Papa Sagg , Producer and Multi Genre Monkey.
Papa Sagg describes his sound as a Ghost on Crack.
Scratch on Lortab,
the Equalizer on Ketamine,
Yellowman on Downers, and
Winston sober.
Papa Sagg grew up among Mexican immigrants and poor whites in the town
of Layton, Utah. A son of warehouse workers and train conductors,
he considers himself a blue
collar Liberal from the land of Zion (Utah's nickname).
Papa Sagg's love for music started at a young age. His mother recalls
him singing and humming to Creedance Clearwater Revival when he was just
a year old. At age 5, he entered a lip sync contest to perform Michael
Jackson's "Rock with You."
His first formal training in music was in middle school and in high
school where he played the clarinet. Once, while joking around with some
friends, he was singing "Lean on Me." The school's choral teacher
overheard him and persuaded him to switch from the clarinet to the
chorus. He also studied music theory in high school and in college.
During the early 90's, Papa Sagg was given an internship at Audio Vision
Studios in Lindon, Utah. It was at the studio, owned former Osmond
drummer, Sam Foster, where he learned to record, produce and edit
musical pieces which made him believe in the magic of the studio and got
him hooked.
Papa Sagg includes his musical influences as David Bromberg, Lee Scratch
Perry, Shuggie Otis,
Tori Amos, Tom Waits, C. Chesnutt, Leonard Cohen, Prince Jazzbo, Elvis
Costello, Papa John Creach, the Wailers, Cymande, Band of Horses, Public
Enemy, Faith No More, Andy Combs and Pink Floyd. "I have always wanted
to sound like Mike Patton of Faith No More. I gave
up trying to copy him, when I found my own sound, However, he was a
major influence early on," he says.
He is intrigued by artists like Lenny Kravitz, Iron and Wine, the
Lightning Seeds, and Lee
Perry who compose and perform every instrument on their albums.
Papa Sagg passed through Ashland when he was around 15 years old while
he was traveling to British Columbia with a buddy. "Eating Samosa in
Lithia Park watching naked hippies
run and dance..I
knew I had found my home," he says.
He returned to live in the area six years ago where he has projects with his band, "The Big Profile" and the Grants Pass legends, "Twenty to Five." He also has production projects with local companies, Jefferson Valley Review and 420 Live Productions.
This summer, Papa Sagg will be a liason for artists and sponsors at the Summer Solstice Jam Fest in Selma, Oregon, on June 20 and 21.
Tickets for the Festival are on sale NOW
"I am committed to bringing artists and musicians together in the area.
And I LOVE this valley!"
Hear more of Papa Sagg at Papa Sagg
