Extended Biography
Mark Ambrose is the kind of songwriter you might happen on some late-spring evening under a tree at Kerrville, or one night in someone’s living room or at your favorite local listening room venue. As the title of his recent live compilation album Troubadour suggests, Mark Ambrose is the real thing: a hard-working song smith whose voice, song-wisdoms, effortless flat picking guitar style (whether playing rhythm or lead), and sincere delivery remind us what it really means to "talk story" through song. Mark Ambrose clearly upholds the folk tradition and integrity of the “old guard”—Townes, Guthrie, Ramblin’ Jack, Guy Clark, and other bonafide troubadours who have traveled this same dusty road.
Mark turns up songs faithful to the Texas folk/roots tradition yet still sounding like a much-needed revival for our modern times. Songs like “Train Whistle Blues” will strike the listener with the feel of an instant classic—familiar yet you know you haven’t heard this one yet. Meanwhile, songs like“Shadow on the Moon” and “Redbirds” speak to the depth and romance embedded in Mark’s songwriting, as he addresses matters of the human spirit and the heart.
Mark has played shows with Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Ray Wylie Hubbard, the Dave Rawlings Machine (with members of Old Crow Medicine Show), and others. His guitar playing was recognized by Gillian Welch who asked him to come play guitar (acoustic and electric) on her CD, Soul Journey. Mark’s guitar playing can be heard on the single “Look At Miss Ohio.” Mark Ambrose’s modest but earnest contributions to Americana music are beginning to be noticed. At least a couple dozen artists have either sung or recorded Mark’s songs, including live performances of “Willie the Outlaw” by Dave Rawlings, and recordings of “Shadow on the Moon” and “Suitcase Full of Tears” by Austin, TX stalwart Toni Price. “Shadow on the Moon” also won First Place in the Singer/Songwriter category of the Austin Songwriters Group Song Contest in 2011. As a songwriter working under the aegis of folk/blues/Americana/country music, Mark Ambrose’s style is deceptively simple yet, in that simplicity and sincerity, also satisfyingly profound—as the very best of folk music should be.
As a performer Mark Ambrose will win the audience over with his particular charm, laid back and charismatic, yet brimming with musical integrity. He brings magic and spontaneity to his song-sharing and storytelling; there is no distance between him and his audience. He’s all there with you in that room for every single second that he’s onstage. He’ll catch your eye while he’s singing, he’ll smile, and he’ll even mean it. Mark's music is refreshingly authentic and unpretentious, conveying an old-soul troubadour's view on today's world.
Mark turns up songs faithful to the Texas folk/roots tradition yet still sounding like a much-needed revival for our modern times. Songs like “Train Whistle Blues” will strike the listener with the feel of an instant classic—familiar yet you know you haven’t heard this one yet. Meanwhile, songs like“Shadow on the Moon” and “Redbirds” speak to the depth and romance embedded in Mark’s songwriting, as he addresses matters of the human spirit and the heart.
Mark has played shows with Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Ray Wylie Hubbard, the Dave Rawlings Machine (with members of Old Crow Medicine Show), and others. His guitar playing was recognized by Gillian Welch who asked him to come play guitar (acoustic and electric) on her CD, Soul Journey. Mark’s guitar playing can be heard on the single “Look At Miss Ohio.” Mark Ambrose’s modest but earnest contributions to Americana music are beginning to be noticed. At least a couple dozen artists have either sung or recorded Mark’s songs, including live performances of “Willie the Outlaw” by Dave Rawlings, and recordings of “Shadow on the Moon” and “Suitcase Full of Tears” by Austin, TX stalwart Toni Price. “Shadow on the Moon” also won First Place in the Singer/Songwriter category of the Austin Songwriters Group Song Contest in 2011. As a songwriter working under the aegis of folk/blues/Americana/country music, Mark Ambrose’s style is deceptively simple yet, in that simplicity and sincerity, also satisfyingly profound—as the very best of folk music should be.
As a performer Mark Ambrose will win the audience over with his particular charm, laid back and charismatic, yet brimming with musical integrity. He brings magic and spontaneity to his song-sharing and storytelling; there is no distance between him and his audience. He’s all there with you in that room for every single second that he’s onstage. He’ll catch your eye while he’s singing, he’ll smile, and he’ll even mean it. Mark's music is refreshingly authentic and unpretentious, conveying an old-soul troubadour's view on today's world.