Bob Culbertson

Bob Culbertson is an influential Chapman Stick player. An early adaptor of the instrument, he is notable not only for his many recorded albums, but also for his extensive touring.

Bob Culbertson played with or opened performances by many popular musicians, including Robben Ford, Steve Morse, Allan Holdsworth, and members of Santana amongst others. He has taught hundreds of players and released a set of instructional Stick videos, Lessons on the Stick.

Culbertson is famous not only for his spectacular techniques, which allows him to play three to four melodic, harmonic or rhythmic lines simultaneously (e.g. bass line, chords and melody in a time), but also due to well above average compositional talent. His official discography lists seven albums, yet at least two others exist, which are either out of print or maybe just widely known bootlegs. Furthermore, a DVD of Bob Culbertson live (yet recorded in studio, in front of blue screen) is available to the public. According to info on his official page, Bob Culbertson has sold over 100,000 albums, even if they are hard to find in stores, and most of them are sold during live concerts, seminars or ordered from his web site.

Around 2002, Bob Culbertson together with Emmett Chapman and luthier Craig Anderson created the AcouStick, an acoustical Stick instrument, now featured on Culbertson's CD and DVD, and became the first men ever to play On It.

Discography

Most of Culbertson's albums are solo recordings without overdubbing or digital editing, except minor effect processing. Only Stick and New World Dance feature other musicians.

Audio CDs:

  • Bob Culbertson (19??) — not listed in official discography
  • Stick (1989) — not listed in official discography
  • New World Dance (1992) — with African Rain band, not listed in official discography
  • Moment In Time (1994)
  • Season of Joy (1995)
  • Cafe San Francisco (1996)
  • The Touch (1998)
  • Romantica I (2000)
  • Romantica II (2000)
  • AcouStick Dawn (2003)

VHS:

  • Solo Flight (1999)

DVD:

  • Un Viaje Classico (2003)

Instructional video:

  • Bob Culbertson. Lessons on the Stick (19??)

On compilations:

  • Tappistry, Vol. 1 (1996) — 1 track
  • Stick Night '99 (1999) — 2 tracks