Singer-songwriter Campfire Bob is currently based in the Pacific Northwest. He studied voice at the Roy Hart Centre at Malérargues in the Cévennes hills of southern France, where he discovered he had a five-octave vocal range. Campfire Bob currently dedicates his time not spent performing to working with the underprivileged, striving to help create safe communities and assist those living on the street.
A life of travel and worldliness has permeated Campfire Bob’s music; stories of the people he’s met and places he’s been tend to work their way into his songs. His recent single Songs of Healing does precisely this, as it’s inspired by his time spent with American Folk singer Ola Belle Reed.
Songs of Healing is truly authentic, wholesome folk music. Campfire Bob has said he believes a basic five-note scale is the foundation of all traditional music, and that sentiment is clearly present here. Simple and effortless in execution, like many of the best folk songs ever written, this is a song where the story is paramount. In a wonderfully uncomplicated way, this song tells us of Campfire Bob’s meeting with the American mountain music legend, and highlights the takeaways from that impactful day:
“The night came, I had to go
Ola Belle told me, remember and know
Sing your songs loud and clear
These songs will set you free”
Add in the tasteful inclusion of a harmonica solo, light percussion, and a great arrangement of backing vocals in the chorus, and Songs of Healing has more than enough components to put it in the category of timeless. Living up to his name, this work by Campfire Bob truly does feel like it would be most at home in a folk song circle or by the fireside at the end of a long day. For the classic folk fan looking for the simplicity that comes with authenticity in this genre, this one is worth the listen.
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BELOW: Listen to Songs of Healing and connect with his website and social media platforms. Please support Campfire Bob by visiting him online, and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing his music, or attending a live show! And, as always, thank you for supporting real music!