I've been writing compositions for guitar and voice on and off since I was 20. I have a certain college friend to thank for never seeming to mind when I borrowed his classical and acoustic guitars for days on end. {I owe you damn near everything, you crazy hippie.} I learned how {and why} to sing while growing up in a church choir.
While living in Norfolk, Virginia, I formed a band, Abstract, based around these early songs. When some magnificently chaotic moments {please see Influences} dealt the future of the project a different hand, members were pulled to various parts of the country. {Thank you Christopher, Tim, and Michelle for all the beautiful nonfiction.}
Moving to Seattle in September of 1998 gave me a renewed spirit and a region filled with handsome scenery, a community of remarkable folks, and undeniably world-class musicianship. After being inspired by the abyss of talented singer-songwriters, I realized I still had some things left to sing about. In the Winter of 2003, The Music of Grayface was born from that realization.
Some of you may have seen the project share a stage with the likes of Poseur, Amateur Radio Operator, David Bazan, Bill Patton & the Credentials, Half Light, Swaybacks, Husbands Love Your Wives, Jen Wood, Amy Blaschke, Night Canopy, Tomo Nakayama, Old Technology, Jeff McNulty, Levi Fuller, Brothers and Sisters, Fulsem Men, Diana Joy, Cap Lori, Heavy Teeth, Buffalo Tramp & V.V. Vioux, Katherine Hepburn's Voice, Pete Quirk, Foreign American Pictures, Supervideografen Collective, Joshua Powell, Jeff Suffering, R.B. Reed, Dept. of Energy, Ollie Byrd & The Trees, Ghost Lobby, Yarn Owl, MOS Funnel, Red Jacket Mine, Cock & Swan, Levator, Palodine, Geist & Samuel Joseph, Barn Burning, Betty St., Robb Benson, Lesli Wood, Shenandoah Davis, Grand Hallway, Blake/e/e/e, Joseph Giant, Ivory in Ice World, Bobby Malvestuto, Transmissionary Six, Oldman Winter, LaChroma, Chris Wise, Sifaka, Virgin of the Birds, David Bavas, Plan B, Whiting Tennis, and The Stares on various evenings. Thank you kindly for being there. {The Rendezvous show with Erik {double bass}, Shannon {voice}, and Mike {reading} left me spiritually satiated, not even wanting to perform once they had finished. Thank you for making a whimsical boy's vision of smoky jazz a reality with your exceptional personal gifts. The three of you were, simply, perfect.}
The past has also included the immutable theatrical abilities of Kate Kraay. Talk about any stage worthy performer and you are essentially describing Kate. A 1997 graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City and an active artist from the rich pool of theatrical talent that exists in Seattle, her role as interpreter of my performance "scripts" {written for the simultaneous performance art portion of past shows} was irreplaceable. She managed to passionately communicate to her audience both a soulful athleticism and a heartbreaking fragility, gracefully walking the narrow path necessary to remain engagingly complimentary to my role as solo singer-songwriter. {Kate and I are... and I truly believe this... artistic soulmates. Adoration would be a grotesque understatement when describing my feelings towards her and the approach she takes to her craft.}
Current projects: 38 44 {electronic compositions}, PB _ TMOG {joint movement art/music project}, The Edit Brothers {drums, cymbals, objects that have interesting vibrations}, the antenna project {acoustic guitar-based site-specific soundscapes}.
Past projects: ARKADE, Palodine, Death By Doll, Electric Chinese Orchestra, Lady Krishna's Peppermint Lounge, The Dotted Line, Abstract.
One final thought...
The vitality of a city is determined in part by how well it supports its artists, musicians, and artisans. Please consider the impact you could make by committing to being an outspoken advocate for an individual or project you believe to be relevant and attention worthy. Together we can enrich our communities and our lives by allowing them to become vibrantly infused with the wonderful talents of these people we all call our neighbors, friends, and family. From artists, musicians, and artisans everywhere, thank you kindly for your support.
