Tim Easton has been singing and writing songs since he was 14 years old. He never considered another career. After finishing college, Easton hit the road with his guitar and spent seven years singing and playing on European street corners. When he got back to Ohio, Easton joined the Haynes Boys, a roots-rock outfit that made one album before breaking up. Free again, Easton picked up his guitar and returned to the road, touching down long enough to make nine albums that earned him a loyal following with their blend of gritty roots-rock and heartfelt songwriting. Every LP took a slightly different approach and his latest, Not Cool, shows off his love of rockabilly and early R&B. Easton will be quest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our new feature on him.
Easton: This American musician should be the star attraction of every festival on the planet. Connecting with David Amram puts you into the deep pockets of original and improvisational American music and the various cats who play it, and it also happens to put you only one degree of separation away from Jack Kerouac, Thelonius Monk, Dylan and a list of names that could crush your toes when dropped. What’s important is not so much the circles he is entrenched in but rather the musicianship and overall goodwill he possesses. There is a documentary called David Amram: The First 80 Years that shows him pulling a full-on Roland Kirk move with dual tin whistles during a performance with Dizzy Gillespie. I’ve seen him do the same thing with a gathering of Woody Guthrie disciples at a pancake breakfast in Okemah, Okla. He is a true world musician, in leagues with Ravi Shankar, Miles Davis or some guy playing a beat-up acoustic guitar on the corner. He invites you to make the connection, and you are invited to acknowledge the true spiritual nature of music or just carry on ignoring it. Amram has composed a staggering amount of original music. He’s also scored a few films, including the original Manchurian Candidate, which starred Frank Sinatra. Find him, and invite him to your gathering. You will be very happy that you did.
Video after the jump.
