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RUSTY ZINN
Rusty Zinn's talents run deep.
He’s a soul-satisfying singer, a
guitar maestro of the first
order, and an insightful and
thought-provoking songwriter.
Still, having established
himself from his youth as a
top-shelf blues player and
soul/R&B singer touring and
recording with a virtual ‘who’s
who’ of legends from these
genres, and even after being
nominated for the very
prestigious W.C. Handy Award,
Zinn found himself looking for
more musically and spiritually.
Most artists, having discovered
a niche that captures the
approval of fans and critics
alike, are reluctant to alter
their course. Such is not the
case with Rusty Zinn who, always
following his heart, sensed that
he wasn’t at a destination point
but rather at the beginning of
his musical journey, and
followed the path to his
deep-rooted passion for reggae.
His 2007 release, Reggae Blue,
is the expression of that
passion. Here he’s joined by key
members of legendary reggae band
The Soul Syndicate – Fully
Fullwood (bass), Tony Chin
(rhythm guitar) and Santa Davis
(drums) – who help Zinn shape
his highly personal brand of
reggae topped with a healthy
portion of soul. Fully says "I
really like Rusty's voice and
his songwriting. He sings about
the same things we talked about
in Jamaica back in the day." In
the summer of 2007 shortly after
the release of Reggae Blue, the
late Joe Higgs’ daughter Marcia
was so taken by Rusty’s
authentic, soulful reggae sound
that she flew him to her Boston
residence to perform some shows.
Rusty made quite an impression
on the Jamaican reggae community
there and by the end of the year
was nominated for the Joe Higgs
Music Award for ‘Best
International Reggae Artist.’
Other legendary Jamaican music
veterans who have befriended
Rusty over the years and have
taken him under their wing for
musical and spiritual guidance
are Mikey Chung, Barry Biggs,
Winston Francis, Clinton Fearon,
Leroy Brown, and Milton Henry.
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Rusty is inspired by such
Jamaican vocal legends as Joe Higgs, Alton Ellis, Jimmy Cliff,
Delroy Wilson, and Slim Smith, as well as guitarists Tony Chin,
Earl “Chinna” Smith and Mikey Chung, and credits Joe Higgs and
Clinton Fearon as having a profound influence on his approach to
crafting a song. Rusty wisely uses these influences as a base
for his own eloquent expression of the form. In keeping with his
belief of nurturing the human element in reggae music, he
records and performs with real people playing real instruments.
In his own words, “reggae is music for the heart and soul –
something that can’t be captured by a drum machine”. He also
feels that reggae is a music where the message is the most
important ingredient. “To me the vocals should be in the
forefront so people can hear the message. It could be about the
love for a woman or the love for Jah, but no matter what the
story is, it needs to be heard”.
Reggae Blue was also reviewed in The Beat by Chuck Foster, who
gave raves to Rusty’s singing and songwriting skills. He also
said that “My God” and “Heaven Is A Place Called Zion” “show his
interest in Jah music is not of the bandwagon variety”. Zinn
feels that he has finally found himself and arrived at his
musical destination. As a very soulful and spiritually
inquisitive individual, the natural mystic of Rastafari is a
major influence not only in his music but in his outlook on life
as well. Rusty’s music is simply a testament to that reality.
Rusty Zinn Links:
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