My music career began by playing the blues. I spent my late teenage years in dive bars playing rhythm guitar with big black Xs on the back of my hands until all hours of the night. I left that behind for years while I was studying classical and flamenco, but at some point I found myself headed back to my roots, only with a deeper appreciation for the subtleties of the music. Especially the fingerstyle artists, such as Mississippi John Hurt, the Reverend Gary Davis, and Lightnin’ Hopkins. The coordination I had learned playing Bach made playing in the style of these artists much easier, and I gained a greater appreciation for the inventiveness of their playing. As I’ve spent more and more time studying jazz, I find myself constantly drawing influence from the blues, going back to the early years of recorded music to find inspiration.