Baby Gramps
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Baby Gramps was a steel guitar performer from the Northwest USA, famous for his palindromes.
Baby Gramps plays a mixture of styles and eras including traditional blues, children's and labor songs, and his own compositions. His busy and unusual guitar style includes flat and finger picking, and "chording" with the back of his hand and his elbow. His singing styles include throat singing. His performance is based in part on improvisation and he often encourages audience participation.
He was described by writer Patrick Ferris as "[H]e has a mass appeal in the sense that any audience between the age of 2 and 102 are captivated by his vaudeville antics, hilarious lyrics and animated guitar playing. [...] His voice is a cross between Popeye the sailor and a Didgeridoo and the plinkity plink of his VERY worn National steel guitar, sounds like a wind up jack in the box. If you listen closely and know anything about music, you'll realize Gramps is an absolutely incredible guitar player. Being a professional musician for over 40 years can't help but give you some sort of chops, but Gramps is a modern day Robert Johnson; a revolutionary guitarist that, like Theloneous Monk on piano, can play the notes 'between the cracks'."
He has also been described as "Kermit the frog on acid."
Baby Gramps has performed as a street musician, and has toured with Artis the Spoonman, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones and Phish.
Baby Gramps started performing 1964 and was still playing professionally in 2004.
