Peter King is often accompanied by upright bassist (and CD producer) Mark Perna, (Leslie Smith, Don Aliquo, Jack Erdie) and by harmonica player Marc Reisman. (Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers, Ernie Hawkins, Bill Toms).
The band at the "Ubatuba" CD release party at Club Cafe on Pittsburgh's South Side, included Perna, Reisman, Jeff Berman on drums (The Mavens), Jim Dispirito on percussion (Rusted Root, Big Silence), and Eric DeFade (Billy Price, Salsamba) on sax and flute.
All of the musicians except Berman also perform on King's CD, "The Road to Ubatuba." DiSpirito and Mark Weakland handled drums and percussion on the recording.
Influences
When it comes to music, I'm an omnivore.
In an age of radio, records and now CDs and digital downloads, it's easy for musicians to feast on a cornucopia of musical delights. I'm no exception, but if anything, my tastes are even more eclectic than most.
Yes, listeners most often mention James Taylor when it comes to my music (what a compliment!), and many people also hear a little Paul Simon, Kenny Rankin and Mose Allison.
But the truth is, I devour everything from Brazilian MPB to Miles Davis to Ravel, and I like to think that all of it shows up in some small way in the music I make. Hopefully, it mostly ends up sounding like me!
Lately, I've been on a Laura Nyro jag, revisiting some of her classic recording like "First Songs" and "Eli and the Thirteenth Confession."
I've also been checking out a CD of Tropicalia, the rock-influenced Brazilian music of Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Os Mutantes and others from the late '60s. It's wild, smart and a hoot.
Also playing on my changer all the time are the CDs that come with "Fingerstyle Guitar" magazine. The discs feature some great acoustic solo guitarists such as Tommy Emmanuel, Pierre Bensusan and Martin Taylor.
In short, I try to keep in mind Duke Ellington's advice that when it comes to music, there's really only two kinds -- good and bad.
"Jazzy, easy-going acoustic folk-pop in the vein of vintage James Taylor and Paul Simon" -- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which named “Ubatuba” a “notable” local release of 2006.
"Musical master" -- In Pittsburgh
Where does "The Road to Ubatuba" take you?
In the case of Peter King's newest CD, it leads to a simmering, surprising amalgam of folk, jazz and blues. Ten original songs offer melodic invention and lyrical insight, spanning a map of the world (Brazil in the title cut, "The Capital of Idaho" and "Women Overseas") and a map of the heart. The disc also offers fresh arrangements of Robert Johnson's "Walkin' Blues," Gordon Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain" and the traditional "Corrina, Corrina."
The foundation of King's distinctive style is broad and rich, ranging from singer-songwriter gigs to formal training in classical composition and jazz guitar. He has performed at the Three Rivers Arts Festival, Club Cafe, Backstage Bar at Theater Square, Smoky City Folk Festival, Shadyside Summer Arts Festival, Calliope House, Rosebud and many Borders stores in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Ohio. His teachers include Brazilian/jazz guitarist Marty Ashby, who heads MCG Jazz, Duquesne University guitar chair Bill Purse, and the legendary arranger John "Doc" Wilson.
King has been under-recorded, releasing only one previous CD, 2001's "Dig This Demo." But with "The Road to Ubatuba" launched last year with a sold-out show at Pittsburgh's Club Cafe -- and with airplay on Pittsburgh's WYEP-FM -- King's musical journey has shifted into a higher gear. As for the future, he waxes philosophical.
"One of the themes that comes up often in my songs is the passage of time," King said in an interview before the release. “There's one song, ‘White Blossoms,’ that's sort of based on the old ‘Rubaiyat,’ a poem by Omar Khayyam about living, loving, drinking wine and generally just focusing on the moment.
"That's kind of how I feel about this record. I had such a kick doing it, playing with all these great musicians. Whatever happens or doesn't happen, I just want to keep making music that I'm proud of and passionate about."
He's been doing just that -- writing new songs, performing all around Pittsburgh and working on a new CD with bassist/"Ubatuba" producer Mark Perna, harmonica ace Marc Reisman and engineer (as well as consummate musician) Doug Wilkin, among others.
Mark Dignam has been bumping into Paul Luc and Ben Shannon a lot, at Treelady Studios, where they are all working, on their upcoming albums. They admire each others work so much, they decided to put together what promises to be, a mini singer/songwriter festival.. Watch for special guests and a very memorable night at The Rex Theater, 1602 East Carson Street. Pittsburgh, PA 15203. 8pm. $10.
The Craic Festival 2009 has invited FairplayCollective to play at this years Festival. All members will be playing in the round. The show is at The Mercury Lounge, March 14th at 8pm. This is the last night of the festival and Foy Vance is also on the bill.
What more can I say, a great night for music and film, with the odd star thrown in. Come show your support.
To the TRIBE FANS. We love you and hope that whatever you choose to do in this year, do it with audacity. Tell your critics to either get on board or out the way and wait at home for their social security checks. PEACE. DH Peter King
A Big Heads Up to all those friends and fans in
and around the Pittsburgh area. Mark Dignam
will be performing at The Map Room on the
29th of November at 8pm. Supporting artist is
yet to be confirmed.
Mark will be singing songs from his previous
albums "In a Time of Overstatement" and
"Box Heart Man", along with some new material
that will be appearing on his new, yet untitled CD.
Go and show Your support to Your local independent
musicians. See a LIVE gig.
Map Room-1126 South Braddock (Regent Square),
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Telephone 412- 371-1955
Hey thanks for the add my man! I usually am not the guy who writes out these on the old computer but I told my manager I wanted to personally tell you what a cool vibe you possess and what a hell of a gee-tar player you are! Thanks for the add and please come see the full band for the VH1 Showcase at "the Lighthouse" in Imperial this Friday Sept. 12th at 9pm.
hey, Peter! you're most welcome--always great to see & hear you. I'll be down at the open mic again the first Monday of June, and maybe sooner. best, brad :]
Hope things are well in the "burg." I just uploaded 2 brand new songs to my site. The 1st, “Only Half the Story” is the most aggressive acoustic piece I’ve done yet. And, on the second one, “Slowly Marching Saints” I finally recorded something with that beautiful silver resonator guitar you see in my photos. Hope you get a chance to stop by and listen. I’d be happy to hear what you think.
Peter: Pittsburgh is fortunate to have a talented player like you out there doing shows. Wish I was a bit closer, but who knows . . . maybe I'll catch up with you someday - thanks for the add. Dave
