The Music Clicked
For guitarist Asher Brinson, music is important to this young artist and according to his website “it wasn’t until a Doc at 100 show at a Billy Strings concert in 2023 that everything clicked — and Asher was all in.”
Brinson began playing bluegrass, but soon Brinson crossed paths with legendary flatpicker Wayne Henderson, who became a mentor and friend and even built the young musician a rare left-handed guitar. Since then, Brinson has since shared stages at MerleFest, the Wayne C. Henderson Festival, and IBMA.
Jupiter Index: Many of the songs on your recent seasonal release have a Bluegrass feel – do you have a sense of where the melodies come from with this release?
Asher Brinson: That’s a tough question, as all of the songs are different, but for example with Queen Anne’s Waltz, I just sat down with my guitar and played what I felt.
JI: Many of your tracks on this release are moving — talk about how the tune “Jesus Delivered Today” came about for you?
AB: We wanted to write a gospel song about a major event in my life, and we decided on the story of my birth. I know it was very important to my whole family because of how impactful it was, so I thought it was a story that needed to be told.
JI: How do you think your songwriting has evolved over the course of this record?
AB: These are the first songs that I have written, and I feel like I’ve learned to write more about real things in my life.
Jupiter Index: If you were alone on a desert island which five CDs would you need to have with you and why those LPs/CDs?
AB: - Keith Whitley’s Greatest Hits - I just love his voice and style of country.
- The David Grisman Quintet Album - I love the music and how emotional it is.
- Kind of Blue by Miles Davis - It’s a standard jazz album and I love the songs on it.
- In Between Dreams by Jack Johnson - I love the stories and vibe of his songs, it’s also somewhat nostalgic for me.
- Doc and the Boys album - I would just have to have a Doc album, and that one is my favorite!
JI: Where do you feel the drive comes from to keep expanding your musical palette?
AB: Really just being open to trying all kinds of music, and really truly giving it a chance when it comes to listening and playing it. I’ve been really into 80’s-90’s country lately, and I remember a time where I didn’t like it very much at all.
JI: Singing seems as natural as breathing for you – what can people expect from your upcoming performances?
AB: I think people can expect me to do some more experimenting with different genres as I try to settle into what’s right for me. I love bluegrass and it is what gave me my love for music, but that doesn’t mean I’m dead set on playing that genre only.
by G.M. Burns
Brinson began playing bluegrass, but soon Brinson crossed paths with legendary flatpicker Wayne Henderson, who became a mentor and friend and even built the young musician a rare left-handed guitar. Since then, Brinson has since shared stages at MerleFest, the Wayne C. Henderson Festival, and IBMA.
Jupiter Index: Many of the songs on your recent seasonal release have a Bluegrass feel – do you have a sense of where the melodies come from with this release?
Asher Brinson: That’s a tough question, as all of the songs are different, but for example with Queen Anne’s Waltz, I just sat down with my guitar and played what I felt.
JI: Many of your tracks on this release are moving — talk about how the tune “Jesus Delivered Today” came about for you?
AB: We wanted to write a gospel song about a major event in my life, and we decided on the story of my birth. I know it was very important to my whole family because of how impactful it was, so I thought it was a story that needed to be told.
JI: How do you think your songwriting has evolved over the course of this record?
AB: These are the first songs that I have written, and I feel like I’ve learned to write more about real things in my life.
Jupiter Index: If you were alone on a desert island which five CDs would you need to have with you and why those LPs/CDs?
AB: - Keith Whitley’s Greatest Hits - I just love his voice and style of country.
- The David Grisman Quintet Album - I love the music and how emotional it is.
- Kind of Blue by Miles Davis - It’s a standard jazz album and I love the songs on it.
- In Between Dreams by Jack Johnson - I love the stories and vibe of his songs, it’s also somewhat nostalgic for me.
- Doc and the Boys album - I would just have to have a Doc album, and that one is my favorite!
JI: Where do you feel the drive comes from to keep expanding your musical palette?
AB: Really just being open to trying all kinds of music, and really truly giving it a chance when it comes to listening and playing it. I’ve been really into 80’s-90’s country lately, and I remember a time where I didn’t like it very much at all.
JI: Singing seems as natural as breathing for you – what can people expect from your upcoming performances?
AB: I think people can expect me to do some more experimenting with different genres as I try to settle into what’s right for me. I love bluegrass and it is what gave me my love for music, but that doesn’t mean I’m dead set on playing that genre only.
by G.M. Burns
