Martin Gilmore: The Colorado Troubadour
By: David Smith

Every state needs to have its troubadour. Someone to sing from the tundra grasses of the mountainside, the ironclad 12th floor decking of the fire escape, by the mussel shell salted winds of the sea, or sunbaked sands of the yucca desert. For each region there is a song that needs to be shared in carrying on lore, stories of the people, their work, and their emotional state rolling over the times of struggle, love, ease, and woe.

Maryland has Cris Jacobs immersed in the old brick harbors of Baltimore. California sings out with the freedom and expression of Molly Tuttle. Texas has had its late great legends: Townes, Guy, Jerry Jeff, Billy Joe… Modern-day stars of the Americana stage represent states of their upbringing, such as Tyler Childers with his Kentucky howl, and Billy Strings with his Michigan grit. Colorado is an inspirational oasis for balladeers over the years, from John Denver and Dan Fogelberg of old, to the heyday of Tim O’Brien with voice and fiddle in harmonic unison, to today’s poets with pencil, paper, and guitar in-hand: Bonnie Sims, Benny Galloway, Mike Finders, Megan and Maddie Cody, and more… But there is one name worthy of the declaration of Colorado Troubadour, one voice singing for the cowboy on the open plains, singing for the miner deep in the Rocky Mountain granite, singing for the festival dancer and the blessings of the time, and equally for today’s traveling laborer and the hardships at-hand. Our Colorado Troubadour is Martin Gilmore.

Times call for such a bold proclamation, as Martin has just brought home back-to-back Colorado top prizes directly tied to his melodious ways with the 2024 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Troubadour songwriting competition and the 2024 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriters Showcase competition.

Colorado Bluegrass Music Society members no doubt know the ways of the Telluride and RockyGrass band contests well. Beloved bands – bands before throngs and under the lights of headlining sets – planted their roots in these contests and their Elks Park and Wildflower Pavilion preliminary rounds and storied mainstage finals. What might not have the same awareness level is the song submissions, in-the-round performances, and multiple stage judging of the song contests. The process leaves little doubt. All is on the line and there’s nowhere to hide. The result is a display of authenticity that is at the heart of Martin Gilmore the songwriter, the folk and bluegrass musician, the troubadour.  

Whether through the vast skyline of longing relations and searching for place of his American West, or wailing blues and hopeful emotions of living and learning within his Trio, or observations of travel through a land lost in time to so many yet found to the singer in East West, or the learned voice of penned originality in his most recent self-titled release, there is a fearless confidence of note in the music of Martin Gilmore, an unabridged vocal and clear presence of rhythm guitar plying a melody that sets the listener in a surefooted time and place. His music is authentic because there is no façade of character; Gilmore is no tourist visiting a genre to glimpse the lonesome or strum the motions of a purposeless jam.  

A sure sign of a troubadour is representing the traditions, while navigating the creative process within; there is a curation of the music – an understanding of influences, tangential scenes, and acknowledgement of the past – while finding a unique voice and bringing a meaningful repertoire to the people. Gilmore is principal in this multiple partner dance across the stage of styles and configurations. The Colorado folk and bluegrass scene is his partner, and their hand-in-hand do-si-do can be seen in the classes he teaches, shows he plays, and inspirations he brings. Through each you’ll witness barriers fall, no walls between musician and audience, the authenticity of sincerity, the troubadour playing the song because of enjoyment for the story, for the history, for the importance.

Check out Colorado Bluegrass Music Society member Martin Gilmore’s several releases and upcoming shows through his website: https://www.martingilmore.com/.