Hi there!
I thought I’d take a minute to share something about where I’m coming from as a songwriter and musician.
Much of what I do is inspired by the 50s and 60s rock ‘n’ roll I heard on AM radio as a kid. It was not unusual to hear songs by people like Chuck Berry, The Ronettes, James Brown and The Rolling Stones, one after the other.
Youthful immersion in Catholic iconography, followed by years of listening to old blues records, taught me a lot about imagery and language.
Film noir - with its shadows and sense of danger - has been a big influence. Those old movies depict a world that feels real to me.
I love experimenting with vocal phrasing. My inspirations include Billie Holiday and Robert Johnson.
I never get tired of the AAB verse form used in old blues songs - it’s as simple and as powerful as can be.
I got serious about guitar when I realized that if I didn’t I would regret it for the rest of my life. Looking back I can see that I was right, and that this moment of clarity changed my life.
Some people have no dreams; many don’t realize that they have no dreams. I know, because when I was a young man, and my family was in crisis, I became one of them. I’m so glad I learned to dream.
Records I love include:
1. Ravi Shankar - Sound Of The Sitar
2. Various - American Primitive, Vol 1
3. The Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones Now!
4. Billie Holiday - Golden Years Vol 1-3 (Columbia)
5. Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica
6. Bert Jansch - Rosemary Lane
7. Bo Diddley - Chess Recordings
8. Bukka White - Parchman Farm (Columbia)
9. Ornette Coleman - Change Of The Century
10.Lou Reed - Legendary Hearts
11. Public Image Ltd - First Edition
12. Charlie Patton - Complete Recordings
13. Blind Owl Wilson - Mississippi Records Comp
14. Bob Wills - The Tiffany Transcriptions
To be continued…
