PA ~ For someone who doesn't know about you, please give our readers a brief synopsis of yourself as an artist.

I’m a guitarist that got his hands in all the technology and morphed into what a friend calls musician / information designer. This title stems from my traditional music education and performing and my high tech multimedia productions employing computers, multimedia authoring and web design.

PA ~ When did you take up your artistry and how long have you been involved with it?

My interest and inspiration to become a musician stems from music’s golden age, which was the 60’s and 70’s.  The album, yes vinyl, that flipped my aspirations to the ‘ON’ position was Jimi Hendrix’, Band of Gypsies. A soul/R&B station used to do a live broadcast from a record store in Oakland, CA every Friday night.   The DJ, Johnny Quick, would play Who Knows around midnight.  When I heard that, I had to get in the mix.  I got a job, bought myself a guitar, my mother paid for my private lessons. Later I relocated to Los Angeles and begin gigging with all sorts of people much like Tarzan swings from limb to limb.  That process spans over 20 years and many name artists like Aretha Franklin,  Eartha Kitt, Nancy Wilson, Gary Bartz, Norman Connors, Sister Sledge, The Temptations, Barry White, Jennifer Holiday, Rene and Angela, Vanessa Williams, Eddie Harris, Bobby Brown etc…

PA ~ Musically, how would you describe your sound/genre?

Contemporary R&B, Adult Urban R&B, contemporary jazz.  Any  and all of the preceding are accurate.

PA ~ What gravitated you toward your artistic work ?

A desire to express my creative voice.  I felt I could make a significant contribution to the body of music and art in the marketplace. Furthermore, I wanted to do something that would pave the way for a new era of music and technology.  I knew the computer was evolving into an entertainment device and I wanted to create a product that would embrace this evolution.

PA ~ Who are you influenced by?

I have an eclectic collection of great people and musicians I look to for inspiration and I hold admiration for. It’s a long list and spans several eras of music and a wide range of performers. Some musicians are Herbie Hancock, Trumpeter Lee Morgan, Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, Muhammad Ali, Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Chick Corea, Miles Davis.  (This order is random)

PA ~ I understand you have a CD & CD-ROM called IT’S NOT SO EASY , what is the listener / viewer in store for?

A great listening experience, a great visual and stimulating intellectual experience.  The music CD is packed with excellent vocal and instrumental performances produced to high standards. The CD-ROM allows the listener to explore the story behind the music.  They can become intimate with the writers, musicians and artists, view video footage of the song throughout its development, get lyrics to all songs, download additional content from the website that is linked to the CD-ROM and get FREE bonus tracks that are NOT on the music CD.  It’s an outstanding value for the consumer that demands high quality from their entertainment purchases.

PA ~ How is the CD being received?

Critics, radio and other media are receiving the product very well.

PA ~ Do you have a favorite composition on the CD / DVD VIDEO?

That’s like asking a mother to pick a favorite child.  All of the songs are dear and special to me.  However, one in particular articulates a personal relationship of mine.  The track is Elsi N’ Me. 

PA ~ Will you be touring to promote IT’S NOT SO EASY?

I have been visiting radio, TV and retail on a promotional tour of the southeastern US.  My long-range goal is to take the full band and show on an international tour.

PA ~ Any other projects or follow-ups in the works presently?

Yes. It’s an extension of this project that I would like to do but I need to keep the idea under wraps for now.  I think it can revolutionize live performing and provide a unique experience for music and entertainment lovers.

PA ~ Do you perform solo or normally with a group?

For the promotional tour I have been performing solo with acoustic guitar.  However, my preference is a full band that will reproduce the musical experience on the CD.

PA ~ What would someone expect attending one of your shows?

It would be different from the CD experience.  The music will be intense and not something you merely sit and pat your foot to.  We want people completely involved in the music.  The force of the music should sweep them up like a tsunami and carry them to a new place!

PA ~ Do you perform outside of your hometown?

Yes.  My home town is San Francisco and I now reside in Los Angeles.  But I consider myself a citizen of the world.

PA ~ During your artistic journey so far, any interesting (funny, bizarre, highlight, nightmare etc...) stories come to mind you'd like to share with us?

Here are a few teasers. 

PA ~ Give us your thoughts on the indie music scene good and not so good.

The independent music is the natural progression of creative, intelligent, motivated artists employing technology to control their careers.  However, the music business of today is not be the same as it was in the not too distant past.  One has to have a sincere dedication to the art and not be strictly interested in the fame and fortune.  The cost of marketing a project is out of the financial reach of many individuals and smaller labels.  And without mass media attention many projects will not realize their full artistic potential.  It’s the climate of the industry today. Anyone can make a CD in their home studio, build a website, hype all the search engines to drive traffic. However, sales like Michael Jackson’s Thriller may not be obtainable by an independent artist doing it alone and without the support of a major record company.

PA ~ How is the artistic scene in Los Angeles evolving?

I think it’s decaying, may already be dead. I’m a bit out of sync with some of the new clubs that pop up like mushrooms and fade very soon thereafter.  I’m a believer in live music and the artist to audience interaction but it’s not financially feasible for many clubs to make a profit with this old performance model in today’s economy.  This is a more complex equation that has caught everyone by surprise.  The internet, iPods, watching TV on a cell phone.  The consumer has many entertainment choices and live music is not the only one.

PA ~ What has the highlight of your career been?

There have been many memorable moments that are invaluable but I hope that golden moment is yet to come!

PA ~ What are some goals you hope to accomplish in the future?

Some times what you think your goal is, is not where lifes experiences will take you.  Many times you have to look back and only then can you connect the dots of where you were and where you end up.  I could say things like performing at the Grammy’s or having my picture on the cover of Time magazine but I’ll be pragmatic and say I’m going to continue working hard, plan and act intelligently and seize opportunities to get the project recognized and financially successful.  Then do more of the same again and again.

PA ~ What are your other interests outside of music ?

This project is consuming most of my time because all aspects of the project intersect with my extended interest:  music, performing, computers, the Internet, graphic design, programming, art, fashion, travel and history.

PA ~ What was the best piece of advice you ever heard that motivates you in pursuit of your artistry?

- You have to believe in yourself and your work. 
- Keep learning and employ that knowledge to further your career. 
- Adapt to changes very rapidly but don’t be afraid to go it alone.
Although these are not exact quotes I can think of specific people to associate them with.
- Muhammad Ali faced incredible opposition when he decided not to be drafted for the Viet Nam war.  He believed his cause was right and he refused to be led astray regardless of the opposition he experienced. 
- Steve Jobs was forced out of Apple Computer his company.  He had to learn, grow, develop a new set of skills that allowed him to be an important component in the success the company enjoys today.
- Bruce Lee has a eloquent saying about adapting.  “When you pour water into a glass, it becomes the glass.  When you pour water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot.  We must be like water.

PA ~ Where can someone find out more about JUEWETT BOSTICK?

We have a significant presence on the Internet.