Palmer Jan Ward

Bio:

....................

Songwriter and musician - primarily guitar & piano. I've been playing blues, jazz, folk and rock for many years, although (and this is a secret) I was classically trained. I had one hit in Australia in the 1970s. Released one record of "meditation" music/not music, "Dipping the Sound Brush" in 1992. Played on many of the LA Sound records of the 60's...sang in Frank Zappa's "Greek Chorus".

Dharma name Kanshin (come to truth.) Daido Loori Roshi, Mountain & Rivers Order, Mt Tremper, NY, of the White Plum Asanga.

Married to Linda - my songwriting partner for 34 years. Linda (LBB Ward) is an author as well with an incredible middle reader's book out called, "Professor Angelicus Visits The Big Blue Ball." BTW adults love it as well. See it at http://professorangelicus.com

Member Since:

August 19, 2008

Members:

Linda Blackburn (LBB Ward) cowriter of the songs...usually just me in the recordings...

Influences:

Everything from the brightest light to the darkest night, the bluest sky to the most blindingly pink sunrise, although the humans (as they float by my inner window) seem to be...

In no order:

Blind Boys of Alabama • Mundell Lowe • Jelly Roll Morton • Thelonius Monk • Mose Allison • Albert Ammons • Samuel Barber • Kenny Burrell • Clifford Brown • Albert Camus • Charlie Christian • Kenny Clark (Klook) • Bill Evans • Edgar Varese • Dexter Gordon • Grant Green • Ali Akhbar Khan • Akira Kurosawa • Horace White • Hank Williams • Bill Withers • Lightning Hopkins • Otis Redding • Solomen Burke • Carl Sandberg • Otis Spann • Han Shan • Django Reinhardt • Ravi Shankar • Edith Piaf • Nina Simone • Mark Tobey • Kenneth Patchen • Arnold Schoenberg • Charles Ives • Frederic Chopin • Clarence "Frogman" Henry • Maurice Ravel • Gabriel Faure • Yousou N'dour • Matsuo Basho • Rasaan Roland Kirk • Ornette Coleman • Franz Kline • Wes Montgomery • Marvin Gaye • Fats Domino • Gary Snyder • Lady Day • Nat Adderley • Les McCann • Gene Autry • Eric Satie • Jimmy Giuffre • Joe Pass • Albert, BB and Freddie King • Allen Toussaint • Jimmy Reed • Jimmy Rogers • Richard Rogers • Blind Lemon Jefferson • Irving Berlin • Gerry Mulligan • Johnny Mercer • Tal Farlow • Federico Garcia Lorca • Leonard Cohen • Chet Baker • Bud Powell • Buttercup's Chicken Shack • Billy Tolliver • Vincent Persichetti • Lawrence Ferlinghetti • Bob Marley • Charles Mingus • Bird • Diz • Prez • Miles • Trane • Sly Stone • Bix Beiderbeck • Linda Ward • King Sunny Ade • Joe Renzetti • Moondog • Michael Hurley • Sonny Rollins • Doc Pomis • Pima Chodron • Townes, Waylon, Willy, David Allen, Billy Joe • Henry Miller • Noam Chomsky • Peter Tosh • Peter Green • Huang Po • Pierre Boulez • Bob Dylan • Igor Stravinsky • Andres Segovia • Pablo Casals • Pablo Neruda • Pablo Picasso • Gabriel Garcia Marquez • Oscar Ghiglia • Oscar Peterson • Samuel Clemens • Scott LaFaro • Robert Johnson • Robert Hazard • Sarah Vaughn • Lee Dorsey • Lee Morgan • Dinah Washington • Kenneth Rexroth • Victoria Spivey • Scrapper Blackwell • Malcolm Rebbeneck • Johnny Smith • Jimmy Smith • Jack Elliott • Toots and the Maytals • Jimmy McGriff • Booker T. Jones • Elvin Jones • Steve Cropper • Lonnie Mack • Zucchero Fornaciari

Of course, Ray the God, Elvis the King, JS Bach the Emperor and Stevie Wonder the Absolute Master

In fact everyone I've ever seen, heard or read. The most contrived teach me the most; the most honest are the greatest inspiration.

Sounds Like:

Me - which is to say:

Unfiltered first cold pressed extra virgin Sicilian olive oil on semolina bread with anchovies and garlic.

Well, maybe a little Crotonese cheese and a glass of vino tipico della provincia...

Record Label:

Tribe of Angels