The Story Behind Word 2 Soul
Williamsport is known as the home of Little League Baseball. It is also the source of a musical vision called The Word 2 Soul Project. The modus operandi of W2S recalls spacious concept albums produced by the likes of Qu [+]The Story Behind Word 2 Soul
Williamsport is known as the home of Little League Baseball. It is also the source of a musical vision called The Word 2 Soul Project. The modus operandi of W2S recalls spacious concept albums produced by the likes of Quincy Jones or the Alan Parsons Project-where the producers write the songs and a panel of singers interpret the songs-but Johnny J. Blair and Amy Mintzer (the creators of W2S) are on a "soul train" with its own track.
Says Mintzer, "Actually, the term 'songwriting' is a bit formal for of W2S. Song-groovin' or 'groove design' might fit more suitably. In conjunction with my good friend and talent extraordinaire, Johnny J. Blair, the results are form and flow that hopefully others will enjoy and find uplifting. God puts an idea in my head. I make a rough sketch with John. He takes that and, with his masterful arranging and experience, molds something amazing and wonderful."
"Amy tagged me to set up some demos with the goal of shopping for a publishing deal," says Blair. "The recordings turned out so good I couldn't stop some disc jockeys from airing them. We took it to another level and ended up with an entire concept album."
Known as "Singer at Large," Blair was born in PA "but I became a bi-coastal urban gypsy, ending up in San Francisco. As a bicycle messenger there, I rode around on the hilly streets, seeing the cruelty and the kindness in human kind all at once. I called it 'the asphalt ballet.'"
Blair has been recording since the 1970s and issuing solo albums since 1983. His sunny brand of innovative pop and world beat rhythms, layered with gospel and "American-roots music," has reached a global audience. He's worked with a "who's who" of showbiz and has a string of releases with Davy Jones (The Monkees).
Blair's admirers include surf-guitar hero Dick Dale, British pop music legend Cliff Richard, Christian-rock godfather Larry Norman and Brian Wilson (Beach Boys)-who called Blair "a virtuoso." He says, "Here's my job description: Play songs that fill the soul and play them with conviction. Working with Amy is a natural extension of my original mission."
Mintzer grew up in the small town of McVeytown, PA (next to Lewistown PA-once profiled in Rolling Stone magazine as an all-American city). Gro
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