The Big Guy
Watsonville, California, United States | SELF
Music
Press
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Discography
I have produced 3 CD's of my own material since I opened Bella Vista Studios in 2001. They are... "Eight Songs", "The Road to Baghdad", and "The Big Guy Sampler" - all solo projects by The Big Guy...
In the same time frame, I also produced 3 CD's in a series - "Rockin' in Cali 1, 2, and 3" - oldies covers on which I am joined by The Little Guy from NYC - tunes mainly from the late 50's and early 60's...
Also, I produced "The Edge of Coherence" CD by The Standard Deviations, a power trio in which I played bass and sang leads/harmonies. This line-up played together casually for over 10 years, gigging occasionally in our area. The CD brought some of our best live material into the studio...
Other notable project as an artist/producer since 2001 include "Colder Now" by Fade Out, an alt. rock band, 2 spoken word projects and sound designs for 4 theatrical productions in our area.
I am currently working on a new Big Guy song collection which I hope will be done in early 2009...
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Bio
To make a long story short(er), singing and playing music has been constantly in my life since childhood. Mom played piano and sang (as did my whole family), I picked up a ukulele, then a guitar, saw Hootenanny on TV, found a friend to play to folk music with, joined a rock band and learned bass at age 16 and THEN went to California for the late 60's!!! Need I say more? Not an untypical story for a child of Baby Boom. In the ensuing 30 plus years, I have played in many bands and as a solo artist, earned an M.F.A. in theater, worked as a actor and director on both coasts and have written over 70 songs along the way...
My major influences are the songs and artists I heard in my youth (Pop, Folk, Country, Blues, Rock, Roll, Soul and on...) and my orientation is that the "song" is the essential thing. Interpret someone else's song or write your own! You're free to do it, so why try to copy when you can do something different? I've always tried to give myself that freedom and tried not to be weighed down by commercial concerns - I made my "serious" career in theater and, recently, as a teacher - music was (and continues to be) my fun, my holiday and something I love to share with others.
Of course, I'd love to sell a song and make a splash. Who wouldn't? But my creative process is fairly personal as far as my songwriting goes. I was brought up and trained to hold melody, harmony, the clever chord change, and the insightful lyric in high regard, but I'm never afraid to try new ideas, new musical feels - if the concept of the song suggests it. At this stage of my life, I tend to take the intuitive approach, tapping into my years of experience in many genres, but always trying to keep an open ear for the new and different...
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