It’s appropriate that Marcus Alan Ward hails from Cleveland, considering the comparisons the vocalist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist receives to any number of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (and HOF-worthy) artists. References to Prince, Jimi Hendrix, N.E.R.D., D’Angelo and Timbaland are strewn throughout Ward’s press kit like raw diamonds crowding a jeweler’s worktable, and every one of them is well earned and completely deserved.
As evidenced by the artists he’s yard-sticked against, Ward works in a wide variety of styles and directions, incorporating elements of Jazz, Electronica, Synth Pop, R&B, Psychedelia, Hip Hop, Soul and Rock into a sonic concoction he identifies as Progressive Pop. Read more about the artist in this week’s Sound Advice.
See Marcus Alan Ward with Culture Queer Saturday at MOTR Pub. More info/tickets:
motrpub.com .
This article appears in Jan 6-13, 2016.