The cliché is that you have to be a kid to make a dent these days in the music industry. Raspin Stuwart is the exception to that rule. At 53, after 28 years of running a publishing empire that produced two of Los Angeles’ most beloved monthlies, Boulevard and Gorgeous, he’s retired to finally focus on his true love: music. And he’s making some serious waves. Not only is he selling out shows around Los Angeles, he’s also been picked up by Starbucks to be a featured artist. A tremendously soulful singer and songwriter who has been described in recent reviews as a “force of nature” who is “in the business of showstopping,” he’s also a humble and warmly humorous man who is presently bringing his music to the attention of the public in a variety of ways. As a magazine publisher, he was known to make connections within diverse pockets of the L.A. population, so that the appeal of his magazines crossed over a multitude of cultures and attitudes.
Now he’s bringing that same savvy to the problem of how a musician gets his music heard in the chaotic context of modern times. It all starts with the tried and true: live performance, connecting directly with people and giving them a needed respite from the everyday cavalcade of electronic entertainment.
“It’s all about the people,” he said, “about building your fan-base. It’s about connecting. The thing people talk about most is a feeling of love, of compassion and forgiveness.” His recent sold-out live shows in Los Angeles have reflected this conviction, garnering critical raves for both his performance and his songwriting, rare in this city of jaded critics, and generating an ever-expanding audience for this singular artist.
Raspin has one solo album in release, the critically acclaimed We Do What We Do. If you are the kind of listener who prefers albums that don’t stray too far from a single style and tone, you won’t like this one. But if you long for those days when albums could possess a veritable rainbow of musical styles, embracing folk, jazz, blues, gospel, rock and soul all at once, then you’ll love this, his debut.
Recently, Raspin has succeeded in capturing the attention of Starbucks, who have evidently recognized that his style of soulfully seasoned folk is ideal for their stores. Several of his songs are now in constant rotation, along with that of other musical luminaries, on their daily broadcasts, which are heard in more than 16,000 Starbucks around the world. Not a bad way to get your music to the public. When he does something, he does it big.
Raspin’s the rare modern man, one who diverged from his dream to build an empire – miraculously producing two healthy magazines in one of the most perilous periods ever for print journalism – only to return to that dream after nearly three decades with a genuinely infectious spirit that is drawing people of all ages to his music. He’s a guy with a golden touch, and that he’s applying that magic to music at this time is lucky for us all. www.raspin.com
Raspin will be performing in San Diego on June 14 at 9:00 p.m. at Lestat’s. Details below.
