Texas as a Musical Mecca

Much as the American Dream drew millions from Europe and elsewhere to our nation with the lure of freedom and opportunity, Texas drew me here with its promise of being a musical mecca and a land of friendly free thinkers.

After losing my wife and musical partner, I needed a new start and in just over two years, this singer-songwriter and author has found that Texas lives up to its promise—hence the reason I decided to return the favor and write two songs in Texas's honor: Down To Austin (which speaks of why artists like myself are drawn to Austin) and The Texas Waltz, which celebrates the romance of the Texas 2-steppin' dance halls and Texas's proud Country Swing music heritage.

I have lived all around this nation but it is Texas—with its wealth of great musicians and recording studios—that has enabled me to easily achieve new musical directions. There is a rich cultural tradition here that values the arts and music in particular. Since moving here, I've recorded two albums (one of which, a guitar-driven five-song EP, Down To Austin, was just released; the other, a piano-driven complete album, The Riddle, which is due out early in 2022). I've also released two singles (Down To Austin - the title song on my EP and Afghanistan), and I've already begun to record a third album (yet unnamed) which will feature acoustic guitar work among other things, which will be released in late spring or the summer.

The Texas club scene is a bit hard to break into but I believe that will open up to me once my music—which speaks for itself—becomes more widely known. Meanwhile, there are more than enough great musicians in Texas to form a band (delayed only by the Covid mess) and soon I hope to be touring the Southwest and West, bringing my form of Texas music to the rest of the nation—for I consider myself a Texas artist now, and my music Texan (even though it's not in the country or blues categories; I'm creating my own new category I hope someday will be recognized as distinctly Texan, even though it mingles roots from elsewhere).

I sing and play all guitars (except pedal steel) and keyboards and often play bass as well on all my recordings. Texas musicians who have graced my new direction albums include two sax players, one fiddler, and a number of drummers and bass players, as well as a female background vocalist.

I've already introduced my new albums' songs at a solo gig at Ken'z Guitars in Georgetown, TX and am booked to play other places (to be announced as the dates come near). I have played literally thousands of gigs elsewhere in Boston, New York, Chicago, and other major cities, over the course of many years and have won awards for my songs and performances.

Rick Furst has had a long and storied career in music, performing on a wide variety of instruments in a wide variety of genres, including in the styles of Roots music, classical, jazz, rock, pop, folk, blues, and country among others, in a professional career in several major cities, including New York, Chicago, and Boston. He also spent time as a radio announcer at major stations in New York City and as a music writer for such major publications as the Boston Globe, Chicago Reader, and Downbeat Magazine.

Posted January 01, 2022

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