Dave Bartley

Dave Bartley plays guitar, mandolin, cittern, and several other stringed instruments. He has played many styles of music over the years and continues to range over several genres. He has performed throughout the US and Canada, and in England, Australia, France and Greece. It is difficult to count the number of bands in which he plays.

Dave has composed nearly 400 dance tunes. A waltz he wrote and KGB recorded, The Clock Stopped, is used to teach cross-step waltz in much of the US and other parts of the world. A reel he wrote, Vladi on the Trans-Siberian, seems to be popping up at dances and jam sessions all over the place, including on five recordings (see below).

Find Dave's upcoming gigs here.
Dave plays in these bands and on these recordings.
Dave's biography is here.
Contact him for information or bookings.

Calendar and News

May

• Thu, May 1, 7:30pm, Hayden Stern, Marni Rachmiel, and Dave play for the Lake City Contra Dance, Seattle, WA, Laura Mé Smith calling
• Sun, May 4, 3:15pm, Sande Gillette, Julie King, and Dave play for an English Tea Dance, Seattle, WA, Russell Owen calling
• Fri, May 9, 7:30pm, Elise Snoey, Hayden Stern, and Dave play for the Emerald City Dance, Seattle, WA, Abigail Golden calling
• Fri, May 23 - Mon, May 26 Northwest Folklife Festival, Seattle
  • Sat, May 24 12:10pm, Anita Anderson, Susan Larkin, and Dave play for an English dance in the Fisher Pavilion, Dilip Sequeira calling
  • Sun, May 25 4:30pm, Sky Blue, then Joy Street Orchestra play for a waltz-centric couple dance in the Fisher Pavilion

June

• Wed, Jun 4 - Sun Jun 8, Laura MacKenzie and the Beltane Boys, with special guest Katharine Grant, tour their "Fortune, My Foe" program in the Upper Midwest:
  • More details at lauramackenzie.com
  • Wed, Jun 4,, 7:00pm, House concert, St. Paul, MN
  • Thu, Jun 5,, 7:00pm, Concert at Northfield 1888 Depot, Northfield, MN
  • Fri, Jun 6,, 7:00pm, Concert at the Unitarian Universalist Society, River Falls, WI
  • Sat, Jun 7, 1:00pm Workshops and 4:00pm concert at Stoney End Music Loft, Red Wing, MN
  • Sun, Jun 8, 7:00pm, Concert at Celtic Junction Arts CenterM, St. Paul, MN

Later in 2025

• Thu, Aug 28, 7:30pm, Jacob Chen, Marni Rachmiel, and Dave play for the Lake City Contra Dance, Seattle, WA, caller TBA
• Fri, Aug 29 - Mon, Sep 1, (advance registration required), Roguery plays for Northwest Passage Dance Weekend, Rhododendron, OR, with Brooke Friendly, Jenny Beer, and Idlewild

Dave is a member of these bands

• The leading edge contra and English band KGB has retired, but their 30 year legacy remains. Claude and Dave will continue to play for contra, English, and couple dance in:
  • Pachelbel's Bazooka with Anita Anderson
  • Wergleyburg with Terry Wergeland
  • GinSu with Marni Rachmiel
• Keltoi (and a subset of Keltoi, Beltane Boys) traditional music of Scotland and Ireland
• Contra Sutra - An exciting contra dance band with Marni Rachmiel, Ryan McKasson or Ben Schreiber and often a percussionist. Contra Sutra has a few variants, including Condor Sutra with Hayden Stern and Julie Bennett, and Three Piece Sutra with any of various other fiddlers.
• Roguery - A versatile English (and contra) dance band with Anita Anderson, Shira Kammen, and Jim Oakden
• Bag o'Tricks (aka Tricky Brits) - A contra dance and English Country Dance band with Anita Anderson, Betsy Cooper and Sande Gillette
• Joy Street (formerly Valse Café) Orchestra - Viennese waltzes and other ballroom dance music from latin to swing
• The Irish Experience, electric Celtic music
• Bands with fiddler Rodney Miller: SPIN with Anita Anderson; The Intoxicators with Marni Rachmiel
• Dave plays occasionally with Rouge, French cafe music featuring chanteuse extraordinaire Elle Rayor
• Bands with other names and other people.