With a diverse musical background that includes experience in a variety of musical environments, Primacoustic‘s James Wright has lived the musician’s life.
Growing up in a musical home Wright began his study of music early, taking lessons as a young child. Wright went on to study jazz in college, and along the way he picked up keyboard/piano skills and learned to augment his guitar playing with bass.
Taking a moment to discuss his days as a freelance musician as well as the value of learning a variety of musical styles, Wright says he’s always on the lookout for a good Fender Telecaster or Stratocaster, and his dream gig is to play with John Hiatt.
[inpagepromo]
What initially drew you to music?
My house was always full of music growing up. My mom is a great piano player and singer, and my father had an extensive classical music collection.
When did you get serious about music?
I started playing Violin at age five in one of Canada’s first Suzuki violin groups. By the time I hit the 5th grade I was hooked on playing guitar and singing. After high school I went to college and studied jazz guitar and also played a bit of nylon string “classical” guitar.
What were your early musical influences, and what do you think of those influences now as a seasoned musician?
Early on it was The Beatles, Elton John and Gordon Lightfoot. As I progressed musically my tastes became more and more ‘adventurous.’ A great song is a great song regardless of style and treatment; listening to really great writers drove that point home for me at an early age.
James Write of Primacoustic has “lived a musician’s life,” one that has influenced his AV career.
Do you have any newer or modern artists that you find inspirational or musically appealing?
There are so many great artists out there and so many ways to approach music. Tedeschi Trucks Band blows me away, The Head and the Heart write great tunes, John Mayer is a ridiculous talent, and I could go on and on.
I hear people all the time that bring something fresh and exciting out in their music. The fusion of various styles is a really exciting trend to me.
As someone who plays multiple instruments, do you find any of them more or less challenging? Is there one instrument that you feel you really have to fight to play well?
Playing anything really well is a challenge. The biggest obstacle for me is not to play other instruments from a guitar players’ perspective.
The best multi-instrumentalists I know are able to sound like a “real” mandolin player or a “real” bass player. Doing this takes a true understanding of how the instrument works in different styles of music.
For a period of time you made a living as a freelance musician. What was that experience like?
I was lucky enough to play in some really good bands that covered a bunch of different styles so it didn’t get stale. Playing with different people in different situations was one of the best parts of that life. The same tunes played by different musicians can take on a completely different vibe.
Most of those gigs are about the audience and playing whatever will work. A full, happy dance floor is one of the best things to keep you getting hired, and knowing a ton of music in all styles will ensure you can pull it off when asked.
In your opinion, what must a musician do to be a successful freelance player or session player? Is it the ability to play nearly anything, is it the ability to fluidly read music or at least the Nashville number system, or is it simply being professional and showing up on time with reliable gear?
You need to realize that pretty much everyone who is making a living as a player is really good. You need to develop your musical voice and be able to work that into the situation.
[related]One of the quotes I have always loved is, “Play the gig you’re playing, not the one you wish you were playing.” If you are doing a top-40 gig, channelling Coltrane is not the best idea.
Reading and the Nashville system are awesome to know, and developing a good ear and having an understanding of the musical vocabulary of various styles of music are equally if not more important.
You also need to be a good person to hang out with. There is a lot of downtime on certain types of gigs, so you have to be flexible and have a good attitude.
Your gear should of course work properly and be appropriate for the gig. In a small restaurant a Marshall half stack is tool loud before you have even turned it on.
Does working for A-list manufacturers like Primacoustic and Radial Engineering make it tempting to redesign your listening/recording space and to constantly update your gear with new Radial switches, overdrives, etc.?
Chasing tone is constant. What I have realized is I pretty much sound like me no matter what I play through.
All my ‘heroes’ have found their voices and you can pick them up on any instrument in a few notes. Jeff Beck, Mark Knopfler, John Mayer, Vince Gill all have unique approaches and you can recognize them immediately. But, yes, I am a gear junkie.
Speaking of recording/listening spaces, do you have one? How is Primacoustic improving your recording/mixing and musical listening experience?
My home studio has a Primacoustic room kit in it and I have the recoil stabilizers for my monitors. The clarity and soundscape are much more accurate and balanced than they have ever been.
What gear currently makes up your current guitar rig?
I primarily use an Ernie Ball Axis Supersport, a Reverend Charger 290 or a Gibson Les Paul as my electrics.
I like smaller amps these days, and my current favorite is a Paul Rivera designed Fender Super Champ.
I have a bunch of pedals—a Keeley modded OD-1, a Fulltone OCD, a Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive, a Keeley Compressor, a Keeley Supermod workstation, a TC Electronic Ditto X2 delay, a Boss delay and a bunch of other miscellaneous pedals that come on and off the board.
For acoustics, I have an old Alvarez Yairi 6 string that was made for the 1991 NAMM Show that is awesome, a Martin 12 string, and a Gold Tone Dobro.
Is there any particular piece that you are looking to add, say a new amp, guitar, pedal, etc.?
The new modeling amps from Kemper and Fractal are really convincing. I am always on the hunt for a Fender Telecaster or Stratocaster, but truth be told a really great 6-string dreadnought like a Collings or a Santa Cruz would be number one on the list.
If you could be in any one band, what band would it be and why?
I would love to play in John Hiatt’s band. He has great tunes, tons of energy and you get to cover different styles of roots/Americana music.
Commercial Integrator is profiling musicians who work in the AV industry. If you would like to participate in CI’s “Industry’s Got Talent” series please submit your information to Bob Archer at rarcher@ehpub.com.
