"i like reese's peanut butter cups.
wherever i go, people ask me,
'why is your mouth full of reese's peanut butter cups?'
i have difficulty replying because my mouth is full of reese's peanut butter cups."

poem by Dennis Gomo

ARTIST PROFILE

Quirky songs sensitively delivered with passion and humour; soaring dobro guitar and wailing harmonica; deep, soulful vocals; misty textures and strange primal rhythms; moody, mellow, dark and funky....

These are some of the elements that make up the music of Dennis Gomo. Steeped in the traditions of blues, jazz, funk, reggae and folk, Gomo has forged a new, adventurous brand of music that is uniquely Canadian. Simmering in this blue-stew are thoughtful lyrics that are sometimes mystical, sometimes whimsical, but always honest and heartfelt.

After fifteen years of playing guitar, harp, and bass in various blues bands, (Black Cat Bone, Shaky Ground, Gomo's Blues Band, etc.) and sharing the stage with many notable blues dudes, (James Cotton, A.C. Reed, Phil Guy, Wild Child Butler, Mel Brown, etc.) Gomo decided to 'go acoustic' and attempt to create the kind of music that had been floating around in his head for years.

In 1996, he released his first CD, 'Hiding Out in Limbo', which was co-produced by Jeff Bird (Cowboy Junkies). This album was a collection of mostly unaccompanied accoustic songs recorded live and only hinting at the direction Gomo's music was to take. It received good airplay and landed him some good gigs and festival appearances at Toronto Harbourfront, Barry Jazz/Blues fest., Toronto Downtown Jazz Fest., etc. A showcase at the OAC's 'Contact 98', and hosting a TV series called 'Applause', have also helped to open new opportunities.

Live performances (both solo or with a band) sizzle with passion and vitality, usually consisting of a blend of re-interpreted blues standards and eclectic originals. An uncanny ability to play rack-mounted harmonica at the same time as guitar or dobro, never fails to capture an audience. A music critic at 'Spotlight Magazine' once wrote, "...he can play the harmonica on a rack around his neck better than most players who hold it in their hands, while at the same time, ripping out riffs on his dobro or guitar."

In In 1998 Gomo released his second CD, Nippising. This album represents a bold new direction, with music that is closer to his heart than ever before. It has received good airplay on the blues shows and on CBC, as well as some stations in Australia. (See Reviews).

1999 also saw Dennis receive much deserved honours during the 10th annual Great North Wind Porcupine Awards. Check out that story here!

Gomo spent the year 2000 in Australia, where he worked both as a solo and in a blues band with local Aussie sidemen. This second project produced a recording of some traditional electric blues called 'Blues Down Under', which is due to be released soon.

After a busy year down under, Gomo returned to the land up over. A change in priorities resulted in a decision to stop touring and to focus attention on the writing of a book, a project that's been brewing in mind for years. He still continues to gig at a more local level, playing two or three dates a month.

As well as continuing to play solo, doing both originals and covers, Gomo is also working in two new musical contexts. One is a rollicking 4-piece blues band called 'Swampbucket', which is a cross between gut-bucket blues and swamp rock. The other project is called 'Croona Tuna', which features quasi-jazz songs - crooning the tunes of Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett and the like - which are spiffed up with new latin/funk arrangements. This band has an unusual sound featuring Gomo on vocals, guitar and harmonica, a percussionist on an assortment of weird instruments and an upright bass.

Recording projects are in the works for both of these combos. Nuffsaid fer now. Ciao, baby.