WOW!
well billy, thanks for that. In tearing me a new one in some wild defense of Otiel Burbridge, (not that I really think he needs defending, and may well laugh hysterically if he was ever bored enough to read this thread) you've just generated a new flood of replies, comments, and thoughts about exactly the thing you seem to hate. Me. I find it totally unnecessary and pointless as the internet would certainly be a better place without yet more posts of total nonsense, especially total nonsense about me.
Just to put one thing straight, I don't no longer live in NYC.... I just have a place on both coasts and go back and forth right now. Why? you might ask. I keep asking myself the same thing every time I check in at JFK or LAX to sit on yet another 5hr flight..... but the sun sure shines more in LA in the winter time.
I thank Mike for stepping in here and being one of the few people who's musical and general opinion I respect most highly on almost any subject I've ever talked to him about. he's right on the money with the singing thing. I DON'T SING. listen to it!!!!! I hate singing, I suck at it, I never have a mic in front of me, and I would never subject an audience to my singing, especially if they paid to see my show. It's just my musical thought process in my head coming out vocally at the same time I play.
So quite how you can be so short sighted in drawing parallels between me and Otiel is beyond me. Otiel has a full-on incredible voice, one which I'm in awe of. He's one of the baddest dudes out there, and I'm blown away every time I hear him. He's actually one of the people I have hardly checked out at all though, so it really surprises me further when you make such a damning statement about me ripping off his style of playing. I love him to bits, and would never be cheap enough to just play exclusively like him and palm that off to my audience as being my own.
what is the fascination of "giving credit"?!?! you are obsessed. and seem to know nothing of the history of music whatsoever. I'm really getting pissed off now because once you can forgive, twice is a misstep, but the amount you spout on about the the same misinformed ideas, using them to bash on my career and playing.... well that's enough.
You want to talk about credit??!?!! talk about miles davis taking credit for over a dozen songs he didn't write in the height of his stardom. talk about musicians that play on landmark albums that change the face of modern music and don't even get their name in the liner notes, let alone of free copy of what they played on. Why don't you actually do 3% of the homework I, or any other player in the real world has done, get your facts straight, and then maybe we might be able to have a conversation about something that might educate people (ME INCLUDED) rather than be this pissing match of total and utter nonsense that you're feeding any unsuspecting young musician that might read this message board.
As always when something like this comes along that is so obviously out of whack I genuinely offer a helping hand in any way I can. It's so far from being reality that there's something or someone that needs help, and I honestly will do anything I can to help should that person reach out and ask.
I truly love what I do. I do it honestly and without complaint. I work as hard as I possibly can day in and day out to be not just a better musician, but a better human being. I am incredibly fortunate to have garnered some minor success in this vast abyss of an industry that I chose to work in, and I am forever grateful to those around me for giving me a chance to perform when they have. To have any aspect of this cut down to being a clone, fake, rip off, or any of the other things that have been mentioned here on this thread, is not exactly what you might call encouraging.
You might ask yourself this simple question before you post such nonsense about me at.
Why?
Easy,
Janek
Check yerself!
