10. Arthur RussellWorld Of Echo

It was kind of like the Brian Eno experience when I first heard Arthur Russell. I know this might sound presumptuous, but it felt like I was hearing someone doing what I’d been trying to do for so many years – embracing all these different worlds of music and I felt so validated. Arthur Russell was someone that I used to get compared to before I ever heard his music. When I finally did hear his music, it just clicked inside me and he became one of my biggest inspirations. I chose that record because that was one of just a couple of records that he released while he was alive. So much of his music has been put together and compiled into records after he passed away. I thought that one deserves to be chosen because that’s one he actually put together himself. It’s also just a mind-bogglingly awesome record, so unique, and it’s just so special. I love it, I love his use of the cello. It’s inspiring as a string player myself to hear him play the cello and sing. And that was a huge inspiration for me to do the project with David Allred that I’m doing now where both of us just play string instruments and sing.