing, he says “It's hard to express how honored I feel, it's so life-affirming."
Other feathers in his cap include an Award of Excellence For Music In Education (U.B.C.), in Canada, and for his songwriting internationally (finalist, Great American Song Competition).
He's composed a theme song for a Knowledge Network Series, and enjoys writing science-based songs.
Palmer's love of Canada is evident in both subject (Gulf Isle Getaway, Pender Island, and Newfieland), and language (Sans Père, Occitune, et Pendant la Pluie). He claims that working in a scrap yard in Hull, Quebec, helped " tune his ears" to the row and flow of French”.
When he lost 4 fingers in a logging accident, he thought his days as a guitarist were over. Fortunately, his buddy handed him a maraca and said, “now you're a percussionist.” This attitude resulted in learning West African drumming with the late Babatunde Olatunji, and the the formation of The Martian Embassy Juju Orchestra.
Palmer's effort to eliminate the “dis” in disability led him to revamp the autoharp to play jazz chords, and his articles on this are published in provincial and national journals of music education. He admitted “one of my greatest musical accomplishments was tuning 50 autoharps for a U.B.C. clinic.”
After years of swishing jazz brushes on snare drums and using found-sound objects as percussion instruments, Palmer has more recently settled on playing guitar as his main instrument. He's staunchly committed to open tunings.
Given his drumming experience, it's no surprise that his strumming style is rhythmic and percussive. “My early influences were Bruce Cockburn and Richie Havens, and later, Ron Sexsmith” says Palmer, “I'm ruled by rhythm and a good story.”
John Palmer also enjoys co-writing with Russ Batchelor (Burnaby) and performing with Brighter Lights, Thicker Glasses, a Vancouver quartet.
“You've gotta love playing music with people willing to try any idea, and I hit the jackpot with these guys” he beams. Their CD, like his own, called Salute, is available through CD Baby and iTunes.