'Zen Cowboy' Pyle releases new live album

Singer/songwriter Chuck Pyle celebrates the release of his new live album at the Kandahar in Whitefish for two performances on Oct. 28-29 at 8 p.m. both nights.

"Romancing the Moment" features some of Pyle's best-known songs, among them "Jaded Lover" and "Cadillac Cowboy" from this folk, country, cowboy and Zen culture legend. The album also offers some previously unreleased material.

Pyle has been garnering the praise of peers and fans for 30 years. Referred to affectionately as the "Zen Cowboy," Pyle wraps his infectiously hummable melodies with straight-from-the saddle poetry, quoting bumper stickers, proverbs, world leaders and old cowboys at his shows.

When reviewers first gave him the Zen Cowboy label, he decided to, as he says, "ride the horse in the direction it's going," and took his new nickname to heart.

Shaving his head and blending upbeat spirituality with horse sense, Pyle began writing songs about forgetful cowboys, heroic highway patrolmen and brainstems gone "critical."

An accomplished songwriter, Pyle's songs have been recorded by John Denver, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Suzy Bogguss. He became a Colorado favorite when he wrote the theme-song - thought by many to be the unofficial Colorado state song - for the PBS series "Spirit of Colorado."

He was invited to sing that same song for the opening session of the 2005 Colorado State Legislature. His flair for words and melody has made him a favorite of Bill and Melinda Gates, who've had him play at their house.

Among country fans, he's probably best known for writing, "Cadillac Cowboy," recorded by the late Chris LeDoux, and "Jaded Lover," recorded by Jerry Jeff Walker.

Pyle's groundbreaking guitar playing enhances his performances. The sheer invention of his finger-style has distinguished him as a true American original, and earned him teaching invitations to The Puget Sound Guitar Workshop and The Swannanoa Gathering.

An Iowa native, Pyle made his way to the Front Range of Colorado in 1965 when, he says, "Boulder was mostly gravel streets." He travels the world, taking what is best about America with him, playing theaters, festivals, colleges, coffeehouses and house concerts.

Pyle has eight albums to his credit, including "Romancing the Moment," and he is currently putting the finishing touches on a studio project scheduled for release in January.

Tickets for Pyle are $15 in advance and $17 at the door and are available at the Kandahar and the Artistic Touch at 209 Central Ave. in Whitefish.

Call 862-6098 for more information.