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Wes Weddell
For the past 25 years, Wes Weddell has worked multiple shifts in the engine room of Seattle’s roots music scene, keeping his hands in abundant projects as frontman, sideman, writer, teacher, producer, event host, and community-builder. Weddell dons each of these hats regularly, often more than one at a time, and has become celebrated for his signature cocktail of experience, chops, intuition, humor, observation, and thoughtfulness. It’s been a big mix from the beginning. There’s the rural upbringing in eastern Washington State, but with family connections to notable New York nightlife (Weddell’s great-uncle founded NYC’s famed Café Society, the first integrated nightclub in the U.S.). Seven full-length albums of original material sit alongside a growing list of performance and recording credits as an accompanist on a variety of instruments—including a 13-year association with beloved folksinging duo Reilly & Maloney from 2003-2016. There have been occasional awards and accolades, but mostly diligence and determination. In 2001 Weddell received the inaugural Mary Gates Venture Fellowship from the University of Washington to travel the region gathering local lore and turning it into song (My Northwest Home). Celebrated for its thoughtful and accessible approach, the effort earned a “Modern-Day Woody Guthrie” comparison from the Seattle Times and instilled in Weddell an appreciation for and commitment to narrative songwriting. As the body of work grows, the “always heartfelt and well-constructed” (Seattle Weekly) compositions “speak for themselves” (No Depression). And you’ve probably heard him on others’ recordings as well.Browse all performers