Born and raised in East Texas, Cass displayed his love of music from an early age, bypassing children's albums and opting for his parent's collection of classic rock and folk recordings.
Heavily influenced by the "modern rock" of the early 80's he began his musicianship with a full set of electronic drums, playing with local bands during college, covering groups from Duran Duran to U2 and the Police. Moving into an apartment necessitated trading in his drums for a nylon string guitar, and he began studying classical guitar and music theory at Stephen F. Austin State University. The "life changing" event of attending a 1987 Michael Hedges performance drew Cass into the world of alternate tunings and unorthodox 2-handed techniques on the steel string acoustic.
While serving in the Marine Corps, Cass traveled to and lived in various parts of the country and world, absorbing the musical styles in each region. He has since studied with fingerstyle legend Alex De Grassi and flamenco purist Mark Taylor, amassing a variety of musical tools to draw upon for his compositions.
Cass continues to write and perform on the guitar, but has also delved into electronic music, satisfying his creative desire and ability to generate "unworldly" sounds. Using real-time looping with acoustic and electric guitars, Cass creates a swirling of textures that are hypnotic to the listener, and form the bed for many of his musical creations. "When I play the guitar 'unplugged,' it's very real. You watch my hands, and hear the sound produced before your eyes. When I create sounds that are stirring--but don't exist in nature, that's where I find my artistic balance." Influenced in this area by artists such as Patrick O' Hearn, David Torn, and Tim Story, Cass believes that while signal processing is no substitute for melody, blurring the edges with the right ambience can create a powerful musical statement.
When he's not writing and recording in Studio A in his Portland, OR home, Cass travels the Northwest with his wife Megan, drawing inspiration from the eastern high desert, Cascade and Olympic mountains, and the rugged Oregon and Northern California coastlines.
"'Legacy' was born of a gift for my father's 60th birthday, and what started out as a few tunes with some Arabic percussion took on a life of it's own and ultimately became my debut CD! For me, the project represented the struggles we sometimes face trying to reconcile early environmental influences with our own paths we are destined to follow. While rewarding in the end, the tensions and conflicts we face are challenging to our dreams, and I hope that 'Legacy' is received in the spirit in which it was intended--the spirit of hope and accomplishment."
- Cass
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.sunbreakmusic.comTrack List:
1. Before Dawn
2. Folk Song
3. Back Then and Right Now
4. The Vision
5. Segue to Nothing
6. The Poem
7. After Dusk
8. Resolution
Suggested CDs:
Other Genres:
