Chris Darrow's Kaleidoscopic Vision

A mentor to Ben Harper; a "world music" propenent before there was even a name for it

Comments (0) By Michael Simmons Wednesday, Feb 25 2009

Darrow continues to release new recordings, compose, invent musical instruments, photograph and paint. A bighearted man, he still helps the younger and less experienced. “Chris took the time to sit down with me,” recalls Harper, a Claremont native whose grandparents founded the Folk Music Center. “Being able to watch someone play slide guitar with that much soul was huge as a building block for me to establish my own sound on the slide. Chris has a mojo hand and he may be of the last generation to carry a real mojo hand, but I think he kept himself well-hid [laughs]. He gives a shit about the art and the art only. I admire that tremendously.”

While appreciative of the sudden attention, Darrow is well aware that he’s been overlooked. “I always thought if you were good at what you did, somebody would pay you and give you accolades. The music business is cutthroat and ruthless and not meant for the kind of guy I am. I’ve always been more in competition with myself.

Steve Cahill

Chris Darrow: Leonard Cohen, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor have all covered his songs.

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“And I don’t think there are any rules except ‘Does this sound cool?’” he adds with a chuckle.

Chris Darrow/Under My Own Disguise, on Everloving Records, is released in March. Ben Harper, Akron/Family, Howlin Rain and others perform the songs of Chris Darrow at McCabe’s Guitar Shop on Sunday, March 1.