Album Notes

Straight from the Source Cyrus Pace: Guitar Dr. Lonnie Smith: Organ Rene' Marie: Vocals Adam Clark: Drums/Percussion In a world that often seems crowded with talented musicians, the light often shines on those artists who seek their personal voice at any cost. Cyrus Pace has spent the last 16 years doing just that. Through the fortunate contact with musicians who stressed the importance of self-expression and originality in music early in his career, Cyrus learned of the power of music as a tool of expression. The long and continuing search for meaning in music has lead to a realization for him that the guitar is not the instrument, the player is the instrument. He is as influenced by Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and James Brown as he is by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Wes Montgomery. Cyrus seeks to serve the source that is independent of form, style, and classification. Cyrus played his first professional gig at 15, toured extensively with the Navy Band, and received his Master's Degree in Performance from Manhattan School of Music where he studied with Rodney Jones, Jack Wilkins, Gary Dial, and Mike Abene. His previous ensembles include the Guitarmageddon Guitar Quartet he started with his 3 guitarist roommates in their Harlem Apartment. He is a guest lecturer at Roanoke College and Virginia Tech.