Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Kick In the Jams, Mofos!

Rhode Island singer/songwriter/guitar legend Mark Cutler launched his first Kickstarter campaign yesterday to fund his new recording project, due out in June 2012. Less than 48 hours into the roughly six-week long fundraising initiative, his donations have already passed his very conservative goal. That’s not to say that a few more bucks tossed his way aren’t needed and won’t be put to good use. In fact, any icing on the cash cake is sure to benefit not only confirmed lovers of Mr. C’s emotive roots rock, but also those yet to make that rewarding discovery.

The Kickstarter concept (learn more here) is the perfect vehicle for a musician like Cutler, who has a passionate fan base and a rich legacy of critical acclaim, but not the flush wallet that his talent merits. He’s not doing this to milk a bit more money-making out of this venture. This is his passion – his life, as he says. Cutler is driven to do this regardless of whether there’s a penny in it for him or not – as he has in the past. But true to his humble and appreciative nature, Mark’s seeking the Kickstarter funding so that he can pay the fellow musicians who routinely, without hesitation, play with him for free just to be part of his musical gifts.

I can’t think of a more worthwhile artistic cause to support at the moment.

Since I make sure to catch at least a handful of Cutler’s shows every year, I can guess many of the more recent compositions likely to be on this new release. And that’s exciting since there are several that stand tall even in the context of his impressive catalog. But I hope, too, that there are some surprises, the results perhaps of some particularly inspired spontaneity in the studio with his stellar cast of musical compatriots.

And I hope that the balance of this release doesn’t sway too heavily toward the mellow and melancholy, though Cutler does that with visionary narrative and music-matching aplomb – the recent “Come Out to the Woods” being a prime example and a likely candidate for inclusion. I hope to see some spirited rockin in the mix, too!

This brief video describes Cutler’s Kickstarter project. Longtime musical companions Emerson Torrey and Jimmy Berger add poignant comments, as does relative newcomer Rick Couto. (No comments from Dickie?)


AFTER THOUGHT:
Cutler signs his correspondence: “Your friend in music and life.” You get the sense that he genuinely means it, and because of that humble spirit and the wellspring of creative output he has shared over the years, his friends and fans are already showing their gratitude and anticipation with their support.

FURTHER:
Visit Mark Cutler’s Kickstarter page here.