Showman & Coole

Through twenty years and a couple of thousand shows together in bands such as The Foggy Hogtown Boys and The Lonesome Ace Stringband, John Showman and Chris Coole have developed a deep and instinctual musical bond.  Their music lurks in a truly unique space that is somewhere on the outskirts of old-time, bluegrass, and folk. The songs of John Hartford, Hank Williams, Dock Boggs, and The Band share space with the fiddle tunes of Eck Robertson and Ed Haley. The duo’s original songs and tunes take in all these vistas and paint something both personal and timely. 

They have performed across North America and Europe at festivals such as Merlefest, Rockygrass, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Mariposa, Wintergrass, Gooikroots, and The John Hartford Memorial Festival. In 2022, the duo released two albums, Afield, a collection of old-time fiddle tunes, and Much Further Out than Inevitable – A Tribute to Some Music of John Hartford. 

‘John Showman has made his mark as “one of the very best and most influential fiddle players in Canada’ - Steve Pritchard, CIUT 89.5 FM

‘Renowned for his clawhammer banjo picking, Coole now establishes himself as a gripping songwriter.’ - Roddy Campbell, Penguin Eggs Magazine