Roy Book Binder is the epitome of the singing, songwriting, storytelling Bluesman troubadour. Binder from the early sixties became a student and friend of the legendary Reverend Gary Davis, who he toured with in the late 1960s, and it was from these early days he became equally at home with Blues and ragtime.
At the age of 76, he is known to shift from open tunings to slide arrangements set to his original and sometimes quirky tongue-in-cheek compositions, with both traditional and self-styled licks, drawing on many musical influences. He combines his Blues with Hokum, Dixie Jazz licks, and Old Timey acoustic Hill Country music with ease. More than anything, however, hisstorytelling style is what he is most renowned for.The Sydney Morning Herald in Australia said "the stories are as good as the songs". Binder is a master of the Piedmont style as well as Delta blues. He is also well known for his wry and autobiographical songs.
In the 1990s he often appeared with Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna), who recorded two of Roy's songs. He’s been featured on a PBS special and interviewed by Terry Gross on “Fresh Air.” Who else can say they were friends with the Rev. Gary Davis, Pink Anderson and Robert Lockwood? And toured with Arthur Big Boy Crudup, Hot Tuna, JJ Cale & Bonnie Raitt? Roy borrowed from his heroes to become a distinct voice in the Blues and Folk music world. He has the stories, the licks, and the mystery of timeless music in his fingers.
