Shuggie Otis Interviewed By The Nashville Scene

Shuggie Otis is on tour and performing tonight at the Exit/In in Nashville, TN, and took some time to answer questions from the Nashville Scene. Here is part of the interview:

Q: What did your father teach you about the blues?

A: That “feel” is the most important. You can play all the right notes with the wrong feel, and it won’t sound right. On the other hand, you can play the “wrong” note with the right feel and make it work. That might sound confusing, but if I played what I meant, it would make sense.

Q: You were self-producing your own records in the ’70s, about 30 years before that became a typical thing. What was the toughest part of that?

A: Convincing everyone else I could do it. HAHAHA! My father believed in me once he saw me in the studio and saw how serious I was. It took some convincing to make other people understand how clearly I knew what I wanted to achieve in the studio.

Read more from the Shuggie Otis interview at Nashville Scene.