There's no sampling on this project, all instruments are real and played by people. The percussion was done by the great Steve Jennings. I play everything else. Guitars, saxophones, upright bass, and mandolin are all me. I do all the vocals and songwriting. The guitars I use are ones I've built.
I've been doing this music thing a long time, ever since I was eight. It looks like I'm a lifer! This is my most fully realized project, I had the use of 24 channels and could do pretty much anything I wanted. And so I did. I've always been out in left-field musically. I found early on that I was best when I did my own thing. I "do" me better than I "do" someone else. I think it was Roseanne Cash who said that 'style is a function of one's limitations.' Now isn't that's a cool insight. Well, I've sure got a lot of style! :)
I started young and developed my own vocabulary, it's an organic approach with a slow build. It's the route I took rather than imitating or copying others and then trying to string it all together. Sure, I have influences, but I've tried not to lean too heavily or specifically on them. What's my niche? Who do I fit in with? I've always thought I'd get along fine with John Hiatt, and Tom Waits. I think John Hammond would appreciate me though we are actually rather dissimilar. He is steeped in tradition and I only use that in passing. My music as well as my lyrics may be somewhat 'different', I am me after all, but they aren't all that abstract or hard to get at, It's been a natural progression.
Ah, the lyrics, I have learned a lot from Carl Hiassen as well as Elmore Leonard. Does that seem odd? Actually I tried my hand at writing a crime-fiction novel and it was a valuable lesson in developing characters and story-lines. Condensing a story into 4 minutes isn't as difficult as you'd think, you can pack a lot into 4 minutes. It's like telling a joke, a joke only runs on for a short spell...
I've often wondered where I'd be if the deal with Rolling Stones producer Andrew Loog Oldham back in the early '70's hadn't tanked. I think there's a fair chance I wouldn't still be playing. As it worked out, I've never had to compromise my music. (Well, except for that brief spell when I played in a wedding band!) In the end, I do what I do for me. And that's the secret to longevity in music. But I've got to say it is REALLY nice when other people like it...
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