Earl Carter The talented multi-instrumentalist from D.C

 

Earl Carter, we understand youre based in Washington D.C... We're actually located in Virginia, so how has the DMV influenced your music thus far? Well first things first, thank you for taking the time to interview me. That’s actually a great question. I grew up in Washington, DC. As a child during the 70’s, there were several bands and talented musicians in almost every neighborhood. It was a very competitive but fun place to live. We had “Summer in the Park” events, The Show Mobile, many “Battle of the Bands” concerts, etc… 

As a musician you had to always be at the top of your game.Four of the top bands in DC were Chuck Brown and The Soul Searchers, Trouble Funk, Experience Unlimited (E.U.) and Rare Essence (R.E.). My goal was to get into one of these groups. R.E. was a teenage band and the members were in my age group. When Andre “White Boy” Johnson’s dad pulled him out of the group, I auditioned and was offered the guitar spot. However, my dad was a police lieutenant at the 7th DistrictMetropolitan Police Department and was very strict. As a result of this, I wasn’t allowed to join the band.

So, in the eighties, I joined Trouble Funk and performed my first major concert at the Baltimore Civics Center. At the time, the group was signed to Sugar Hill Records. I was nineteen years old and green. Johnny Gill was on the show as well and it was his first big concert too. Needless to say, we both had butterflies!Curtis Blow featuring E.U., New Edition and Zapp featuring Roger Troutman were also on the bill. When we played “Drop The Bomb”, I remember a Flash Pyropot going off right beside me and I nearly jumped out of my skin. Big Tony, Slick Dyke and the guys thought it was soooo funny. Ha ha!

I’d later join the group E.U. which would end up having a multi-platinum hit song “Da Butt”. I missed most of the tour because I’d relocated to Charlotte, NC to work a middle management corporate gigAt that time my friend and former E.U. guitarist “Valentino (Tino) Jackson” returned to the group. When the company relocated me back to the DMV, I joined E.U. again…

So what did the four top bands have in common? A music genre that was created and nurtured in the nation’s capital “Go-Go”!!!To this day I occasionally work it into my Contemporary Jazz sets. I’m proud to say that I was a part of the evolution of Go-Goand it will always be a part of me!    



So Being a talented multi-instrumentalist, are there any instruments you favor the most?

Since I’m known as a lead guitarist by my peers, my answer to this question will probably come as a surprise to some. As a child, I’d seen a Return to Forever concert where Stanley Clarke was killing it on the bass. I remember thinking “That’s what I want to do when I grow up!” I had no interest in playing lead or rhythm guitar. The only reason that I ended up playing guitar is that my older brother, who was also a guitarist at one time, said to me “If you learn to play the guitar first, the transition to basswill be easier than learning to play bass and switching to guitar”.Then I saw a Jimi Hendrix concert and said “Man!!! I’m glad that I listened to my brother. Now I can play both!” The kicker is… my formal training is on woodwind and brass instruments. My reading was so fluent on alto sax that, at one school, they put me in a room by myself because I was too far ahead of the other students. Most of my peers don’t know that I play the saxophone because for many years I’ve been called to play my 3rd instrument which is the guitar. So in short, I play several instruments in the studio but will only play three in concertwhich are 1-Saxophone, 2-Bass and 3-Guitar.



Out of all the instruments, which one was the easiest to learn & who taught you to have such a great talent?

Well I’m self-taught on many instruments and formally trained on others. They all seem to have pros and cons. For example, I love the way that the piano is laid out with the natural keys white and sharps & flats black. When you press a key, you get a sound which is more than I can say for many other instruments. The layout and ability to create a sound are pretty much strait forward on the piano however reading the bass and treble clefs simultaneously can be somewhat challenging. 

It’s usually difficult for a beginner to play a clean chord on the guitar or get sound out of a trumpet, trombone, flute, etc… Even playing a reed instrument can be a little frustrating starting out.I’d have to say that the hardest instruments for me to grasp were the trumpet and trombone as you could play several notes with the same valve or slide position. My music teachers Darryl White, Mr. Vaughn and Mr. Carren were great at motivating students to excel and perform above average. I am indeed grateful for their mentoring.  



What was your experience with E.U. and working with Spike Lee?

In 1987 I was the lead guitarist for E.U. and we played several shows every week. Ranging from Cherry’s to Celebrity Hall (A.K.A. The Black Hole)to The Classics, to Cross Creek… we were always busy performing songs from our album “Go JuJuGo”. Sometimes we’d play three or four venues in one day. However my favorite concert that year was Go-Go Live at The Capital Centre. It is considered one of the best Go-Go concerts of all time and is similar to what Woodstock is to Rock music. In 1988 I was living in Charlotte, NC but was back in town on a business trip. My friend William “JuJu” House called me in to record guitar on the song “Party Hearty” for Spike Lee’s sound track to the movie “Do The Right Thing”. I never actually met Spike but am honored to have played on one of his soundtracks. I moved back to the DMV in 1990, rejoined the band and toured the east coast and mid-west until 1993. During that time I recorded and or produced projects with the band including “Take It to the Top” distributed locally and “Nasty” distributed nationally. Those were definitely fun times!



Throughout your career, I am sure you have met so many influential people; is there anyone you would like to meet today?

Well, you are absolutely right. I have met so many role models, hung out with millionaires, one billionaire, traveled and stayedin foreign countries for extended periods, etc… If I were to die today, I’d have to say that I lived a full and wonderful life. I’ve seen and experienced things that many people will never see. I’ve also learned that some of what we’ve been taught all our lives is not true at all. In short, the only one that I’d like to meet when it’s my time is God.



What was the National Smooth Jazz Awards in San Diego like?

Oh wow!!! It was one of my favorite events. I’d heard a few of the artists on the radio and went to a Gerald Albright concert while living in Charlotte but hadn’t really been working much in that genre. I’d actually taken a break from live performance. I was doing production work in my home studio during the week and session work at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ NYC studio “Daddy’s House” on the weekends. However Orlando Mullins and Marcus Johnson called me out of retirement. Marcus had signed an agreement with Bob Johnson who at the time was founder and owner of BET. One of my band mates “Jaared” had been nominated Best New Smooth Jazz Artist. We had the opportunity to perform at the event, the after party and Humphreys by the Bay. I performed with Jaared, Bobby Lyle, Jackiem Joyner, Marcus Johnson, David Dyson and a few other musicians. I also had the pleasure of meeting and/or hanging out with Al Jarreau, Sheila E., Kirk Whalum, Wayman Tisdale, Peter White, Dave Koz, Euge Groove, Carl Evans Jr. of Fattburger, Alex Al, Kat Dyson and a host of other artists. Everyone was friendly, down to earth and fun to hang with…While at Humphreys, I recall Marcus saying “While we continue to chase our dreams we should also remember to enjoy the momment as we’re actually living our dreams right now”. That really resonated…


So tell us about your latest project and where we can find it?

My latest single is titled “Fresh”. I recorded it during the pandemic and played all of the instruments including: guitars, bass, saxophones, keyboards and drum programming. 

My latest full album project is titled “Silky” and it features several guest artists and musicians including: Michael LingtonJackiem Joyner, Marion Meadows, David Dyson, Marcus Johnson, Phillip “Doc” Martin, Patrick Cooper, Eric Marner, Glenn Douglas, Arrington “V12” Price, Les Cleveland, Dwayne “Kiggo” Wellman, Elliot Jefferson, Elyscia Jefferson, Shawn Dove and Charles Foster.

These projects are available at most digital retailers including: Apple Music, Amazon, Spotify, etc… 

Downloads and streams are greatly appreciated!



As an artist, do you feel that you have set a bar of achievement to conquer; if so what are your motivations to make you strive?

Well I’d have to say YES, YES, YES however my motivations have definitely changed. Initially, my primary motivation was to leave corporate and become my own boss. Having studied Business Management in college and worked as a middle manager for a couple of decades, that goal was accomplished over time. I remember wanting to sign a major record deal, distribution deal, go on tour and work with top industry artists. There’s an old saying “Be careful what you wish for”… I never signed a major record deal however did tour with a couple of signed artists. I had the opportunity to play several arenas throughout the United States. We’d enter the rear entrance of the venue, play the gig, go back to our hotel and leave the next morning. I could honestly say that I performed in that city however never had a chance to really see the city, hang out with the people, etc…  As an Indie artist, I played other countries, stayed for up to six months per year and had a chance to experience the culture. Those were actually life changing events.

I’ve had two major distribution deals, one as a Contemporary Jazz artist and another as a Gospel Jazz artist. Those were the only times that I didn’t make any real money off of units soldHowever as an Indie artist I did very well. I also had a 300 gigs per year goal of which I achieved several times however many of the performances weren’t really worth the headache. I learned that, just like at a Nine to Five, some people are extremely difficult to work with and some good paying gigs aren’t worth the stress and negative energy that they bring to the table. I say all of this to share that I made some good decisions and some not so good decisions over the years but definitely learned from my mistakes. 


How has Covid-19 affected your career lately?

In all honesty, I was a little concerned when over 150 shows were suddenly cancelled due to quarantine. I also lost a few family members so it definitely impacted me mentally. However, as much as it sucks, it also forced me to stay focused on my current goals which are to perform fewer live concerts, teach more online music lessons, record and produce client projects from home, grow my music publishing company and release new songs. I’ve been truly blessed and can’t really complain.

If its anything else you could do, what would it be?

I’m sure that I’ll be able to answer this at a later date however at the moment, I’m doing exactly what I want to do. However, if I ever get bored, I do plan to go back to school and take a few classes.

 

Any last remarks?

Just that I encourage those reading this to follow your passionsand have faith in God. Even if you work your magic as a side hobby, you never know where it will take you. I have several skillsets and am usually one of the best at whatever I set out to do but am not truly happy unless I’m playing music.

Oh and I still have a few slots available for online music lessons so please feel free to visit my website and/or send me an email if interested.

Much love and respect!

Earl Carter

http://earlcartermusic.com 

carteraudio@gmail.com

RICE BRINGS THE JUICE TO FLYAH!

 



Rice, straight out of Webster Mass, is coming with the ultimate  Juice. It’s a song for all audiences with many references to the movies in which Tupac was the main character. “I have so much respect for Tupac because of his Passion for Life and his fight for family and community.” The rapper asks of his audience: When your integrity really comes into question what will you do to secure love respect and power? Is money really the answer?

This song shows Rice daring to be the star of his own movie – showing his unique style in the process. The beat is light yet impactful. The use of the horns really adds depth and dynamism to the song. Rice’s lyrics, though simple, make his point clear. His flow stays consistent, making moments of extra skill able to resonate more. This also allows the smoothness of the beat to breathe; existing on its own. The references to Tupac make for a fun listen as you try to see which of the rapper’s movies you remember. There are enough variations to the beat to keep listeners pulled in without being confusing.

More than just an artist and entertainer, Rice is also a philanthropist and activist in his community. He is a second-year graduate student of Nichols College Bison Class of 2019. While participating in organizing the BLM movement in the conservative town of Webster Mass, the rapper had the urge to send a message through his music. The effects of his life’s challenges, he tried to reflect in his work.



Jon Steele Flyah Interview!

 



So Jon Steele, what inspired you to start music at such an early age?    Listening to music and early life experiences.



I understand you were in the Air Force, could you tell us about your experience with the U.S. military? I was in the air force reserves from 2004 to 2009 and the air force in 1999 and from 2000 to 2004. I developed top secret medical problems as a result of my service.


So Jon, what are some of your favorite genres and notable artists that bring you inspiration? Rock, pop. Rush, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Journey, Simple minds, iron maiden 


What type of town is Hermitage, Pennsylvania and does it have an influence on your sound and concepts? hermitage is a small city in western Pennsylvania. It has a little concept from Buhl Park and Bowling alleys and martial arts dojos


Besides music, what other things do you enjoy doing? Bowling, martial arts, fitness

So what’s does the perfect day of creation look like for Jon Steele? Mountains of motivation in the presence of peace and harmony 


Anybody you like to work with in the future? studio musicians



So tell us about your latest project
from 2017 to the present with 7 total albums and 4 singles released about real life experiences and real like characters of reference.



Happy Curmudgeons - Three songs with Power! Music-review

 



With members all hailing from Detroit, the Happy Curmudgeons started as an idea – making music with friends. This turned into doing gigs and then further became the catalyst to the group writing their own songs. Their first album, MEANT 2 BE, consisted of 11 works of pride and joy. Now, the band has been hard at work on a new project. The new album will feature guest appearances from Jim Moose Brown (Bob Seger Band), Mark Byerly (Bob Seger Band), Bobby Balderrama (original guitarist for Question Mark & The Mysterians) and Pepe' Espinosa. But before we get to the new album, let’s talk about a few tracks.

The first, of three tracks, in the spotlight is 2nd Chances. This is a 5-minute song which I am biased towards – I like longer songs. The length of the track lends itself to the calming tone of the song and vocals. Listening to the story being told, the lyrics feel reflective. The song depicts the journey someone can go through as they try to heal from a bad break up while still considering reconnecting with the ex. As the song reaches the second verse, it fills out with the addition of a drum line and secondary vocals, adding to the overall emotion of the song. Then there’s a guitar solo break and it is just chef’s kiss good.

The second song is called Jack Russell. This is true folk music through and through, complete with storytelling. Storytelling songs are always a good time – even if the story isn’t funny, it is usually a fun listen. This is no different. Already, this is livelier than the previous song. It gets feet stomping and heads nodding; the piano solo is the icing on the cake that takes the listener to an Old West bar where the piano is being played in the corner. One thing lingers during and after listening to this song: What did all these people have to do? That is never explicitly stated in any of the scenarios. But that’s the fun of the song, I guess.

The third song and the band’s newest single is I Know How You Feel. A more traditionally Country song with mostly vocals and guitars as accompaniment. It’s beautifully simple in that regard. The lyrics move between being comforting and a reality check. The speaker is understanding of his friend as they both share the same short comings. In that same vein, it can also serve as a warning to others to treat their loved ones well.

Overall, a fantastic set of songs that show only a fraction of the range this group carries. The band’s music is fun and nostalgic; really capturing the friendship of the members. Happy Curmudgeons have won a W.A.M. award for 2ndChances and the new album will feature some incredible guest performances. If you’re curious about the band, check out their website and other social media so you can keep up with current and future work.


https://happycurmudgeonsband.com/