David
Growing up, I was the only kid in the neighborhood whose dad played guitar. He'd strap on his homemade coathanger harmonica lavalier and sing everything from Hank Williams to the Everly Brothers. I learned to read music in school band and singing hymns in church. My first record was The Beatles’, Hard Days Night but the first records I bought with my own money were CCR and Johnny Cash. I was inspired by Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder, who I heard on local radio. I started playing a baritone ukulele, which is tuned like a guitar, but smaller. I learned to play in the key of C from watching my dad. “Why do you play everything in C?” I asked him. “Because I can’t sing all those sharps and flats” he replied. (Genetics gave me the same vocal range and now I prefer C as well!) About the time I started playing guitar, JJ Cale’s first album came out. I got caught in that groove and never got out. I still love today the music I loved when I was 15. I like new things too, but I measure them by that yardstick that was in my head in 1972. Some of the newer (as in "post 70's!") music I enjoy includes Keb’ Mo’, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch, Buddy and Julie Miller, Elliott Smith, Wilco, The Be Good Tanya’s and Donna the Buffalo.
I bluffed my way into the band by (mis)representing myself as a bass player. I faked it good enough that they kept me. Once I found out how much fun it is to play bass, I couldn't understand why I hadn't started sooner! I told the other band members how much fun it was, but they thought I was just trying to Tom Sawyer them into whitewashing the fence. Eventually they tried it and found out I wasn't kidding. Now, they hardly ever let me play the bass anymore!
Now I mostly play guitar and mandolin in the band. Mandolin is a new instrument for me. I decided to start playing it because I heard mandolin parts to my songs in my head. My biggest enjoyment musically comes from songwriting. There is nothing like hearing your own song with a full band and I can't express enough appreciation for how hard the band works on songs I've written.
C’mon out and hear our band! I hope you have as much fun listening as we do playing!
David
LINKS:
Lost Bridge - Where I plan to post some of my home recordings; lo-fi musical sketches
Silas McGuffers - Thanks, Silas, for the great photo shown above!
Some music I recommend:
Over the Rhine - Ohio
Greg Brown - The Evening Call
Tom Roznowski - This Place in Time