Doug Wamble was raised in Memphis, TN and has been surrounded by a rich cultural and musical landscape all his life. Doug has always been surrounded by music, from listening to his grandmother play the piano in their Baptist Church to hearing his grandfather sing old-time gospel songs while strumming his guitar. Doug moved to New York after completing two music degrees. He wanted to pursue a career in guitar and composition. Doug made a name for itself in jazz and beyond, appearing on bandstands and recording with artists such as Wynton Marsalis (Norah Jones), Steven Bernstein, Courtney Love and Madeleine Peyroux. Doug released Country Libations (records that were critically acclaimed) and Bluestate (records that were highly praised). He decided it was time to make a shift. Wamble never thought of becoming a singer/songwriter, but he discovered something that resonated with him. I had been a jazz musician for so many years that it was difficult at first to shift my focus and concentrate on songwriting. Also, I had been working on the skills necessary to be able to produce pop music and film-score. So I was able pivot and find new avenues that would keep me feeling the same spark I felt when first getting into jazz.” Doug released his self-titled album in 2009 on Koch/E1 Records. He followed it up with Fast as Years, Slow As Days, a singer/songwriter album on Halcyonic Records. This album was funded by a highly successful PledgeMusic campaign. Wamble said, “I didn’t think I was worthy of crowd funding. But I was overwhelmed by the number of people who wanted to make the record happen.” In 2014, Doug released Rednecktelectual. This all-instrumental recording features Doug’s original compositions, recorded using unconventional recording techniques. The resophonic guitarist is treated like a bass and drum, and the guitar as a piano and a keyboard. The two albums, For Anew (all-acoustic vocal/guitar record of new songs) and The Traveler (acoustic jazz recording of a song cycle commissioned Jazz at Lincoln Center), are both complete and ready for release in 2014. Based on his relationship with Wynton Marsalis which saw him contribute guitar to Ken Burns documentaries such as Prohibition, Unforgivable Darkness and Prohibition, Doug started working as a composer at Burns’ Florentine Films. He collaborated with Ken, Sarah and David McMahon to create the tragic film The Central Park Five. Wamble is currently working on Florentine productions about Jackie Robinson and Vietnam. Doug enjoys producing. You can hear it on Morgan James’ debut album Hunter. Many of the songs were co-written by Doug, and feature a mix of classic soul and modern pop, accompanied by Morgan James’ amazing vocals. “I never imagined I would produce a major-label pop record. But I love the whole process from writing that first note through to mastering day. It’s a great experience to create a real record. Doug has many projects in the future. New duo with Mino Cinelu, renowned percussionist, performances at Lincoln Center, New Orleans, Europe, and around the world with Morgan James, to promote Hunter. From www.dougwamble.com
