"Visionary" New Music from Michael Hewett & His New Album "Ally" - Sort of Radiohead meets Michael Hedges meets Aaron Copeland meets Pink Floyd. Just Don't Call Him "New Age"! FASHIONTRIBES LIFESTYLE BLOG

As an avowed drifter & dilettante, I've always envied those types who knew what they wanted to do since they were knee-high.

Like Michael Hewett.

Starting with clarinet & piano at the age of ten, the little whippersnapper soon graduated from Bach, Gershwin & Debussy to Jimi Hendrix, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai & Van Halen, wielding a $50 guitar from Sears and an old radio receiver hooked up to a car stereo speaker. After a stint as one of the youngest musical genius-types at the Berklee College of Music, he graduated & like many artists, ended up in NYC.

Unlike many of us artists milling about & posing in Gotham, the Brooklyn-based Hewett has actually spent his time producing art - Hidden in Plain Sight in 2000 featuring solo acoustical guitar compositions, the critically acclaimed Being in Dreaming in 2002 on the Dharma Moon label, and this year's Ally which showcases a melange of guitars - electric, acoustic, bass & flamenco - and cello. He's also the lead guitar for the hit Broadway musical Wicked & has appeared on Public Radio International's show Echoes & on Sirius Satellite Radio.

Reluctant to have his work labeled as "New Age" (& I can't say I blame him), Hewett describes his vibe as more "visionary" - kind of like the lovechild of Radiohead, Aaron Copeland, Michael Hedges & Pink Floyd. "It connects on the intellectual level, the visceral level & the heart level," he explains. "There's not so many lyrics so it's open to interpretations; a deep interaction space instead of paint-by-numbers telling people what to think."

Check out his stuff for yourself at MichaelHewett.com or these handy MP3 snippets posted below for your listening pleasure.

- Lesley

Michael Hewett's Arya: 
Michael Hewett's Arya - MP3 File

Michael Hewett's Cassiopeia:
Michael Hewett's Cassiopeia - MP3 File

Michael Hewett's You Won't Let Anybody Down:
Michael Hewett's You Won't Let Anybody Down - P3 File

Fashiontribes Music Michael Hewett Ally Hidden in Plain Sight Being in Dreaming Dharma Moon Wicked Lifestyle