MAJOR BLACK
GETTING TO KNOW MAJOR BLACK
Like many brilliant musicians, Major Black got his first big break in a boy band…in the third grade…in a Beatles tribute band…playing a toy guitar with nylon strings…impersonating George Harrison…in a green outfit. A fan base quickly formed and with newfound fame and a handful of ten year old groupies, Major “was cursed forevermore.”
Major was born in the Mississippi Delta with a song in his heart. Using microphones created from Johnson grass, he entertained fields of white cotton and a chorus line of whippoorwills. It was shortly after his sensational elementary school debut that his grandmother, Maw Maw, who loved gospel music, bought herself something special, something she let Major play that chart his course for success. A piano! Not a Baldwin or Steinway, but an old badly tuned upright with worn out keys. But, to him, it was a concert grand, and he taught himself music theory. His grandparents lived quarter of a mile up the country road, and he was up there nearly every day banging on that piano. Even scrawled his name on it. By the time he was in the sixth grade, Major was well on his way to mastering another instrument…the alto saxophone.
It was in Junior High school that Major took his music to the streets for paying gigs, with his prestigious band, The Soul Ells. The eight piece wind ensemble traveled in style, piled into a tiny Mustang. Then high school became the domain for marching band and gospel groups. It was in these years that Major began to find his voice. And it was in college at Jackson State University that he challenged himself with yet another instrument…the double bass. His band, Dwight T. Ross and the Continentals opened for such icons as B. B. King. By the end of college, he had mastered the craft of music and was getting to know the inner muse that was to provide him with his unique sound, his message and his vibe.
With six dollars in his pocket, and a dream in his soul, Major left Shelby and moved to Los Angeles. In 1979, LA had a vibe all its own, and Major immersed himself in the diverse culture, playing with the Ink Spots and gigs from LA to Long Beach. Unlike so many musicians, he sought his inspiration from a spiritual source rather than a drugstore. With guitar as his primary instrument, he walked an enlightened path as monk. A member of a yoga ashram for five years, Major refined his music by learning new instruments, getting to know his creator on a personal level, and developing a life philosophy that speaks to us through his music. Recently, he went to
India on Holy pilgrimage.
Written, produced and performed by Major, "Connected to You" is a new album release. In it we find the roots of a young man growing up in the land of the blues, an optimist who rejoices in the quiet of a snowfall and the promise of tomorrow. A contagious energy weaves its way through every song and touches the listener on a visceral level, tugging at our heart strings in the bittersweet sorrow of "December" and preparing us for the excitement of "What Comes After"! And, as we listen, we truly "Rejoice!" With a smile that embraces the spirit and a voice that resonates with the soul, encountering guitarist, singer, and songwriter Major Black is truly like "Dancing in the Light".