Buddy Comfort Bio

Buddy Comfort Bio:

Buddy Comfort is a cosmic folk singer, heart minstrel, alchemical balladeer, songwriter, composer, performer, recording artist, and song circle leader.

He sings songs from the heart about the questions of life: "Why am I on the planet"?, "What's my relationship with Source"? He sings about nature and love, the love of nature and the nature of love.

He accompanies himself on the piano, keyboards, guitar, hurdy gurdy, zither, tamboura, harmonica, and Native American drum.

He has sung and played throughout California, as well as Canada, Glastonbury England, and Assisi Italy

He has shared the bill with such diverse musicians and artists as William Ackerman (Windham Hill Records), Bruce Becvar, Stephen Coughlin, Dolphin the Mime, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Steven Halpern, Lorraine Hunt, Iasos, Steven Kindler, Daniel Kolbiaka, Susan Osborne (lead vocalist the Paul Winter Consort), Utah Phillips, Sophia, Joe Walsh, and Kate Wolf.    

He has also performed on programs with such visionaries as Ram Das, Yogi Bhajan, Buckminster Fuller, Shakti Gawain, Gerald Jampolsky, Margaret Mead, Robert Mueller (Assistant Secretary General of the UN), Michael Murphy, Carl Rogers, and Swami Satchidananda.

He is the singing voice on two Cleo Award winning jingles. New Age Retailer Magazine placed Buddy Comfort in the Best of Vocalist category along with Enya, Loreena McKennitt, Eliza Gilkyson, and Bobby McFerrin.

He has provided musical support for conference, workshop and retreat leaders at Esalen, Westerbecke Ranch, Mann Ranch, and Orrs Hot Springs, and the East West Retreat Center in Assisi, Italy. He was known by many as retreat musician for the California School of Herbal Studies. He was music director at the Center for Spiritual Healing in Kentfield, Unity of the Spirit in Berkeley/Orinda and soloist at many Sonoma County, San Francisco and Monterey Bay Area New Thought congregations.

He performed at the first Kate Wolfe Retrospective Concert at Caswell Vineyards, and was the Hurdy Gurdy Man and on stage at the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival. He was a performer for Bread and Roses at convalescent and retirement homes, children’s wards and hospitals.

Described by Ramblin’ Jack Elliott as “not just a songwriter, but a true craftsman of songs”.  Comfort has also been described by Michael and Justine Toms of New Dimensions Radio as “one of the Bay Area’s foremost practitioners of healing music”.  He is committed to the use of song as a connection with Source, a form of communion and a vehicle for individual and world peace. He provides a soothing and nurturing environment for the opening of the heart through Universal songs and chants of love and nature.

Buddy Comfort / Tellurian Records PO Box 2021, Pacific Grove, CA 93950

Website: https://www.buddycomfort.com

email: help@buddycomfort.com

Interview with Buddy Comfort

Buddy Comfort Interview:

Considered a fusion of influences by Donovan, Justin Haywood, the Beatles, John Michael Talbot, Leonard Cohen, Corelli and others.

He walks the Beauty Way and is committed to the use of song to inspire peace within each individual and collectively the world.

His recording of "Brother Sun Sister Moon" on Tellurian Records, received notable acclaim in the company of Enya and Loreena McKennitt.  it was inspired by a pilgrimage to Assisi, Italy.

His current release is, "In the Heart of All", moving and beautiful inspirational songs with timely messages for today's troubled world.
 
"My whole life has been about the discovery of what sound has to offer our spirits"

He has long been described as “one of the foremost practitioners of healing music”, by some as “an alchemical balladeer”, and by others as a “cosmic folk artist”. It doesn’t seem to matter who is describing him, for they always seem to create a category that belongs to him alone.

In describing his own music: “Can you remember a time when cares and troubles dropped from you like gentle spring rain? in my music it is my hope that you can experience such a time again.” Musician, composer Julian St. George has described Buddy’s music in this way; “At times it seems his voice washes away everything but the moment in which you experience peace with the Universe and Yourself.”

Buddy remembers one of his teachers stating, “Music is a positive expression of beauty, and beauty itself is a universal medicine.”

Comfort’s music has always been known for it’s rare and rich blend of poetry and mythical images and love of nature. It truly does seem as if it carries the very echoes of the soul. It is as if it were meant to provide “wings for the spirit”. The warm and nurturing melodies are accompanied by an equally fascinating array of instruments including guitar, piano, hurdy gurdy, zither, tamboura, harmonica, Native American drum, and electronic keyboards.

He considers long contemplative walks in nature a “necessity of life”. He also enjoys photography, films, writing and gardening.

Comfort’s formal music training began at the age of six with studies in classical piano at the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia. “My parents were always strong supporters of my artistic talents.  They saw to it that I had music and art lessons.  I developed a deep love for music and a sense of beauty from a very early age. Music also gave me a place to go as a child, and throughout my life a place to go in troubled times.”

He’s always had a love for ancient sounds from sources such as nature’s symphony, drones, overtone chanting, indigenous poly-rhythms, early sacred choral music, Celtic melodies, and music from the renaissance and baroque periods. Perhaps this is why his music seems to have its own unique niche as it has become a weaving or a rare blend of some of the richest and most exquisite music throughout all ages that transcends time.

Comfort seems a quiet and gentle man, though he has had strong feelings for many years around issues involving the environment. He expresses great delight that the early efforts of what seemed to be from only a few in the vanguard are now becoming stronger and more widespread on the planet. He grieves for the many human and environmental tragedies, but chooses to remain hopeful. He states, “As greed, shortsightedness, selfishness and duplicity run amok, we all have to keep focused and clear and stay committed to our vision - the vision of a renewed, sustainable, peaceful, harmonious, natural, sane and healed planet - to walk in the Beauty Way.”

He goes on to say “Each one of us has talents that we can use to bring about positive change. I’ve been involved in music all my life, all kinds of music - classical, folk, rock, jazz, world, experimental. I was always drawn to the ‘effects’ of music and sound. This became more and more the focus of my own work. I had always felt there was a side of man that needed food for his spirit through music. I’ve spoken out strongly for the benefit of becoming aware of the noise pollution in our environment and the need to consciously surround ourselves with sounds that soothe, nurture, and allow us to steady ourselves - to quiet our hearts and recharge our inner resources. Sometimes that means being in silence. Music can take you on many, many wonderful journeys and paths, and no one can argue against the magical effects of the sounds of delighted laughter!”

Buddy Comfort had made his home in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sonoma County for many years. His current home is nestled in the hills of the Central California coast. He says he is fortunate to have always lived in beautiful places. “I think that for many looking outward, embracing the wonders of nature, is the first step to being able to look inward to see the wonder and beauty of ourselves.”

 “Receptivity for heart level music that addresses the human spirit and soul is increasing. There is a need to reconnect with what is real in an increasingly superficial and alienating world. People seem to be taking time to be gentle with themselves - and that seems healthy to me, balanced - very necessary in these constantly changing high stress times.”

"People are looking inward and learning to care for themselves - love themselves. That’s where it all has to start. Nature has always been there to teach us these lessons. I’d like to think my music can contribute to that.”

ABOUT 'THE BUDDY COMFORT ENSEMBLE': performed and recorded together 1978  - 1979  

Players:

Stephen “Huzur” Coughlin - woodwinds, reeds and vocal harmony - Was an original member of the Sufi Choir. under the name Huzur Nawaz. He ia a vrtuoso on silver flute, bonsouri, soprano sax and clarinet. He has several solo recordings; starting with 1980, Stephen Coughlin - "Moulabakhsh Funk - Music Of East Window" ‎(Cass, Album, Dol), 1983,  "Song of the Reed" Stephen Coughlin- Awake! - YouTube .  1989, "Breeze At Dawn", 2001, "The Presence" .  2006, "Inner Steps"   https://www.amazon.com › Inner-Steps-Huzur-Nawaz-Coughlin.

Lorraine “Lori” Hunt - viola and vocal harmny - Played with the Silver String Macedonian Band, the Oakland Symphony, and the Emmanual Orchestra in Boston, MA (1980). In 1988 her viola was stolen and she embraced her career as a vocalist, begun in the mid eighties. Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson became revered as a soloist in works by Bach and Handel. (she has several recordings on the Harmonia Mundi and Nonesuch labels).  Unfortunately, she passed away too soon at the age of 52.  

She was originally interviewed byTerri Gross on Fresh Air (April 8.1996). "We rebroadcast an interview with late mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt. (July 7, 2006). She appeared in Peter Sellars' productions of Handel and Mozart. She had been called the 'reigning Handel diva of our day.' "

Both appeared on Buddy Comfort's first studio recording, "Mythical Beauty" (re-released 2023). Two of the songs from the album can be viewed as live performances in the VIDEOS section of this website or on YouTube: "If I Were A Bird" and "Galadriel".