Dave with cittern

Dave Bartley

Dave Bartley plays guitar, mandolin, cittern, and several other stringed instruments. He has played many styles of music over the years and continues to range over several genres. He has performed throughout the US and Canada, and in England, Australia, France and Greece.

Dave composes dance tunes, many of which may be found in the KGB Tune Dossier and KGB Tune Dossier, Volume 2. A waltz he wrote and KGB recorded, The Clock Stopped, is used to teach cross-step waltz in much of the US and other parts of the world.

He also teaches guitar, mandolin, and cittern/bouzouki, and performs as a classical guitar soloist or can put together a band for weddings and other events. Contact him for more information.

For a longer biography see here.

For a calendar of upcoming performances see below.

Photo by Paul Bestock
Dave plays in these bands, among others:
  • KGB - One of the seminal avant garde contra dance bands, since 1993, with Julie King and Claude Ginsburg. KGB also plays for couple dances, English Country Dance (as MI-5), and concerts.
  • Bag o'Tricks (aka Tricky Brits) - A versatile contra dance and English Country Dance band with Anita Anderson, Betsy Cooper and Sande Gillette.
  • Rouge - French café and cabaret music featuring chanteuse Janet Rayor.
  • Valse Café Orchestra - Viennese waltzes and a variety of music for other couple dances.
  • Jokers Wild - A fine contra dance and couple dance band with Deb Kirkland and W. B. Reid.
  • Contra Sutra - A brand new contra dance band with Marni Rachmiel, Ryan McKasson, and Russell S.
  • Pasatempo - Rebetika, the "Greek blues," from the 1920's to 1940's, headlined by Christos Govetas and Ruth Hunter.
  • Gina Salá Ensemble - Uplifting music from around the world.
  • Sky Blue - Romantic dance music from the Swing Era, led by pianist Julian Adamaitis and singer Nadine Sanders.
  • Roguery - A new English (and contra) dance band with Anita Anderson, Shira Kammen, and Jim Oakden.
  • Dave has toured with The Nettles, occasionally plays with The Avant Gardeners and Pangéo, and joins other combinations of musicians to play at dances and concerts.
  • Dave also plays occasionally with the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera.
Photo by Paul Bestock

Selected discography:


Avant Gardeners Asheville

News and Calendar

Here is a schedule of Dave's upcoming gigs (updated January 12, 2012), with links to more information where available:

and beyond...

  • Fri, Apr 6 to Sun, Apr 8, Roguery plays for the Spring Ball, Ashland, OR, Brooke Friendly and Chris Sackett calling
  • Fri, Apr 13, 8:30pm, KGB plays for Waltz Night at Sonny Newman's Dance Hall, Seattle, WA
  • Sat, Apr 14, Tricky Brits with Karen Iglitzin for the Vancouver English Ball, Vancouver, BC, Joanna Reiner calling
  • Fri, Apr 20, 8:00pm, KGB plays for a contra dance in Felton, CA, Susan Petrick calling
  • Sat, Apr 21, times TBA, KGB plays for Spring Fling in Monterey, CA, Erik Weberg calling
  • Sun, Apr 22, 4:00pm, KGB plays for a contra dance in Hayward, CA, caller TBA
  • Thu, Apr 26, 8:00pm, Nils Fredland, Dave, and player(s) TBA play for a contra dance at the Lake City Community Center, Seattle, WA, caller TBA
  • Fri, Apr 27 to Sun, Apr 29, Cascadia English Dance Weekend, Seattle, WA

  • Fri, May 11, time TBA, KGB plays for a contra dance in Vancouver, WA, caller TBA
  • Sat, May 12, time TBA, KGB plays for a contra dance in Eugene, OR, caller TBA
  • Sun, May 13, time TBA, KGB plays a house concert, Portland, OR
  • Fri, May 25 to Mon, May 28, Northwest Folklife Festival, Seattle, WA

  • Sun, Jul 1 to Fri, Jul 6, Dave plays at BACDS American Week, near La Honda, CA
  • Fri, Aug 31 to Mon, Sep 3, Roguery plays at Northwest Passage, near Portland, OR

BoT Chippenham

Page maintained by Dave Bartley

© 2010 Dave Bartley