Album Notes

RYAN HOWELL Known for his innovative songwriting and vocals, Ryan Howell has been gaining fans from California to Costa Rica with every performance. Ryan performs primarily as a solo vocalist/guitarist, but also incorporates duo and band performances to suit the situation. Ryan's music reflects his love of the ocean and a stress-free lifestyle. Soulful lyrics, simple arrangements, and a unique voice round out a sound and style that is worthy of comparison to today's national touring acts of the surf and beach sound genre. You can hear the influence of some of his favorite artists in his compositions, such as Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, G Love, Bob Marley, Sublime, Wu Tang Clan, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Elmore James, and Howlin' Wolf. Growing up in Southern California, Ryan picked up music at a young age, and has maintained it as a daily pursuit throughout his life. He trained his voice by singing in his church choir as a child and picked up the guitar in high school. Starting with dorm room jam sessions on his college campus, he quickly moved onto weekly open-mic nights. Also during this time, Ryan began traveling to Costa Rica and performing at various music clubs in the surf towns of the Guanacaste Peninsula. It is there that he cultivated a grass roots following of international fans as well as honing his live performance skills. In addition to Costa Rica, Ryan has played gigs all over Southern California as well the world famous Fillmore in San Francisco. His debut cd entitled Big on Pooh, was produced as a live recording of just Ryan, his guitar, and a microphone. It is inspiring in its direct simplicity, bringing the listener into the most intimate musical experience. And the audience loves it - Ryan frequently sells out his CDs at live performances. Must listens on the album are tracks 1, 2, 9, 10, & 14.... K.R. Holt-Haugen