Music
Behind me on the porch is a piece I created over 30 years ago. To me, there’s no better representation of my musical life than me holding a guitar and this tribute to a majestic African woman. Through countless generations of creating music to help navigate injustice, celebrate life, and express a defining faith in the divine, the music of Black America eventually trickled its way down into the ears, heart and soul of a younger me with no defining musical heritage to call my own.
Over the years, in this order, I developed an influencing love for Doo-Wop, Soul, Funk, Blues, Folk and Country. It was only after realizing that I unconsciously brought elements of each genre into my interpretation of the next, did I understand that I am an Americana songwriter. This isn’t in just a “red dirt” drink beer out of your boot kind of way, but an unconscious outpouring of the all inclusive American music-stew I have consumed and digested. along the way.
So, as I’ve now begun to release music into the abyss that is the Internet, I might release a Funk song complete with pumping horn section, a raw 12 bar Blues, a banjo laden Country tune, or even a folk-like singer-songwriter ballad complete with a tin whistle. They all speak to me and at the core of every one is a heartfelt love and respect for the Black musicians who lit multiple fires underneath me all those years ago. By example, those fires refined and defined whatever level of musical gifts I naturally possessed.
My music was once described as being somewhere East of Memphis and West of Nashville. This was such a affirming gift to me as it acknowledged both the roots and branches of my adopted musical lineage. Everything I've learned about music has direct connecting tissue to these two cities. Then, by example, the late 60's/70's community of Laurel Canyon musicians, who shared much of this musical "foster child" ancestry, taught me that it was okay to bring my whole family to the table.
