Local musician Dave Sharp using online drive to fund new album

Posted on Thu, May 24, 2012 : 11:02 a.m.

Dave Sharp

One way the music business continues to evolve is the use of online fund-raising drives to back recording projects.

Well-known and well-respected local jazz musician Dave Sharp has a drive under way via Kickstarter to fund a new album called "Worlds" he plans to release this fall with his band, Dave Sharp's Secret Seven. The drive runs through 9 a.m. May 31; for more information or to donate, check out the Kickstarter page.

Sharp agreed to answer a few questions via email about the new album and the funding method:

How did you develop the concept for this album?

I’ve always loved listening to improvisation in all genres of music, and from musical styles from around the world. The concept for the album was developed over the last 2 years, during Secret 7’s Journey Concert Series (@Kerrytown Concert House Nov 2010-May 2012), where each concert features a different world music influence found in our music. We started with "Journey to Africa" wsg Ibrahim Aminou on vocals, guitar and percussion, followed up with "Journey to India" wsg Parag Ray on vocals, Prashanth Gururaja on violin and Mahesh Ganesan on kanjira. "Journey to New Orleans" featured Walter White (Dave Holland Big Band, Mingus Big Band, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra) on trumpet and Tony Bucceli (Planet D Nonet) on Trombone.

Two weeks ago we performed "Journey to the Middle East" wsg Igor Houwat (Lebanon) on oud and Mehdu Darvishi (Iran) on persussion. So the album will reflect the concert series and a number of influences and musicians from around the world, and just recently we welcomed playback singer Parthiv Gohil from Mumbai as a guest artist!

Why did you decide to take the Kickstarter route?

There are 2 BIG reasons...To cover costs for one, but also to offer our fans and friends in the local, national and worldwide community an opportunity to get involved in the project. They become the record producer instead of just me. They become a patron of the arts in one simple step! Kickstarter also allows me to offer whatever I want as a reward for contribution, so I’m offering private and group music lessons as a reward for contributing a higher pledge amount. I am offering to reward my backers with more than just a CD, they can spend some time with me, come to a music composition/improvisation workshop, have private one on one lessons, or have the band come and play a concert!

Do you think this type of fund-raising will be an important avenue for independent musicians as time goes on?

YES! In this economy, I think it will be important for artists to cover and account for costs ahead of time, so that the once the CD is done, they are not in the red and struggling to recoup costs. Record Labels used to do this in the form of the “ADVANCE,” but the music industry is in such bad shape these days I doubt they are dolling out advances like they used to.