David "Chainsaw" Dupont Acoustic Guitarist from Chicago Heights, IL

David "Chainsaw" Dupont performs solo 12-string acoustic guitar and solo electric guitar. He grew up in the Mississippi Delta, and he grew up with music all around - his mother played piano and ran a juke joint. He came to Chicago as a teenager, and soon after he began to pursue music as a career, performing in all kinds of bands, from country to rock to reggae to blues. He's forged his own path, writing and performing original blues, infused with elements of the other styles he's learned along the way, and in recent years he's become proficient on acoustic 12-string, singing blues and other songs in a folksy style that immediately creates a bond with the audience. His recent live CD, "Acoustified/Electrified!" features intimate solo performances of his original songs recorded at Chicago's venerable Uncommon Ground cafe, during a freakishly strange winter spell later immortalized as the 'warm Christmas' set. His folksy charm and sophisticated musical phrasings create a delicate balance that draws audiences in and gets them involved in the song, the true definition of "folk" music. His songs tell engaging stories of real people living their lives, embracing laughter, enduring disappointments, but always moving forward, despite doubts. He transforms any genre of music he plays into an engaging triumph of the spirit, even taking familiar rock, pop, and americana songs and transforming them into his own creations. As a solo performer, he's hard to ignore and difficult to forget, but when he adds a duo partner on harmonica, piano, or violin, he helps people remember how improvisational and exciting simple music can be. "...this modern day troubadour demonstrates an originality both in his songwriting and in the variety of approaches he takes to convey these ideas..." - Juke Blues (UK) "...his musical persona is as palpable on disc as that of Taj Mahal or Keb' Mo' -- he's masterful, nuanced, and out to kill with blues power...Ultimately, each track is surprisingly different in style and execution from the last, but the entire disc possesses an overarching blues sensibility." - Blues Revue "It's [Ghost Kings of Beale St] a memorable offering from a fine blues songwriter -- a tradition that becomes scarcer in this genre every year since Willie Dixon passed." - Living Blues Magazine "...a warm vocalist and talented guitarist...who is never afraid to take chances...one of the most gifted performers on the contemporary blues scene..." - Blues & Rhythm (UK)