Pied Pumkin

Websites:  http://citizenfreak.com/playlists/259-joe-mock
Origin: Vancouver - Bowen Island, British Columbia
Biography:

Absolutely original, slightly organic and eternally orange, Vancouver's legendary folk trio Pied Pumkin String Ensemble have been creating original, infectious music for over 25 years.

In the mid 70's Pied Pumkin's mixture of timeless music, fearless arrangements and irreverent humour defied categorization and made the group a West Coast favourite. Their combination of dulcimer, violin, guitar and flawless harmonies created a sound completely original and enduring. They self-produced two albums which sold over 30,000 copies for their own Squash Records--one of Canada's first independent labels.

After Shari's departure to The Hometown Band in 1976, Rick and Joe continued performing and recording for eight more years as Pied Pear, then each Pumkin went on to their own successful solo career.

The 1998 Pied Pumkin retrospective CD, Plucking DeVine, made CBC's Jurgen Gothe's Top Ten Album list and was nominated as Best Folk/Roots Album in the Pacific Music Industry Awards.

In March 2000 the Pumkin released Pied Alive, a live CD of 13 songs recorded in 9 different communities during on their hugely successful 33 concert tour of Western Canada in 1999.

Due to the overwhelming welcome they have received across Canada, Pied Pumkin is no longer "reunioning" but have officially "returned" and will continue to play and record together on an ongoing basis.

The Pumkin usually tours once a year as all three are enjoying extensive solo success. JOE MOCK lives in France and has been performing in Europe. He released the "Jozu" CD from his adventures in Tokyo and recently "Capgun Cowboy". SHARI ULRICH gives concerts and songwriting workshops and produces the Bluebird North
singer/songwriter series. Her latest solo CD is THE VIEW FROM HERE. RICK SCOTT's dulcimer lullabyCD, SNOOZE MUSIC, was nominated for a 2007 Juno Award and won NAPPA Gold, Parents' Choice Silver Honor and Parenting Awards in the US.

Joe Mock:
Joe Mock started playing folk music in the 60's while in college. With a handful of chords, a sense of rhythm, an inherited love of music and some fine friends, a trio was formed to sing the popular folk songs of the day. Following this came The Dusty Rhodes Trio with Dennis Rhodes and Bill Gilchrist, that was formed while at Gonzaga U in Spokane Washington. With the help of an agent named Dave Sobel, the group soon had valid reason to escape dorm curfew. In the summer of that year they managed to perform at the Hungry I in San Francisco thanks to the misfortune of the featured artist, Dick Gregory who landed in jail due to conscientious objections to the Vietnam war. Vancouver's 'Bunkhouse' was the next venue to seed the future. He was in a duo with Steven Barrett and later as a solo, in a "Folk Competition" - he won an electric Gibson Guitar. Memories of the Bunkhouse in Vancouver include meeting Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee, Josh White, Jose Feliciano, Brent Titcomb, David Wiffen, Gary Fjelgard and where Pat Paulson hung himself upside down from the marquee and painted the street with his beard but still did not get elected President of the US . . they were all hanging out. . .and big John York would sing Darcy Farrow as natural as a David Wilkie can say crik for creek. . .)

The combination of folk and rock at that time eventually led to a group called Joe Mock and No Commercial Potential with Stephen Barrett, Spence Sutton and Tom Hazlitt. which evolved into the Mock Duck (trio, Glen Hendrickson and Lee Stephens) (quartet, Glen Hendrickson, Ross Barrett, Rick Enns) which recorded and played what is now called Acid Jazz and other things and on other things that are not normally described as musical instruments. They played the same venues as the Doors, The Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe and the Fish. Places such as the Retinal Circus, The Afterthought (see poster), The Garden Auditorium, Big Mother, the Eagle Auditorium in Seattle. They were opening act for the Steve Miller Band, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Lee Michaels, Corky Seagal Blues Band. Following the decline of the psychedelic era a solo album was recorded but never released. (soon to be available here on line). The Canadian West Coast music scene was then experiencing a surge of new energy from conscientious objectors leaving the United States. Rick Scott, Shari Ulrich, Doc Fingers, Alta Grey, Bruce Miller, Tom and Jack Lavin, Rick Brockner and Jack Smith were all having an effect on the local musical community. Joe Mock and Friends on one week, would be Bruce Miller and Friends the next, and Jack Smith and Friends the next.

From the early 70's to 1980 - Joe played with Rick Scott and Shari Ulrich in the group known as the Pied Pumkin . This independent folk ensemble became a major staple of the Canadian folk scene with its rich harmonies, mighty grooves and memorable stories. When Shari left the group, Rick and Joe continued as Pied Pear. Following this, Joe hosted a weekly open stage in the Classical Joint which was became a breeding ground for other diverse personages and talents. When the World EXPO came to the city of Vancouver in 1986 he performed as music mis-director and glockenspiel player in the Extraordinary Clown Band, played synth in the Tiger Band (Snake in the Grass Theatre - KoKo, Garbanzo, Ross & Astrid) and bass with Tom See for BCTV and guitar with Andy Koyama in the Japanese Pavilion . With those earnings he departed for Japan and spent the next 9 years as a regular performer in Roppongi's Maggie's Revenge in Roppongi, Tokyo and working in the occasional studio with Casey Rankin. He can be presently found performing solo or with friends in Western Europe or touring Canada with the Pied Pumkin.

Shari Ulrich:
Sharon (Shari) Ulrich, (born 17 October 1951) is a Canadian musician-songwriter. She has won a Juno Award for "Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year", and has acted as a television host.

Born in San Rafael, California, Ulrich moved to British Columbia in the early 1970s. With Rick Scott and Joe Mock, she created the Pied Pumkin String Ensemble, which first performed in 1973. Her break came when she was hired to tour with Valdy and his Hometown Band. Shortly afterward, she won a 1982 Juno Award for "Most Promising Female Vocalist" and received Juno nominations in the following two years for "Best Female Vocalist".

Ulrich has also written items for Sesame Street and composed theme music for several networks, including the CBC.

Ulrich continues to perform solo (often accompanied by daughter Julia Graff) and to occasionally tour with the Pied Pumkin. She is also a member of the folk music group UHF. She lives on Bowen Island, British Columbia.

In 2009, Ulrich joined Barney Bentall and Tom Taylor to release the album "Live" at Cates Hill.

Rick Scott and Joe Mock pioneered indie roots music 1974-76 with Shari Ulrich in the trio Pied Pumkin. When Shari left to join the Hometown Band, the Pumkin became PIED PEAR. Rick and Joe toured far and wide playing concerts, dances and festivals.

For six years they made folks laugh, cry, dance and sing along. They released three albums.They represented Canada at the 1982 Knoxville Worlds' Fair.

Then they each went on to explore other creative interests: Joe to make music in Japan and France, and Rick to nine countries as an actor, singer/songwriter and acclaimed family entertainer.