I get inspiration mostly from what I see around me day-to-day. If you keep your eyes open, the whole world is full of eye-catching figures for graphic design, from the leaves of grass on the lawn to a shell picked up on a beach or an old show poster in a movie. I also like browsing through magazines especially magazines from other countries. They tend to have a completely different take on design in general and I enjoy the fresh outlook.
Art
Right now I'm into painting monochrome portraits of 50s & 60s Jazz Artists on black canvas. There something about the smokey rooms, harsh lighting, dramatic photography and the musicians in the moment that really ignites my passions. I'm especially intrigued with Miles Davis due to his very distinct facial features and rich history of pushing the envelope musically & socially.
Recently I've also started to seek out inspiration from the works of Gebre Kristos Desta, the famous Ethiopian Painter-Poet and my cousin, though I'd always thought of him as an uncle..
Currently reading "This is your Brain on Music".. awesome book.. as for music, I tend to shy away from categories and labels as they only serve to divide us in my opinion. Music is really the universal language and though our dialects might be different we can all feel the emotions that music amplifies in our souls, even if we don't understand the words. Here's a short list of what I'm currently listening to..
Ojos de Brujo
Ozomatli
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Karim Ziad
Teddy Afro
Andy Palcio & the Garifuna Collective
Electric & Acoustic Bass:
Just a quick word of thanks to my teachers and the musicians I've been honored to share the stage with over the years. You have all been extremely inspiring and influential over the years. I'd also like to take a moment here to thank Cachao.. arguably was one of the most important bass players the world has seen.
Bass inspirations are vast but here's the short list of favorites
Jaco Pastorius
Marcus Miller
Charles Mingus
Rocco Prestia
Bootsy Collins
Aston "Familyman" Barrett
Richard Bona
Victor Wooten