Round and Round

OK, I’ve lived in the big city for quite some time, and among many other musical styles, I’ve worked on alot of R&B and Hip Hop. I’ve been very fortunate to have worked with some amazing artists and producers who’ve taught me a whole lot about this music. Malik Pendleton showed me who artists like Donny Hathaway and Marvin Gaye really were. Early on, Troy Hightower and DJ Muggs schooled me in hip hop. Just Blaze and Kanye West taught me a lot about current hip hop (actually they pretty much define current hip hop) and the incorporation of old soul with heavy beats. Working with Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, and George Benson was like a Harvard education, And I assure you, there is nothing in the world like watching Mary J Blige sing a song for the first time. That girl drips soul from every pour of her body. Like I said, I am very fortunate to have had some amazing teachers in these musical styles and I’ve come to love hip hop, R&B and soul because of these people and the music they create. BUT…….

Growing up, I was just a suburban white kid from a middle class neighborhood in Ohio. I never heard soul music. My elementary school had six black kids, and it was not a small school. Junior school and high school weren’t too much more diversified. AND….. I grew up in the 80’s and played guitar. So, for those of who who know, that means I listened to rock bands like Van Halen, AC/DC, Ozzy Ozbourne, etc… I LOVE ROCK N ROLL. There I said it. Fortunately, my brother who’s ten years older than me, listened to artists like Pink Floyd, Neil Young, Elton John, and the Beatles, and stealing his vinyl records and listening to them was also a huge influence on me musically. So, this has all just been an incredibly longwinded set up for the following story……

One record I wore the grooves out of was an 80’s metal band fronted by singer Stephen Pearcey with hits such as “Wanted Man”, “Back for More”, and “Round and Round”. Those of you who know, who exactly what band I’m talking about. I knew every guitar lick, every word. Recently I had the distinct pleasure to mix a song for Stephen Pearcey. Stephen loved my mix. So much so that he thanked me with an autographed Gold Album plaque from one of those old albums that I wore the grooves off of. UM. One of the all time coolest gifts I’ve ever gotten, and a testament to what kind of person Stephen is. So, he was in town performing tonight and he and his manager Brad Aarons (also manages a great band a called “TIM”, check them out at indietunes.com), invited me out to the show. We met in a bar across the street and got to talk for a good long while, and what a super nice guy he is in person. Then it was showtime and we all walked across the street and he hopped on stage and tore the roof off. He played a lot of his old hits, which was just like a nice walk down memory lane, and his voice is still as powerful as ever. Thanks Stephen for a great night.

Many people have asked me how I can move so fluently between vastly different genre’s, and stay stylistically correct (meaning I don’t make rock sound like hip hop, and vice versa, and I know how to record a drum kit as well as a drum machine). What can I say, my musical influences go Round and Round.