Artists:Chuck Pyle

Chuck Pyle has won high praise from both fans and peers alike throughout an inspired performance career of more than 40 years. When reviewers first gave him the "Zen Cowboy" moniker, he decided to, as he says, "Always ride the horse in the direction it's going," and took the nickname to heart, shaving his head and blending his upbeat perspective with old-fashioned horse sense. He mixes infectiously humable melodies with straight-from-the-saddle poetry, quoting bumper stickers, proverbs, world leaders and old cowboys.

An accomplished songwriter, Chuck's songs have been recorded by John Denver, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Suzy Bogguss. Country fans know him best for writing, "Cadillac Cowboy," recorded by the late Chris LeDoux, and "Jaded Lover," recorded by Jerry Jeff Walker.

While fans love his recordings, they adore Chuck's live performance. The first time he made an audience laugh, he was "hooked." A nimble guitarist, critics say his sense of rhythm is more like a fine classical, or jazz, soloist, his songwriting musically sophisticated yet full of uncluttered space. The Chuck Pyle Finger-Style approach to guitar has distinguished him as a true original, earning him invitations to teach at such prestigious events as The Puget Sound Guitar Workshop and The Swannanoa Gathering. His music has made him a favorite of Bill and Melinda Gates, who have had him play at their home in Seattle. Since writing the theme song for a PBS series called Spirit of Colorado, he's attained local fame, and even sings for the opening session of the Colorado State Legislature.

Chuck Pyle came from Iowa in 1965, when "Boulder was mostly gravel streets," and resides on the front range of Colorado. He does 100 dates a year all across the country, playing festivals and theaters, coffeehouses and house concerts.

An excellent recording artist, he has just released his 10th CD, Higher Ground - Songs of Colorado. It includes three new songs and nine songs from earlier CDs. The one sure to become a favorite, a new original called Little Town Tour, names over 100 Colorado towns with populations under 3000, little towns where ranchers and farmers go to buy supplies and connect with their neighbors. Moonlight On The Colorado is a period piece, written by a W.W.I soldier yearning for his true love back home in Colorado. And John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High" is, of course, the new Colorado State Song. Every tune is a perfect fit. Some songs are dedicated to the beauty and others to the harshness that make the Colorado lifestyle so vital.