by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
WHO: Steve Azar
WHERE: The Jacksonville Agricultural Fair
WHEN: November 6th
While talking to Steve Azar, I connected with him as a kindred spirit both on a philosophical and musical level, which is rare indeed. We chatted about his Mississippi Delta roots where blues and rock’n’roll music were seared into his soul. He began playing gigs at 11-years old and his influences range from blues to country.
As a young songwriter, Steve was exploring his talent by composing songs in different genres of music. When he finally matured, his songwriting fused into a decidedly country slant. It wasn’t something that Steve planned, it’s just how they came out. So he moved to Nashville and his home style oozed out as countrified blues pop.
After connecting with the Nashville record cats, Steve played the big record company game for his first album. Afterwards, he decided to take charge of his own career with a little help from his friends, including famed artists/producers Rodney Foster, A.J, Masters, and Jo-El Sonnier who helped him produce his latest album Indianola, which Steve considers his breakout work, infused with his diverse influences.
“I grew up on the Mississippi Delta around blues all my life. When I started playing out at 11-years old, I was still experimenting with various genres such as blues and rock’n’roll. Later, my influences fused together in my head and the songs started to sound country. So, I accepted that I could probably market my work in country music.
“So, I moved to Nashville and hooked up with some record company cats which resulted in my first album. It wasn’t a great experience. So I decided that I would take charge of my career and make music that I was proud of and I would make the decision to release the final cut. And, my latest record Idianola was released as a work in that mode. I’m working on a new album with no title yet that represents my growth as an artist. I’m very proud of this work.
“As a songwriter, I never considered that other artists would want to cut one of my songs. I just didn’t go there. But recently Reba McEntire wanted to cut one of my songs, which was very flattering. As my catalog of songs gets bigger, I will reach the point that other songwriters reach – that they are so much in demand writing songs for other artists, it doesn’t leave much time for performing. But now, I’m too busy promoting my own career to think about that. However, down the line when I’m older, I can see that being strictly a songwriter would be desirable.”
Listening to Steve’s new material, I was impressed by its originality, with slide guitar and bluesy sounding instrumentation. The song lyrics speak of the salt of the earth, working men, yet they are not cookie-cutter country corn. It’s truly Steve Azar’s music–with his particular take on country styled music with a blues bite. Although I’m not into country music per se, I will add Indianola to my collection. It’s different, fiercely creative and doesn’t sound like the legions of other country artists.
“For me, it took a lot of passion to leave my family and pursue being a performing artist as well as a songwriter. I’m driven to do it – like breathing. At this point, I believe I’m the best person to perform my songs. But my family supports me and I’m encouraged by my progress. The Internet has changed the way all musical artists promote themselves. I’ve taken full advantage of every way possible to get my music into cyberspace with an extensive website with music samples, product for sale and a MySpace site. It’s a fast way I can reach my fans and the press directly, which is awesome.
“With my fans and family behind me, I feel encouraged by my success. I thrive on being out on the road, but sometimes I wish I could just zap myself from the road to home in between dates. But when I get tired and discouraged, I look at how far I’ve come and I feel better. I’ll continue to write songs and keep performing them as long as I can–God willing,” Steve said.
Steve Azar will be performing on the main stage at the Jacksonville Fair on November 6th.
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EU Critic’s Choice Awards
