Jimmy Dasher - Waiting Game (Melodic Undertone)

Playing the guitar with a thrilling skill and finesse is Jimmy Dasher's forte, but his music is just as much about the songs he writes and how he sings them. The San Antonio, Texas native won the city's Best Guitarist competition while still in high school and later crossed the country twice on tour. But that's just the beginning of an artistry that now finds fruition on his debut Melodic Undertone album. Dasher draws his unique sound from many sources to create an original amalgam of rock'n'roll, current Indie music, soul and funk, blues, jazz, folk and country. He bundles it into a cohesive whole through the solidity and sparks of his songwriting. And then delivers on stage and record an eye opening and winning musical experience. His father's favorites like Led Zeppelin and classic rock are Dasher's foundation. He later got into classic country and oldies as he grew up. Like most teens he had his metalhead phase, and also was drawn to Motown and jazz/funk. While still in high school he played with an instrumental jam band that gigged regularly on Austin's famed Sixth Street music and entertainment strip as well as in San Antonio nightclubs. For all the diversity he draws into his music, Dasher takes his major songwriting cues from country icons. "I like the honesty of a lot of classic country writers like Willie Nelson and Hank Williams," he explains. But his far-flung inspirations also include the likes of neo-classicist Rufus Wainwright. He also has a lot of honesty to his lyrics." His considerable guitar skills also boast a range of touchstones. Jimmy Page was a primary starting point, but Dasher later absorbed the work of jazz/funk players like Eric Krasno of the band Soulive and jazz master John Scofield. "It all gave me an outside the box perspective on guitar," he notes. "I got the sloppy rock style from Page and then the musical prowess from people like Scofield. Willie Nelson is also a big influence, and I think he is really underrated as a player." He then landed in an old farmhouse in the small town of Brownfield outside Lubbock. He was broke, his car stopped running, and he didn't know anyone nearby. "I was at the point where there was literally nothing I could do," he recounts. "I had no money and no way to get anywhere to earn it playing music. I had nobody to help me there. If I had three dollars, I spent it feeding my dog, not myself." But the tough times and solitude also provided an impetus and atmosphere that prompted Dasher's songwriting to flourish.