Preston Parish

Music was present in my life from from a young age, whether it was the sound of my father jamming with his friends in the basement, or my time playing saxophone in school band. Eventually I started playing guitar, and then bass, where I discovered bands like Primus, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, etc. All popular material with anthemic bass-centric music. As all young bassists do, you eventually run into Jaco Pastorius and you're faced with a sort of fork in the road - is it even possible to proceed when a guy like this existed? I didn't become a Jaco clone, but my interest in jazz - and improvisation - began to grow.

Years later, after spending countless hours producing electronically and surrounding myself with a jungle of gear-based music, I yearned for an easier approach. What good is music if you can't simply perform it on an acoustic guitar? It's accessible, portable, and ultimately forces you to utilize every aspect of musicality that presents itself within a composition. It was around that time that I re-visited the famous name I heard for years - Django - and my relationship with the instrument changed entirely. It became my speaking apparatus for another language, something I could use to connect with people in a much more intimate setting. Nothing is quite like acoustic music in a bucolic setting, or anyplace that might otherwise forbid the use of amplification.