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Hewitt: Thank you. I feel that I have an affinity for this style, and because I can't sing or write lyrics, I wanted to find my “voice” on the guitar. Latin/ World allows me to do anything I want from using exotic scales and time signatures to showcasing the guitar, all under one heading. I knew at some point I was going to make this CD (“Bajo el Sol”), and when my last rock band broke up, the time seemed right to move forward with this project.
KP: When did take the backpacking trip through Europe and the Asia? How long were you out?
Hewitt: The first trip was in '96. I backpacked for six weeks, starting in London and ending up in Athens with all points in between. In '99, I spent fifteen days in Egypt traveling down the Nile River and then taking a plane to Abu Simbel and the Pyramids. In '02, I went to China for three weeks. I was based in Beijing for two of those weeks, then four days traveling down the Yangtze River. That was before the dam was completed and was flooded. I spent the last couple of days in Hong Kong. In '05, I went to Turkey for fourteen days. I try to take a big trip every three years or so, and I'm way overdue (ha).
KP: Did you just strap your guitar to your back and go?
Hewitt: I used to take my guitar, but with the last couple of trips, I needed a physical and mental break from my normal routine.
KP: On your website, you said you had the opportunity to jam with musicians while traveling. Did you just sit in on sessions or how did you find other musicians to play with?
Hewitt: Every place I went, I would go to a music store that sold instruments indigenous to that region. There's always at least one player just hanging out and willing to jam. I would also seek out cafes and restaurants with live music, like the places I used to play in Dallas, and when I found good players, I would talk to them between sets or after the show and set something up.
KP: How did that experience affect your music?
Hewitt: It affected everything: how I play, how I approach writing music, how I use various instruments, and how I want my music to sound overall. Now, with the internet and YouTube, it's a little easier to discover music from around the world, but back then, to hear and see it for the first time was amazing. The possibilities seemed endless for doing something that was familiar and different at the same time.
KP: Are you working on a new CD? If so, what will it be like?
Hewitt: I'm going to do a Christmas CD next. I realize that there are hundreds of Christmas CDs and a dozen or so that are in the nuevo flamenco style, so my producer (Bob Parr) and I are going to try to push the boundaries as much as we can and present something new to something that's very old. I'll have a new original CD out the first part of next year. I'm going to continue to explore musical stylings from around the world and make them my own. I have already written a Tango, Milonga, a song in 11/16 time signature, and a song using the Hindu scale. I'll definitely be bringing in a lot more exotic instruments and guest players as well.
KP: Are you doing much touring?
Hewitt: I would like to get to that point. Right now, I'm playing shows and festivals for some of the radio stations that are playing my music along with a bunch of local gigs. We're setting things up for next summer as well as some Europe and Indonesia dates.
KP: Do you currently play mostly in the Dallas area?
Hewitt: I have a steady gig every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, plus four booking agents that deal with private parties and events in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.
KP: How many guitars do you own?
Hewitt: Probably too many! ha. In total, I have about twenty guitars and basses plus exotic instruments. For the most part, they all have a purpose for live playing or studio work, but it wouldn't hurt to get rid of a few.
KP: Do you usually perform with a band or solo?
Hewitt: 90% of the time it's a four-piece band with two guitars, bass and drums. When I do bigger shows or festivals I'll add a percussionist and a violinist. Sometimes with private parties they only want a duo or trio, which is fine. The beauty of this style of music is that it works with any combination of players and instruments.
KP: Who do you consider to be your biggest musical influences?
Hewitt: It's hard to say. I feel that as musicians we are an accumulation of everything we learn, even if it's subconscious. For example: when I saw a country guitar player do “banjo rolls,” I had to learn them. I would then woodshed until I learned to do it and then move on to the next thing. After twenty years, there's a lot of stuff floating around in my head. ha. The trick seems to be what to do with all that information.
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