Biography
Little is known about American musician and songwriter Doug Hream Blunt. His sole album, Gentle Persuasion, emerged from a self-recorded effort issued sometime between 1998 and 2000, though he remains unsure of the exact year, and it later fetched exorbitant prices among record collectors over the following decades. His lo-fi yet smooth, hypnotic, laid-back funk approach frequently draws comparisons to the music of Ariel Pink and Dâm-Funk.
Born in Arkansas, he relocated to San Francisco at age seven and spent time throughout California before returning to the Bay Area. An avid record collector, he names Jimi Hendrix and the Whispers as primary influences. He took up the guitar only at 35, receiving formal lessons from music teacher Victor Flaviani, who himself lacked proficiency on the instrument. Flaviani also worked as an amateur recording engineer and producer with his own modest studio. Once Blunt deemed his skills adequate, he composed several songs and informed Flaviani of his wish to create a record.
The seven-track Gentle Persuasion was completed in less than a week at Flaviani's studio, with support from local musicians that included the teacher on vibes, Flaviani's wife on bass, and his sister on backing vocals. After finishing the project, Blunt pressed copies and then held the release for five years without explanation. When he finally chose to issue it, he handled distribution personally through neighborhood record shops before it reached the Los Angeles-based OT Records for a brief CD pressing.
While employed at a local hospital, Blunt performed with area players on the cable access program CITYVISIONS, and footage from those appearances surfaced on YouTube along with the title track from Gentle Persuasion. He later suffered a stroke yet made a full recovery. Afterward he released the EP Big Top and began studying congas and trumpet. In 2015 Luaka Bop issued the first international compilation of his recordings, My Name Is Doug Hream Blunt.
Born in Arkansas, he relocated to San Francisco at age seven and spent time throughout California before returning to the Bay Area. An avid record collector, he names Jimi Hendrix and the Whispers as primary influences. He took up the guitar only at 35, receiving formal lessons from music teacher Victor Flaviani, who himself lacked proficiency on the instrument. Flaviani also worked as an amateur recording engineer and producer with his own modest studio. Once Blunt deemed his skills adequate, he composed several songs and informed Flaviani of his wish to create a record.
The seven-track Gentle Persuasion was completed in less than a week at Flaviani's studio, with support from local musicians that included the teacher on vibes, Flaviani's wife on bass, and his sister on backing vocals. After finishing the project, Blunt pressed copies and then held the release for five years without explanation. When he finally chose to issue it, he handled distribution personally through neighborhood record shops before it reached the Los Angeles-based OT Records for a brief CD pressing.
While employed at a local hospital, Blunt performed with area players on the cable access program CITYVISIONS, and footage from those appearances surfaced on YouTube along with the title track from Gentle Persuasion. He later suffered a stroke yet made a full recovery. Afterward he released the EP Big Top and began studying congas and trumpet. In 2015 Luaka Bop issued the first international compilation of his recordings, My Name Is Doug Hream Blunt.
Albums
