MUSIC AUDITIONS
ROCK
GEORGIA, USA
01-11-2020 03:26 GMT
Usry & Sons
Rock Music Band
Georgia, USA
Current Score: ★★★☆☆ ☆☆
Biography:
Briefly... I put my first band together at 14, performed most weekends through 18, had a great band first year of college, Hugh Rogers Productions was interested, but I was the last drafted by my local board that summer of '72. I served the required two years, returning to college and steady work as a performing musician in '74. For ten years I worked either in a house band while attending college, attending four universities, or in a touring band on the circuit. At 31 I settled down to working in blues clubs around Atlanta, performing with Sammy Blue, known as the Prince of the Blues. I settled down to start a career with AT&T (Network Mgr, Eng, then SME) and I did so to provide healthcare and stability for my soon to be bride, something she had never had in her life. In '86 I was offered a Recording Contract with Rhino Records, which I turned down due to the needs of my wife. In '94 we were surprised with twins. Two years later I lost my wife and raised my children alone. I involved my kids in many activities and participated with them, concentrating on scholarship, music, dance, gymnastics & baseball. My sons became monster musicians as young teens, my daughter became a competitive gymnast and dancer, and a true scholar. In 2015 my kids found a cassette copy of some of the songs I had written and recorded in my 20s and early 30s, digitized them, played them for me and urged me to get back into writing and recording. They convinced me of the importance of leaving a legacy of my music and poetry. I wrote for a year, then took the boys to the studio to record ten of the songs I had written. Because my son and adopted son were such great musicians, things went very well and I began to write more to their strengths. As a result, the four albums have a natural evolution. But we had to earn a living and both boys started their own businesses, which took more and more time, and we were able to record less and less. This led to a very large backlog of songs written but not recorded. In 2018 I began to write some songs for acoustic soloist, and then began to perform them. I've recorded many of these songs but have many more to get recorded. To date, I have not released any of my solo efforts, but do have a number of live video recordings on You Tube and our FB page. October 9, 2020, I released our fourth album, Changing Course, which had been recorded and mastered since early 2019. Release had been held up due to my Mother's fatal illness and my son's business demands. We will record and release more albums and singles; the songs are written, over 300 and counting.
Career Goals | Objectives:
I'd like to have someone manage my/our career, get my songs recorded (currently have over 300 written worthy of recording and continue to write regularly, four albums recorded), and introduce my/our music to the world. Selling records would be a very welcome result of introducing our music to the world, and I firmly believe there is at a minimum a solid niche of potentially loyal, collector fans who will find the music and the band/artist very meaningful to their lives. It may be much larger than a niche. I can write the songs that appeal to people, and in a meaningful way. We can record the songs and in a way that people will enjoy hearing them. Good, knowledgeable management, who understands today's marketing using SM can sell our music and us as artists; we have a lot to offer.
Music Education | Training | Qualifications:
Yes, studied mostly Jazz, but I also studied Classical back in the day. I was at GSU, VSU and UNA. Mack studied at Berklee. Both boys grew up playing in the school concert band, marching band and Jazz bands.
Musical Instruments | Studio Equipment:
Cody insists on his Roland Blues Cube amp, and I agree; it's the best guitar amp I've ever heard. He uses an old Fender Strat mostly, but also a Fender Telecaster. Mack uses a complete set of Gretsch Maple drums along with a Ludwig Black Beauty snare, which is amazing and he knows how to use it. When I'm on bass, I use a first issue, 1981 G&L L-1000 bass, which I purchased new in 1981, after having gone through 7 or 8 Fender Jazz & Precision, two Rick 4001, and a Gibson bass over the pervious 12 years. The G&L held up to touring the circuit performing 5 and 6 nights a week for years and remains the best playing and sounding bass around. It's the Stradivarius of basses. I still prefer an Ampeg double 15 front loaded & ported cabinet when live, with a good SS amp. When on guitar, I prefer my old Charvel Concert Acoustic, but I use an old Hagstrom Viking Hollow Body (affectionally called the Ole Hag) and a Fender Strat when an electric is needed. I use a Fender '65 Deluxe Amp. In my studio I have mixers come and go; not so partial to any of them, think I currently use an old Berringer at the moment. I've got a couple of interface units but usually use an older Yamaha because its simple. I do not get fancy with recording. I have a MacBook loaded with Pro Tools, Logic and other programs, but I prefer to use Logic because its more intuitive to use and I'm not interested in the study required to become to great technical engineer. I have several friends who are great technical engineers and I use them when necessary. Mack is also very good with recording engineering, which is very handy when he's around. I have a pair of Thump12 powered speakers I use as monitors. I get a lot of compliments on those speakers. As far as keys, I much prefer my old piano, which was my Mother's piano, purchased for her when she was 4 or 5, around 1935. It was made in New York and its a studio upright. It has such a wonderful sound. Pop had it completely rebuilt in 1965 because while they were traveling during their first 10 years together, my grandmother was keeping Mother's piano, but she stored it in a barn and it was weathered. Pop had to save to get it completely re-manufactured. Once done it looked and played like a new piano. The soundboard and basic piano was all solid. They refinished the exterior, then replaced strings, hammers, felts, pads, keyboard ivories, etc. It's still a beauty with a rich, warm sound that can easily fill a room. I also have an old Roland Juno I picked up in 1985, and two Yamaha's. I let the Hammond I used on the circuit go many years ago, along with the Leslie cabinet. The new keyboards are good at reproducing an authentic Hammond/Leslie sound. I was fortunate enough to have an old Hammond B3 with Leslie Tone Cabinet in the studio when recording our first two albums and used it quite a lot. I still have some of my old equipment, besides just my G&L Bass. I've had a Fender Bassman about 14 years now, the model about the size of the Deluxe but lots thicker and heavier. It has a 15 front loaded and is ported, and it has a very good sound. I got it to play little gigs with Mack when he was a kid. I also have an old Peavey cabinet, compact with a front loaded & ported 18 and two 8's. Very heavy cabinet but great sound and projection. I picked it up just after coming off the road and was playing Blues Clubs around Atlanta back in the mid 80's. It still sounds great and I've used it with my Fender Bassman on a few gigs with the boys. It's a solid combination, good bottom, good definition. Some of my old friends have pointed out that the new speakers are much, much lighter and still have great sound, but I have a hand truck and after performing over a decade on the circuit working 40 plus weeks a year, I'm old school.
Influences | Sounds Like:
There are those that tell me my writing and some of our songs remind them of the Beatles. When we record at studios around Atlanta, musicians (young and older) stop by to listen and watch. They like the writing, some even think its great with notable poetic lyrics, going as far as comparing to Dylan. They're amazed with the monster musicianship from the boys. I impress, but the boys amaze. Some say there are songs that remind them of Santana, and certainly Mack's drums and Cody's guitar solos can remind one of Santana. Some compare us to Clapton on his Layla album. The younger guys compare us to some of the current artists like Coldplay, and I've written songs more recently that they say are like Mumford and Sons. I say we're at the forefront of Neo-Classic Rock. The music reminds one of that short but great period, late 60s/early 70s, but it's new music, with poetic lyrics addressing today's problems and concerns.
Live Performance History | Residencies | Touring Experience:
Not since Covid. Last live performance was March 7, 2020. About 24 live performances, including a Festival in 2019, about the same in 2018.
Music:
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