About Us

BareFootMusicNews.com is a premiere on-line source for breaking music industry news, product reviews, tutorials, opinions and in-depth artist interviews and features. We responsibly report on mainstream news that impacts our industry as well as entertaining, humorous rants and raves.

We feature stunning exclusive photography through the lenses of a very talented pool of professional photographers. Our original content is fresh, frequent, scheduled and very accessible to a wide demographic of worldwide viewers.

Exclusive interviews with world-class musicians, artists and production people are a staple of our site. Fascinating insight into the art and lives of our featured artists include interviews, performance videos, sponsor’s products, show schedules, photos and, of course, links to their music and their websites.

Our team is a well-published group of creative and talented writers, graphic designers, photographers, teachers, performers and video production people. Our collective passion is to create fascinating and fresh content, fast and right the first time. Nothing goes out that is not read by 3 people, copyrights are protected at all cost, credit is given where credit is due and if there is nothing nice to say we say it truthfully, with reason and diplomacy and, whenever possible, present opposing opinion.

If one of us shows up at your door you can be guaranteed a fair shake by a professional, ready to dig in and report what is happening in a most entertaining fashion and present it to a smart audience of tech-savvy music lovers that range from tweens to seniors, hip-hop to jazz and everything in between.

Dan Grigor
Publisher/Creative Director

Dan Grigor is hands-down the best 12-string guitar player in the known universe. He has been playing guitar since rocks were soft and believes bare feet should touch the ground. He has a simple approach to guitar: Play knowledgeably without thinking. A well-published freelance and magazine writer, Dan writes about what he knows, what intrigues him and what he’s up to. His video tutorials, music lessons and sage advice are some of the most read posts on the site; his music videos a delightful background playlist when reading it. Dan’s recording experience goes back before 4-track tape systems and his production company IDEA!ography has been reaching the working musician demographic since before the internet. His BBS, Electro-Shok Therapy, launched in 1989, was one of San Diego’s premiere computer bulletin boards and served as the hub for a worldwide network of IBM PC computers. The studio has been doing research and tutorials on affordable video/audio/website production and marketing and has produced successful trade show videos, commercials, promo materials, music videos, music CDs and DVDs. Grigor’s stage company provides event coordination and equipment including: stage, big sound, lights and offers a five-camera live shoot plus graphics mixed to big screens from a remote truck.

Wakitu, otherwise known as Dan’s wife, Danielle, is our streetwise Editor, keeper of data and an invaluable resource, with over 35 years in printing and publishing. Seeing the handwriting on the wall turn to pixels on a screen, she joined the computer revolution long before it was cool. Working as a freelance production artist specializing in helping corporations make the transition into electronic production and in-house systems, she accepted positions as Production Manager on full-color magazines converting from galleys to gigabits and as an Art Department Manager overseeing three photo studios and ancillary production personnel in output of over 100 catalog pages per week. As owner of IDEA!ography, she is the house photographer, videographer, editor, artist nurturer, wife of crazybarefootdude and “other mother” of young performers of several persuasions and rock stars.

Ric Tortorete grew up around music; his father was a musician, well-known in his community, entertaining in local restaurants and clubs. Ric himself went on tour around the world as a young man, performing with “Up With Music.” While playing with several bands over the years, he has also spent many hours setting the stage and sound for other performers in schools and clubs. These days he is wielding his brushes and sticks playing a unique brand of blues fusion as percussionist in Dan Grigor’s band Live Music: Call For Info. He can also be found behind a camera and in front of it as on-site interviewer for and regular contributor to BFMN.

Shaun McIntyre picked up a guitar at the age of ten; since then, his life has revolved around music and entertainment. By high school, he was capable of competently playing any stringed instrument, as well as piano and drums. He then dove into the world of recording music, starting by recording his band at the time, Rural Oddities, on a Tascam 24-track analog recorder. He had found his passion and decided to make recording music his career. Earning certification in analog recording systems, he moved on into learning how to use system automation, then into the digital world of audio recording. Shaun sailed through the Digidesign Pro Tools training program, then became the first in his school to pass both the 110 and User Certification exams from Avid. He has worked with Universal Entertainment as Engineer and Lighting Operator and for IDEA!ography as a Camera Operator among many other jobs while working his way through school. Currently, Shaun is building a recording studio from the ground up and establishing his own label, Necessity Records, with the intent to provide ultra-high quality professional recording, mixing, mastering, distribution, and promotion services to bands and artists at an affordable rate, as well as producing live shows.

Carox is a prolific photographer and optimistic videographer of the Houston Music Scene. As well as supporting local bands at the drop of a hat, she enjoys her VIP moments and White Russians with local and national stars alike. Her credits include being a juried photographer for the New Orleans Jazzfest. Her widely used photos can be found all over the web with her signature byCarox copyright. She is honing her writing skills and feeding her love of music by producing reviews while pursuing courses in media. Carox originally comes from the UK which probably explains everything. We are very pleased to welcome her to the BareFoot MusicNews team.

Frank “Catfish” Butler, a blues guitarist from South Texas, has been playing blues in juke joints for decades. The fret boards on his guitars can double as birdbaths from the scalloped wear generated by years of dedicated playing. Catfish is an on-site interviewer for and regular contributor to BareFootMusicNews. He has been involved with multiple music projects over the years, including acting as podcast host for ShareMyGuitar. He is one of the two guitar “anchors” and a vocalist for Call For Info (the BFMN house band). A lifetime ASCAP member as a composer, Frank has some great songs he has penned over the years, growing from his experiences on the road.

Paul Bourgeois lives in Finland.  He is a member of the band “The Blue Monsters” and teaches creative writing at Kymenlaakson Politechnic, University of Applied Sciences. Paul’s weekly column on BareFootMusicNews, “Musical Musings” is one of our most popular features. The column enjoys a worldwide demographic of both musicians and non-musicians. With a casual “friend-of-mine” style, Paul entertains and educates in a language we can all understand.

Edward Lapple has been involved in every phase of the entertainment industry. In his 40-odd years of production, this six-time Emmy Award winning television director/editor personally had a hand in many of our favorite movies, TV and radio shows. From his work in local news through documentaries and feature films, Ed’s street-level smarts has saved many a day and millions of dollars. As a musician, he produced and engineered recording sessions since the days of the 4-track. As an electronic engineer he has designed and constructed television stations, remote tele-production vehicles, radio stations and recording studios. During the late sixties and seventies he promoted concerts with many artists including Deep Purple, Cactus, Uriah Heep, Black Oak Arkansas, Albert Collins, Smokestack Lightning and many others.  Currently he is working with Backstage Graphics to design new staging effects for concerts and festivals, as well as serving as a consultant to the entertainment industry. He is a regular contributor to BareFoot MusicNews, presenting front-line wisdom from a veteran professional.

“Moon” Saunders, owner of Moonshayde Photography, describes herself as a vintage rock chick and professional music photographer hailing from London. She journeys about the Southeast UK capturing definitive images of performers in action. Heavy Metal is her religion, capturing the essence of music is her passion. She is addicted to tea and collecting live instants in time. She speaks both English & American, loves hugs and is happiest when she’s right in front of the speakers. Moon serves as a frontline photographer/reporter for BareFoot MusicNews.

Karen Leist Bassett is an award-winning photographer hanging out in the center of the US, who is drawn to music and musicians, we’re hoping this is just the first of many musical adventures she shares with us. Along with her camera, her most prized possession is her late father’s circa 1967 Framus Atlantic with sunburst finish. And yes, she plays it.

“Dimples” owns and is the principle photographer for No Edit Photo in Seattle, WA. With a photo style he describes as “helping you see the music,” he paints with light and shadow directly onto the shot; any apparent effects you see are precisely what was captured on camera. There is no edit. Get it? No Edit Photo. The only digital function performed on any of his photos is to rotate and, occasionally, crop. Dimples shoots with all Nikon equipment and, with fast flashes and slow shutters, helps you see the movement of the artist. Capturing movement and the energy of a live show is his specialty. “I’ve had a camera in my hands since I realized I had thumbs,” he says. With all-pro skills and attitude to match his gear and extensive stage manager experience, he flits about the stage as if he’s invisible even when using flashes and remotes.

Jim Messer is an award-winning photographer hailing from Jacksonville, FL. Married with three cats, he is a frequent visitor at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, capturing images of wildlife that capture hearts and prizes. He is also a trainer with a cable company and a community photographer for Jacksonville.com, the Florida Times Union newspaper. A talented low-light photographer, Jim captures wonderful musical moments for BareFoot MusicNews.

Ryan Kroeger is 34, recently married and the proud Papa of an amazing 7-year-old girl. A Technical Training Specialist, he loves all things outdoors…camping, biking, hiking, kayaking, the beach, etc. Music has always played an important part in his life. In his words, Ryan enjoys “Most types of music, as they all inspire different thoughts and emotions, however I tend to favor Jam Bands, Bluegrass and Americana (of course I love all things Jerry and can never get enough of The Grateful Dead). I have been an avid concert/festival goer for over 16 years, always looking forward to the next show!” Ryan is a big fan of The Spirit of The Suwannee Music Park in Florida, and will be bringing BareFoot MusicNews reviews and insights from the festivals held there.