Vance Gilbert, premiere entertainer

Vance Gilbert

“If Joni Mitchell and Richie Havens had a love child, with Rodney Dangerfield as the midwife, the results might be something close to the great Vance Gilbert", says Richmond Magazine. Vance is an integral part of the national folk scene - and one of the originators of the R&B/Folk/Jazz crossover-sub-genre. The Fort Worth Star Telegram described him as having “the voice of an angel, the wit of a devil, and the guitar playing of a god.” 

Vance Gilbert is an integral part of the national folk scene, and one of the originators of the R&B/Folk/Jazz crossover genre. He was born and raised in the Philadelphia area. Starting out, he hoped to be an R&B and jazz singer but soon discovered his affinity for the storytelling sensibilities of the acoustic singer-songwriter genre. Word spread quickly about Gilbert's stage-owning singing and playing, and national recording artist Shawn Colvin invited him to be the opening act on her Fat City tour where he took much of America by storm. In his 30-year career he has also shared the stage with artists as varied as Arlo Guthrie, Anita Baker, The Milk Carton Kids, and Southside Johnny. The mid 2000’s found Gilbert opening 150+ shows for comedian George Carlin.

Gilbert is known for his humorous, comfortable, improvisational stage manner with audiences during his shows. His repertoire has a wide range, covering Joni Mitchell one moment and doing what sounds like a jazz classic (but is actually his own) the next. Many songs, such as "Old White Men", "Charlene", and "Unfamiliar Moon" tell profound stories and touch on important topics.

30 years into his career, the songwriter’s influence can be felt all over the contemporary national Folk and Americana scene as he has helped pave the way for many of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color musicians artists who have followed.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram described him as having “the voice of an angel, the wit of a devil, and the guitar playing of a god.”  Richmond Magazine commented that “If Joni Mitchell and Richie Havens had a love child, with Rodney Dangerfield as the midwife, the results might be something close to the great Vance Gilbert".

Gilbert has also been a prominent presence at some of the world’s most prestigious gatherings and halls, among them the Newport, Winnipeg, Rocky Mountain, Calgary, Ottawa, and Falcon Ridge Folk festivals, the Kate Wolf Music Festival, and Australia’s Woodford Folk and Mullum Music Festivals, Mountain Stage, Boston's Symphony Hall, Nashville’s Lyman Auditorium, and The Barns at Wolftrap.