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Event
Patrice Pike and Wayne Sutton
Both Pike and Sutton grew up in Dallas and met while she was attending the Booker T. Washington School of Performing and Visual Arts. Sutton attended another high school, but a friend invited him to go hear her sing and before long Pike and Sutton formed an acoustic duo. During her freshman year of college they decided to forego higher education to focus on music. They created the jam band Little Sister, later Sister 7 of Arista Records, and spent a decade touring with other jam bands such as Blues Traveler, The Dave Matthews Band and the Allman Brothers.
Their mutual appreciation for seminal 60s and 70s hard rock (todays classic rock) and timeless funk, blues, R&B, world and roots music complements their improvisational and musical exploration tendencies. Weve been able to experiment with all these styles of music together over the years, Pike said, yet maintain a consistently unique sound based on Waynes guitar style and my soul influence even amid the eclectic range of music.
As songwriters, both Pike and Sutton start from rhythmic and percussive places, drawing from elements of soul, blues, jazz, rhythm, roots and rock. The jumping off point for writing songs is the percussion, the riffs, the drum grooves, Pike said. The chords and melodies are important, but theres something primal about rhythm. Its critical to know where the beats fall and where you feel the subdivision of the beats in your body.
Since branching out from Sister 7 we have collaborated on two live albums and multiple studio albums that are available online, Pike said. Currently we are working on releasing a live EP, The Evolution of Pike and Sutton, and will be releasing videos online in advance of the EP.
Most of their music is original, written by Pike and Sutton separately and collaboratively. And just as in their Little Sister/Sister 7 days, each will take turns on lead and backup. Their concerts are full of danceable tunes but also ambient songs that are perfect for venues like Rainshadow. Its a great place to sit and relish the music and really hear it.
Pikes lyrics are full of social justice messages, but she doesnt hit you over the head with them. Most of my songwriting is about challenges in general and how important it is to cultivate a positive outlook and a perspective that leads to life-affirming and life-supporting ways of living for each other and ourselves, she said. You cant, nor should you, tell people what to do. But you can encourage them to think about it so that it becomes something that really matters to them. I hope my music really does that on some level.
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LocationRainshadow Recording Studio (View)
Fort Worden State Park, Bldg 315 West
Port Townsend, WA 98368
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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