BIO

Strung-Out Troubadours - The Troubs - Rik Emmett & Dave Dunlop - have a brand new studio CD, entitled "reCOVERy Room 9".
Nine somewhat unexpected and startling cover songs, performed as an acoustic duo and captured in the friendly research lab / hothouse environment of Dave's 'Room 9' studio.
The tune stack includes: 1. I Hear You Knockin', 2. Message In a Bottle, 3. The Boys of Summer, 4. Superstition, 5. She's Always a Woman, 6. Born to Run, 7. I've Just Seen a Face, 8. Have a Little Faith In Me, 9. The Galaxy Song

Emmett says: "We're hoping that people will find this work surprising and entertaining. We're taking some chances with this repertoire, but risk is part of the fun. This material, in an acoustic duo context, is also extremely challenging, and we know some folks might take umbrage with us reworking sacred, definitive masterworks. But these are songs that we love, too, and we're paying our respects - just offering our best."

Dave Dunlop has been a pro guitarist/songwriter/singer/educator for the past 20 years, and is currently a member of the award-winning ‘Strung-Out Troubadours’, as well as the ‘Rik Emmett Band’, the’ Allen Frew Trio’ and ‘Jeans ‘n Classics’.

Dave is an endorser of Gibson guitars, Dean guitars, and Traynor amplifiers.

Dave was also lead guitarist and writer in ‘The Full Nine’, signed with Disney’s Mammoth Records.

In 2005, he put ‘Room 9’ studio together in his Toronto home, where he has been busy recording and producing projects non-stop ever since.  The studio also drew him into the jingle world, writing the music for an American Budweiser radio campaign.

He has been a faculty member at the National Summer Guitar Workshop, and has done  sideman stints with Bo Diddley, Mike Reno (of Loverboy fame), Ron Sexsmith, and others.

In 2005, Dave was also fortunate enough to hook up with ‘Jeans ‘n Classics’, which  is a group of musicians who travel around North America playing live shows with Orchestras.  Dave has won rave reviews for his handiwork in various shows, featuring  the music of Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Queen, and many  others.

His working relationship with Hall of Famer Rik Emmett had grown to the point that they released a duo project called ‘Strung-Out Troubadours’, with Dave co-writing, recording, co-producing, mixing and performing, all in his Room 9 studio.  The strength of the duo’s chemistry led to their winning ‘Album of the Year’ and ‘Best Group/Duo’ at the 2007 Canadian Smooth Jazz awards, where they were the most heavily nominated act.  Each of the ‘Troubs’ was also up for “best guitarist”.  Far from resting on their laurels, they recorded their follow-up CD entitled “Live at Hugh’s Room” [produced and mixed by Dave], showcasing the acoustic duo in a magical evening captured just before Christmas 2006 at the fabled “Hugh’s Room” in Toronto. 

In 2008, Dave joined the re-formed Hall of Famers, ‘Truimph’, supporting the original line-up of Rik Emmett, Gil Moore and Mike Levine.

The  ‘Troubs’ have since followed up the “ Hugh’s Room” disc with the 2009 critically acclaimed release “ Push & Pull”,  again produced at Room 9.