Rusty Zinn’s talents run deep. He’s a soul-satisfying singer, a guitar maestro of the first order, and an insightful and thought-provoking songwriter. Still, having established himself from his youth as a top-shelf blues player and soul/R&B singer touring and recording with a virtual ‘who’s who’ of legends from these genres, and even after being nominated for the very prestigious W.C. Handy Award, Zinn found himself looking for more, both musically and spiritually. Most artists, having discovered a niche that meets the approval of fans and critics alike, are reluctant to alter the course. Such is not the case with Rusty Zinn who, always following his heart, sensed that he wasn’t at a destination point but rather at the beginning of his musical journey, and followed the path to his deep-rooted passion for reggae.
Rusty is inspired by such Jamaican vocal legends as Joe Higgs, Alton Ellis, Jimmy Cliff, Delroy Wilson, and Slim Smith, as well as guitarists Tony Chin, Earl “Chinna” Smith and Mikey Chung – and credits Joe Higgs and Clinton Fearon as having a profound influence on his approach to crafting a song. Rusty wisely uses these influences as a base for his own eloquent expression of the form. In keeping with his belief of nurturing the human element in reggae music, he records and performs with real people playing real instruments. In his own words, “reggae is music for the heart and soul – something that can’t be captured by a drum machine”. He also feels that reggae is a music where the message is the most important ingredient. “To me the vocals should be in the forefront so people can hear the message. It could be about the love for a woman or the love for Jah, but no matter what the story is, it needs to be heard”.
