I spend a lot of time trying to get different sounds out of the guitar without using too many effects. Most of my songs document personal experiences and incorporate some kind of repetitive rhythmic acoustic backdrop. I listen to a lot of African music and borrow from the circular groove approach you often find in the thumb harp, marimba or kora instruments associated with that music. I also enjoy the movement jazz music provides and pursue rhythms that are most comfortable reclining a little. Mix in these elements with a night sky, a full moon, or an open field and you have something like what I do. Folk Noir. Musical Haiku. Suspended Animation.
I have been told my music reveals a contemplative mood reminiscent of Nick Drake, John Martyn, or Bruce Cockburn. I can see this comparison some of the time, in terms of the guitar playing and stylistic approach. Like these artists, I try to use guitar and voice to create musical portraits that are personal, possess some form of poetry, and that speak to things that are accessible to the listener.
Over the years I have been influenced by a number of musicians and writers but always seem to be drawn to those individuals who possess a unique voice or distinctive tone, and who create a strong sense of rhythmic poetry.
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