Cliff Eberhardt

Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Cliff Eberhardt, often referred to as one of the "new folk" artists on the scene, comes from suburban Philadelphia, historically a strong folk music area. Raised in a musical family in the 1960s, the self-taught guitarist began performing at age eight and performed with his brother while in high school. In the mid-'70s, he relocated to southern Illinois and found a singer/songwriter scene there. He continued to hone his skills as a performer, singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Since the late '70s, he's been based in New York, one of the early pioneers in Greenwich Village's 1980s folk music revival. Eberhardt's debut recording, The Long Road, was released on Windham Hill Records in 1990; the title track is a duet with his longtime friend and mentor Richie Havens. Other releases include his 1993 debut for the Cachet subsidiary of Shanachie Records, Now You Are My Home, where he's backed by people like John Gorka, Nanci Griffith, and Patty Larkin. He released Mona Lisa Café for Shanachie in 1995, followed by 12 Songs of Good & Evil in 1997, Borders in 1999, School for Love in 2002, and High Above and the Down Below in 2007. A gifted songwriter, Eberhardt's songs have been covered by everyone from Buffy Sainte-Marie to Carl Perkins. He also has a track on the Rounder Records release Big Times in a Small Town: The Vineyard Tapes, produced by fellow New York singer/songwriter Christine Lavin. ~ Richard Skelly, All Music Guide