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Updated: 02 January 2010

Chuck Pyle has won high praise from both fans and peers alike throughout an inspired performance career of over 40 years. When reviewers first gave him the "Zen Cowboy" moniker, he decided to, "Always ride the horse in the direction it's going," and took the nickname to heart, shaving his head and blending his upbeat perspective with old-fashioned horse sense. He mixes infectiously hummable melodies with straight-from-the-saddle poetry, quoting bumper stickers, proverbs, world leaders and old cowboys.
An accomplished songwriter, Chuck's songs have been recorded by John Denver, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Suzy Bogguss. Country fans know him best for writing "Cadillac Cowboy", recorded by the late Chris LeDoux, and "Jaded Lover", recorded by Jerry Jeff Walker.

While fans love his recordings, they adore Chuck's live performances. The first time he made an audience laugh, he was ‘hooked’. Critics say his sense of rhythm is more like a classical, or jazz, trained soloist. The Chuck Pyle fingerstyle approach to guitar has distinguished him as a true original, earning him invitations to teach at such prestigious schools as The Puget Sound Guitar Workshop and The Swannanoa Gathering. His music has made him a favorite of Bill & Melinda Gates who have had him play at their home in Seattle. Since writing the theme-song for a PBS series called Spirit of Colorado, he's attained local fame, and even sings for the opening session of the Colorado State Legislature.

Chuck Pyle came from Iowa in 1965 when, "Boulder was mostly gravel streets", and resides on the front range of Colorado. He does 100 dates a year all across the country, playing festivals and theaters, coffeehouses and house concerts.

An excellent recording artist, he has just released his 10th CD, ‘Higher Ground - Songs of Colorado’. It includes three new songs and nine songs from earlier CDs. The new song “Little Town Tour” is destined to become a favorite. It names over 100 Colorado towns with populations under 3000; small towns where ranchers and farmers go to buy supplies and connect with their neighbors. “Moonlight On The Colorado” is a period piece, written by a WWI soldier yearning for his true love back home in Colorado. Also included, John Denver's “Rocky Mountain High” is, of course, the new Colorado State Song. Every tune is a perfect fit. The songs are dedicated to the beauty and the harshness that make the Colorado lifestyle so vital.

It’s been a couple of years since the “Zen Cowboy” has performed at BRAS. Don’t miss this opportunity to get your Chi aligned for 2010.

Sam Broyles