Well, hell, why don’t we all just line up and ask Jimi what and where his latest gig is these days? Marcus Machado continues to be compared to the great Jimi Hendrix without his asking. But then again, can it be helped if he can take us to heights of pain, pleasure, and all emotions in between within the range of a six-stringed instrument? Machado’s modest approach to the world of legends is a rarity in an ongoing sloth of present-day me-first lifestylers. Hanging out in the Netherlands for four or five years, London, Spain, and Portugal, he realized the importance of writing about the times. The George Floyd incident happened, and Obama had taken office as the first black president. He seized the moment and wrote about the things that were closest to his heart. He saw the president from the screen of another country. He walked and stood where the greats of rock had. He followed the path of Hendrix and returned to the US in 2014. He felt inspired and began writing. Inspiration was at a high and, to say the least, was lit Neither elated nor pushed back when compared to the iconic guitarist, Machado leaned toward his close circle of influences, citing his family ties to “Pumpkin,” whose real name was Errol Eduardo-Bedward. Better known by his stage name, “Pumpkin”, was an American musician, percussionist, and band leader. He passed away in 1990 and was known for being the force behind many old-school hip-hop tracks. He worked with many groups, including the Profiles and Tuff City record companies. Machado holds fond memories of the community of artists that he grew up around and who were some of his great influencers. Sondra St, Victor who lived in Amsterdam, and B Jeffrey Smith of The Family Stand took him under their wings at age 17. He played Paradiso and the Jazz Café in London, which was his first gig. He calls guys like rock guitarist for Living Colour and Corey Baker his uncles because they’ve known him since he was a kid. He came to understand the history of the Monterey Pop Festival and why it happened. Hendrix and his band of white boys affectionately known as the Jimi Hendrix Experience were recorded live on June 18, 1967. Machado is not a trend follower; he’s a trendsetter. His mom was an in-house A&R and influenced his ability to stay out of trouble. Candid yet warm, Machado expresses a lot of self in his debut album, “Aquarius Purple”, which was spun off of “Blue Diamonds”. “Blue Diamonds,” he said, was a preclude and was supposed to be the first album after “Aquarius Purple.”. When he came back from Europe, a film director named Patrick House was a fan of his work. A fan of Machado’s, the director was working on a black exploitation short film and wanted the artist to score it. Machado had never scored a film but wanted the experience. He had a lot of ideas for the film because of the kind of songs that he had written. Those songs became the album “Blue Diamonds,” which was the name of the film. The vibe was like Curtis Mayfield and Barry White with a lot of strings. So, after finishing “Blue Diamonds,” there were songs left over, and those songs were the songs used to make the first album. “Aquarius Purple” and his love of the color purple. The frequency of those two together makes for a delightful, magical musical experience blending jazz, hip-hop, heavy rock, and psychedelia. Hitting a #3 debut on Apple is good music in any scholar’s book. Let’s talk about vinyl, which in other countries, unlike in the States, is still a big seller. So, when you combine vinyl, Machado’s brand of the mysterious “Aquarius Purple,” and some high-vibing black juju on vinyl, it will sell out in record time. The truth is that vinyl, especially good vinyl, still holds power. The DJs and dance clubs will always make sure of that. For more information and to hear “Blue Diamonds” and “Aquarius Purple,” go quickly to offciialmarcusmachado.com and IG: “Blue Diamonds.”.
