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 About
Keith
Keith Greeninger paints intricate portraits of the human condition with powerful melodic images, deep engaging guitar rhythms and warm heart wrenching vocals. He is a multi award winning singer songwriter and this year’s winner of the prestigious Telluride Troubadour National Song Writing Competition. A third generation Northern Californian, Keith grew up at the edge of the vanishing orchards of the Santa Clara Valley. As a young boy he would often fall asleep at night with a transistor radio under his pillow. He could remember lyrics after only one listen and the melodies came just as readily. With that radio tucked under his pillow, Keith Greeninger discovered a passion. That's where it all began. He got his first guitar at the age of 13 and wrote his first song the same night Learning the chords to Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley, by dinnertime, he was singing a self- penned tune about his grandfather. For Keith, the guitar had provided a creative catalyst; and the words and music began to flow.
He continued to write songs and played in local bands throughout his high school years in Santa Cruz California. At 19 he packed up his truck and headed for the Mountains of Colorado. Living in a small cabin with no electricity in the hills above Boulder, Keith found a solitude that allowed him to explore his passion for music and song writing even deeper. It was during this time that the thriving cross- pollination of the Boulder music scene introduced him to a whole new genre of acoustic music. Using his skills as a carpenter to help support his musical stock and trade, his solo travels took him from California to Vermont, from Alaska to Central America. All the while he was learning to craft soulful, honest, music. Every experience presented new opportunities for his music and his songwriting. Every encounter, every odd job, new city or community all became an integral part of his bittersweet lyrics and acoustic mix of folk and rock. He steadily worked to combine his own personal vision with his strong faith in humanity, justice and the power of nature.
In the mid 1980’s at the height of the US backed Contra war in Central America Keith traveled down to Nicaragua to help build schools and housing for people who had been displaced by the tragic war. This experience enriched and altered the course of his life and his music in a very deep way “ I can no longer claim innocence form the things that I have seen “ he would later write in the song Juanita. With his days spent building small shelters for the people who lived in the Northern mountains, his nights were spent listening to stories and beautiful songs of the local compesino’s he was working with. Before leaving the country Keith had the good fortune of building strong musical friendships and alliances with some of the most influential young writers of that countries revolutionary Nuevo Cancion movement. Those experiences and relationships still continue to be a part of his life and music today.
In 1989, Keith settled in San Francisco and eventually joined forces with Kimball Hurd and Roger Feuer, two other talented Bay Area musicians, to form City Folk. City Folk was an acoustic trio known for their rich introspective song writing; tight three part vocal harmonies and expanded musical arrangements. The group quickly rose to the top of the Bay area folk scene and was soon enjoying immense popularity on the National Folk and Americana circuits. They performed at festivals, concert halls, and an uncountable number of watering holes from coast to coast. In a span of six years, City Folk recorded and released three albums and, in 1995, won KFOG's Best of the Bay music award. That year would also mark the end of City Folk and their final national tour.
After taking time to build a small home with his wife Susan in the Santa Cruz Mountains and to celebrate the birth of their first of child, Keith released his first solo album in 1997. The album entitled Wind River Crossing included musical contributions by well-known artist like Flaco Jimenez, Peter Michael Escovido and Martin Simpson. It’s an album rich with fearless, compelling examples of classic songwriting presented with deep humanity and bravery, stunning artistry and soul. It is an intense and many-layered compilation of Keith's ballads to nature and the human condition. That has earned rave reviews from critics and fans alike and has gained him an even broader following.
In 1997 Keith was one of the winners of the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Songwriters Contest. Later the same year he also won the Napa Valley Songwriting competition. Keith was invited up to Canada to help put together a unique music and wilderness festival called The Gathering at Island Lake. The experience found him living in Canada for a period of time traveling and performing through out BC and Western Alberta. The festival is a showcase of International artist and musicians sharing the stage with Black Foot and Cree Story tellers, dancers and teachers. Set in a beautiful remote location high in the Canadian Rocky’s the festival promotes cultural and environmental education and respect.
Settling back into the coastal mountains of Northern California Keith began recording for his second album entitled Back to you. A perfect follow up to the lush production of Wind River Crossing, Back to you was a more striped down approach that highlighted Keith’s soulfully diverse talent as a singer and songwriter. Deftly supported by the amazing prowess of the band Water featuring multi-instrumentalist Dayan Kai on Guitar, Dobro, Mandolin, Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, and harmony. The album garnered huge airplay by triple A Maverick KPIG and found a live version of the bands “Red Wine Again” featured on the stations Best of KPIG Volume One CD along with such artist as Robert Earl Keen, Joe Ely, and Dave Alvin. And Dar Williams. The making of this fine album also forged a strong musical bond and friendship between Keith and Dayan. Like true west coast brothers these two artists create a unique and soulful sound together. that can take an audience in any direction they choose. They often tour together as a Duo.
Keith is currently in the studio recording songs for his up coming third CD scheduled for release after the first of the year. The new album will feature some of the songs that helped Keith win first place at these years Telluride Troubadour competition. The summer also found Keith on the main stage at the Telluride Blue Grass Festival, The Kate Wolf Memorial Music Festival and The Sisters Folk Festival, as well as venues and performance halls through out the country
Is it his deep, textured voice, his rich, engaging songwriting, or his deft yet unpretentious playing? With nothing more than a guitar in hand and a song with a story to tell, Keith can completely captivate an audience. His husky heart-felt vocals and aggressive acoustic guitar style offer more than the standard bill-of-fare for most folk singers and more musicality and sensitivity than today's average rock band. Keith Greeninger is that rare performer for whom people lean forward in their seats, eager to capture every note and every word.
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