Thursday, August 10, 2017

Nicholas Barron, Blues Singer and Visual Artist



Because this podcast is designed to be "low tech" on purpose and to sound like a live-radio interview/real conversation between two humans, I rarely, if ever, know where the conversations will go. My task is to find interesting and creative humans working on interesting and creative projects and record a 20 minute conversation with them, in the hopes that I will create an interesting and creative podcast. Hopefully you enjoy listening to this style of interview and if you do, share it with a friend. -Lisa

Nicholas Barron has been making a living as a blues singer for 32 years, singing blues, emulating the voices of the great jazz and blues singers he heard from his mother's record collection. In today's conversation we talk about sounding "black" intentionally (and successfully) as a white blues/jazz singer and connecting with your audience, even when they are surprised to see a white performer at a Blues Club.

Candid and funny and incredibly open, this conversation shows how deeply Nicholas cares for his craft and the art of blues. We barely get to the topic of Nicholas' painting career, which started less than 10 years ago with his dad helping hang his first show in Chicago, which sold more than 80% of his works on display. A strong first showing.



You can hear Nicholas sing on YouTube or live Thursday, Aug. 10, The Strapping Owls are a New Orleans/Chicago Tuba Bassed power trio playing at 210 Live, at 210 Greenbay Road in Highwood next to Highland park 8-11 p.m.

Bio: Chicago-based singer-songwriter-guitarist Nicholas Barron was called "undeniable" by the great James Taylor who introduced him as the launch artist for the New York Times emerging artists series at Joe's pub in New York City, "Amazing" by Jay Leno, and "the real deal" by Wayne Jackson of the legendary Memphis horns who recorded on his CD "Love Soldier".

He recorded that CD in Los Angeles with famed producer/mixer Dave Way, who got the Memphis Horns on the record which got him to the folks who made him the launch artist for The New York Times emerging artists series at Joe’s pub in New York City.



Nicholas started as a street performer in London and then Chicago, where he founded CASA (coalition for the advancement of street art) to fight the city of chicago who were trying to ban it, and won!

He is one of the most unique guitarists around, mixing mouth percussion with funky baselines and chords and sounding like a whole band by himself.

His last CD "Two of one Mind" was funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign in November 2014. It's 10 songs of blues infused acoustic songs in the classic world of Clapton, Hiatt, Raitt, etc.

He has opened for some of the greatest artists of our time including: BB King, Al Green, Buddy Guy, James Taylor, Shawn Colvin, Dave Mason, John Martyn, Johnny Cash, and on and on!

Learn more about Nicholas:

@nicholasbarron on Twitter and Instagram
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 "The Lisa D Show" is a podcast celebrating creatives, featuring 20-minute, unedited conversations that mimic the live-radio vibe, very low tech on purpose. Reach out to host Lisa Degliantoni at thelisadshow[at]gmail.com

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