Cleveland native Oliver Buck will bring his sound, a mixture of Country, Blues, and Folk, to the Lakewood Public Library Auditorium at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, March 9th. Buck, a talented singer, songwriter, guitarist mixes in covers and standards with his own original songs to reflect life in the “heart of the great American Rust Belt.”

Buck, who has been performing and touring since he was sixteen, is also somewhat of a musical historian. He holds a Master’s degree in History with an emphasis on American popular music. He was influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan, Dave Van Ronk, Skip James, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, The Band, John Hiatt, Jimmie Rodgers, and The Grateful Dead.

The 1920s through the 1950s is one of Mr. Buck's favorite musical eras. This is a time when according to Buck, "Country, blues, folk, and rock & roll were all mixed up together. Sure, the marketers and radio programmers tried to separate artists into genres. But for the most part, musicians and songwriters hadn't gotten the message yet. You listen to those old Memphis and Nashville records and there it is-- all kinds of sounds and approaches to playing intermingling together. That's what makes those Sun Records sides so compelling."

Buck himself released a solo album in 2007 titled Rust Belt Blues. The album garnered praise from critics in both the United States and Europe. Buck describes the album as, "A stripped-down, not-quite-lo-fi sound. It's a small-budget, self-produced record, and the sound is more direct and intimate than anything I have done before."

In 2007 Buck was named a finalist in the Telluride Blues Festival Acoustic Blues Competition. As a solo artist and also with his band, The New Madrids, Buck plays at both large and small venues across North America. About performing he says, “I love to meet people all over the country who share my passion for American music. In a marketplace dominated by the latest teen sensations, it never ceases to amaze me that so many people love and support blues and roots music.”

With his band the New Madrids Buck has just finished a new album, “Prodigal Son.” You can listen to songs from the new album on Oliver’s website at www.oliverbuck.com.
So come out March 9th to see Oliver Buck and enjoy songs that he describes as “joyful, cathartic, stomping, subtle, like all well made blues, running the gamut of human emotion if you listen long enough.” The program is free and open to the public.