James Burton is one of the most recognized guitarists of all time. He is the inventor and father of Chicken Pickin’; a fusion of Country and Rhythm and Blues. He is in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and in the top 20 on Rolling Stone’s list of the Top 100 Guitar Players.

James introduced the Chicken Pickin’ style at the age of 15 on the original recording of Suzie Q. He is known as the Guitarist for Elvis, The Everly Brothers, The Beach Boys, The Buffalo Springfield, Ricky Nelson, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, John Denver, Gram Parsons, Jerry lee Louis and so many others. The list is at least a mile long.

We were in the studio getting ready for a recording session when the phone rang. Ray picked up the phone and said American Recording. It was James Burton on the phone. James and Ray were friends from over four decades of making and working on hit songs. One thing lead to another and James said he would like to say hello to the guys in Big Rain.

Wow one of our guitar heroes wanted to talk to us!

It was so very cool, and what an honor it was.

Needles to say the band was inspired and did some Chicken Pickin’ that day. But really, nobody does it as good as James Burton.

Similar to James Burton we developed a signature sound that was a fusion of Rock, Rhythm and Blues and Country. This became our brand of Country Rock that took in other elements as well. As you listen you will hear different rhythms and feels along with different picking approaches. These are all played on electric, acoustic, pedal steel guitars, and mandolin.

In fact, I’d like to take this opportunity give you another free song;)
Click here to download “Waiting” .

It’s not Chicken Pickin’, but I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s a great example of the unique sound we’ve developed.

Enjoy!

On a sunny spring afternoon in 1994, as per my routine, I parked my car under a weeping willow and reclined my seat. I began to meditate to help me find some clarity and perhaps answer to some important questions in my life. When my mind was clear of all thoughts and life’s clatter, I asked myself this question. “What should I do with the album project I am working on?” A flood of ideas began to permeate my mind, but the one answer that stood out was the one that encouraged me to form a Duo, and start performing so I could complete the project – my life long dream since childhood. This was the seed that was the beginning of Big Rain.

With this thought in mind, I got out of my car and walked into the fitness center. While working out I noticed a tall lanky guy with long blond hair talking to a woman. They were talking about music and I heard him say, “What I need is a singer I can work with”. I looked over at him and the words jumped out of my mouth, “I can sing”. We talked for a long time discovering that we had so many of the same interests, we decided to get together to sing and jam.

A week or two later, I invited Peter over to the studio to share my album project with him. The moment we sang the first harmony we knew we had found magic. We poured all our energy into our music and two years later our dream of making our first album was realized. It was titled, “Sound of Freedom”.

The Evolution of a Sound and Musical Style.

We started out with a Rock Blues approach but the music also took on a tropical feel which I latter called “Tropical Funk”. Because of our exposure to music from around the world, and the diverse Central Coast, and San Francisco Bay Area tastes for music, we started to develop our own blend and sound.

Santa Cruz is a beautiful Coastal Community well known internationally for the beaches, surfing, our redwoods, the University and its cultural diversity. In Santa Cruz, thirty to forty touring artists perform weekly in one of the smallest geographic counties in California. It is amazing that so many artists are able to sell tickets to all those shows in such a small market.

As we evolved as a band with Rock, Blues, Funk and Tropical Styles, we built a strong following on the Central Coast. Later, we expanded into Northern and Southern California and up into Oregon while we brought County Rock, and Country into the mix. Everything was anchored with the best songwriting, vocals, and musical talent we had in us.

For the next seven years, we were relentless playing at least 100 dates a year. We worked with the best musicians. They became friends and interchangeable parts on a team that we could call on to perform at various Festivals, Fairs, and Venues. We had released three Indy Albums, set up our own distribution through record stores, and were selling hundreds of albums.

Then one day I got a phone call from Ray Ruff who was a well known producer. Ray lived in Los Angeles and invited us to come down and cut a few sides. He said that if everything went well, and we were happy with the results he would offer us a Recording Contract on his Record Label, Oak Records.

Initially, we had no idea who he was. It wasn’t long before we discovered that he was one of the most successful producers and promoters in the last forty years. I asked him what a side was, and he responded with a Southern drawl telling me that a side is a song. He then went on to say he liked our music and singing, and thought we had what it took to make it.

Things went more than well. We recorded an album that produced two number one and several top thirty charting songs. The album still receives air play around the world. With Ray we pioneered a Country Rock Crossover that took on our other influences and was anchored with our brand of Everly Brothers like harmonies.

We went on to perform throughout the USA and to tours around the world.