Sleepy Doug Shaw
ABOUT
"Sleepy" Doug Shaw (aka Highlife) is a London born songwriter living and performing in New York since 2003. As he sings and speaks Shaw picks intricate, hypnotic finger patterns, building circles into webs of entrancing repetition on the same old '29 model Gibson that was gifted to Robert Johnson. He counts among influences Desert Blues, Kora mastery, old Calypso, Raga, Chicago Footwork, UK Grime, Spiritual Jazz, Rambler's laments, Kuduro.
Shaw moonlights in sways as Gang Gang Dance's bassist and was formerly long-time guitarist and multi-instrumentalist of Drag City group White Magic as well as Sierra Leonean star “Bubu King” Janka Nabay’s band. He has also contributed to records of Cass McCombs, Hal Wilner, Eric Copeland, etc and has shared stages around the globe with the likes of Lou Reed, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Animal Collective, Mdou Moctar, Dizzee Rascal, Terry Riley, Yoko Ono, Bert Jansch, Black Dice, Les Filles de Illighadad, Sonic Youth, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Michael Hurley and many more.
"Sleepy" Doug Shaw (aka Highlife) is a London born songwriter living and performing in New York since 2003. As he sings and speaks Shaw picks intricate, hypnotic finger patterns, building circles into webs of entrancing repetition on the same old '29 model Gibson that was gifted to Robert Johnson. He counts among influences Desert Blues, Kora mastery, old Calypso, Raga, Chicago Footwork, UK Grime, Spiritual Jazz, Rambler's laments, Kuduro.
Shaw moonlights in sways as Gang Gang Dance's bassist and was formerly long-time guitarist and multi-instrumentalist of Drag City group White Magic as well as Sierra Leonean star “Bubu King” Janka Nabay’s band. He has also contributed to records of Cass McCombs, Hal Wilner, Eric Copeland, etc and has shared stages around the globe with the likes of Lou Reed, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Animal Collective, Mdou Moctar, Dizzee Rascal, Terry Riley, Yoko Ono, Bert Jansch, Black Dice, Les Filles de Illighadad, Sonic Youth, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Michael Hurley and many more.
VIDEO