“Perched between the primitive and the poetic, Tarbox’s songs are on speaking terms with the guiding ghosts of American music, and are as soulful as the day is long.”- Joe Gioia (Visible Republic)

MUSICIAN’S CORNER

Hi there!

I thought I’d take a minute to share something about where I’m coming from as a songwriter and musician.

Much of what I do is inspired by the 50s and 60s rock ‘n’ roll I heard on AM radio as a kid. Those years of listening gave me a taste for simplicity, and for trying to do the most with the least.

Youthful immersion in Catholic iconography, followed by years of listening to old blues records, taught me a lot about imagery and language.

Film noir - with its shadows and sense of danger - has been a big influence. Those old movies depict a world that feels real to me.

I love experimenting with vocal phrasing. My inspirations include Billie Holiday and Robert Johnson.

I never get tired of the AAB verse form used in old blues songs - it’s as simple and as powerful as can be.

Records I love include:

1. Ravi Shankar - Sound Of The Sitar
2. Various - American Primitive, Vol 1
3. The Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones Now!
4. Billie Holiday - Golden Years Vol 1-3 (Columbia)
5. Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica
6. Bert Jansch - Rosemary Lane
7. Bo Diddley - Chess Recordings
8. Bukka White - Parchman Farm (Columbia)
9. Ornette Coleman - Change Of The Century
10.Lou Reed - Legendary Hearts
11. Public Image Ltd - First Edition
12. Charlie Patton - Complete Recordings
13. Blind Owl Wilson - Mississippi Records Comp
14. Bob Wills - The Tiffany Transcriptions

To be continued…