Eric Lambert

Chicago area musician Eric Lambert is a world-class flatpicking guitarist, sought-after educator, and outstanding performer. An international-touring artist with a career spanning over 40 years, Eric has distinguished himself as a songwriter, recording artist, musician, performer, record label owner, as well as a teacher of Americana music.

Lambert was most recently with the award-winning Chicago bluegrass outfit the Henhouse Prowlers. He currently performs solo as well as paired up with other high-caliber musicians; as a well-connected veteran, he knows the best of the best and plays with them regularly!

Audiences are dazzled by Eric’s original elixir of feel-good Americana infused with Blues, Grass, & Soul whether performing at crowded festivals or intimate house concerts. Recent accolades include the Chicago Music Award for Best Country/Western Entertainer 2015.

Eric’s longtime desire to write and perform his own music became his sole focus since 2012. His authentic, heartfelt style and sound is an upbeat and eclectic blend of music that knows no boundaries. Eric excels at every style of music he performs, moving through them with an uncanny ease and smoothness.

His creative output reflects the diversity of his influences, namely: Doc Watson, Tony Rice, Clarence White, Bill Monroe, Norman Blake, B.B. King, Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, The Allman Brothers, and Robert Johnson. But Eric’s music is distinctive; it’s his own homegrown, crowd-pleasing blend of pure American music with traces of rock, folk, bluegrass, country and blues.

In 2013, Lambert released his critically-acclaimed fourth CD, Maiden Voyage. This pure Americana album captures the energy and raw expression of a live performance, backed up by a high-quality studio recording. “There is more improvisation and freedom in the music,” Eric said. “I like to provide the framework for a song, while leaving room for expression. I love to hear musicians really stretch out and play their instruments.”

Equal to playing music is his love for teaching it, which he has been doing professionally for over 35 years. It’s his way of giving back and using his gifts to help and inspire others. Eric teaches several guitar techniques and styles, including bluegrass guitar, and especially the art of flatpicking for which his is renowned. "It is the excitement of the style that originally drew me in years ago," he shared. Eric believes teaching music is about more than just giving lessons; it should be a full musical education experience. Even further, he knows that music can transform lives. His embrace of this ideal led him into teaching music therapy to industrial workers for over 15 years and counting.

In addition to in-person group and private lessons at Down Home Guitars (www.downhomeguitars.com) in Frankfort, IL, Eric is an official TrueFire Artist & Educator (truefire.com) and has a series of video lessons too.

“There is only one Eric ‘Feel Good’ Lambert,” claims Ernie Hill of NoDepression.com. Eric’s enthusiastic approach, warm sense of joy, earthy voice, improvisational skills, and precision licks win audiences anew and retain fans, leaving them energized and inspired after a show.