Forest Sun: Video/Press

"A 'Sun' shines through the clouds of music. Forest Sun is a multitalented individual with music in his veins."

"At a different level! I was really impressed."

"Forest Sun once again proves he is not only capable of writing fine new tunes but that he is a man who knows where he's coming from. He seems to have one foot in the future and the other firmly planted in his roots. His voice carries a quiet intensity and a warmth that disarms the listener, while the songs seem fresh and familiar all at the same time. Music played on real instruments by real people...refreshing to say the least...f^%ing great record... and you can quote me."

"Forest Sun's music is full of life—real life, that is. It is joyful, but also poignant, upbeat and at the same time deep and soulful. His cd is a must-have, but a live performance is even better."

"There's a powerful intersect between our own blessed American musical roots and a new spirit-path a-borning all about us. Forest Sun's music is right there on the overlap, getting it just about perfectly. He knows it's not enough for music to just lift spirits, you've got to point in the right direction too. This is music you always wanted someone to make--down-home and Out There & maybe get up and dance around a little too!"

"Forest and his music bring life to anyone who listens. His spirit and voice are a shining gift."

"I love your CD, and am grateful you gave me a chance to look into your eclectic abilities. Stay well...keep a good heart and loads of conviction. You sure have the talent to back it up."

"I was just messing around on garageband.com & came across your music. Just upon listening to a few snippets I could already tell that I would love the entire cd. There are very few artists that produce a cd worthy enough to be able to listen to every song over & over, but I have a feeling that you are one of the lucky ones. You have a very soulful, bluesy sound. It reminds me of a one of those moments when life is so wonderful it's almost indescribable & rarely do you even realize it until the moment is over. I guess I'm just trying to say that your music has substance & soul. You have a new fan. I will definitely spread the news."

"Sometimes a nondescript CD from an unfamiliar artist shows up in the WW offices in a plain plastic clamshell case, devoid of any packaging or promotional material. What's much more rare is when the sounds that rise out of said disc emerge with a fully formed musical vision and immediately resonate soulful authenticity and an effortless cool. Believe me, I don't lightly invoke Van Morrison's name, but that's whose early work came to mind when I first heard Forest Sun, along with more recent reverences like Chris Whitely and Shawn Mullins. It's not every winter's day that a Sun comes up to Portland from down California way/ I, for one, welcome the opportunity to bask in this one's warm glow."

"This Bay area singer/songwriter tromps through Uniontown like a true vagabond - carrying the heart of music in his knapsack - roots, jazz, folk, gospel, soul and speakeasy blues."

"The folksy, soulful approach of this Northern California singer-songwriter has drawn comparisons to the early work of Van Morrison. This Sun seems likely to shine on a path of his own."

"Forest Sun is the real thing. His songs are life affirming and joyful and you can only do that as a songwriter when it's a genuine expression of your heart."

"Maybe the thing not to do when listening to Forest Sun's new record "Plenty" is bother yourself trying to trace the dazzling, sometimes dizzying array of musical genres and traditions mined and ingeniously woven throughout this collection of songs. It's tempting to do, and some folks will certainly succumb to their inner music-geek and make the attempt. If so, they'll have to be on pretty good terms with most of the American music made in the dearly departed 20th century, and have a good bit of international know-how to boot. I think Mr. Sun would agree with me when I say that this sort of exhaustive musicology isn't really the point. Although Forest is a stunning multi-instrumentalist with deep-rooted command over a variety of instruments and styles that find their way onto this record (see the mournful delta slide-guitar of "Plenty" or the irresistible, Latin tinged guitar-hook of "Alchemy" ) he is a songwriter and composer first, and brings his command of so many genres and manifold chops to bare only in service of his songs… there's no jam-band, chops-for-chops sake noodling to be found on "Plenty." Luckily, Forest has enough soul and unaffected, emotional honesty in his song-writing to hold his patchwork of styles happily together.Forest has been compared to Lyle Lovett, Taj Mahal and Ricki Lee Jones among others, and those comparisons seem well-founded, not so much because he sounds much like any of them, but more for an ethic they share -- that each song is an entirely distinct vessel and that it's the songwriter's job to have a broad enough musical palette to fit the peculiar emotional demands of a given "story." Hence, the joyous, clarinet (clarinet!) propelled, speakeasy romp of "My Queen" is absolutely right for the winking, light comedy of the tune, just as greasy Hammond B-3 pads and rock-steady, R&B drumming perfectly buoy the triumphant (and chart-ready) melody of "No Anchor." Special mention must be made of the Indian spiced guitar line that snakes through " Wishing Well," and the exquisite Tabla playing that complements this brooding, ambitious song. Again, though, this is not a "my grandparents went to New Delhi and all they got me was this lousy sitar so I guess I'll use it on my record" moment. Hearing the tune, you automatically can't imagine any other instruments serving as the musical bedding for it's melancholic, hard-gained wisdom. With "Plenty," Forest Sun has achieved a marriage that seems to elude many chasing a similar laurel: that of first-rate, lyrical musicianship and a batch of songs that are damn well worth such heady playing."

"I met Forest during the Tibetan Freedom concert in Amsterdam Holland. I was introduced buy the promoters of the whole show. I was a camera operator who got stuck filming a three-hour outdoor concert without a tripod. Forest helped me wrangle cable for the first few acts then excused him self. To my surprise he appeared on stage to perform a short set. It was fantastic. As a person, he is humble, and straightforward, his music tells stories that immediately deliver you to a highly reflective state. He is a truly talented and very special musician. Give him a chance, let yourself go, you won't regret it."

"Sun's recent album is one of the most sincere and enjoyable albums I have heard in a long time… a mature collection of good songs, sensational performances, and an overall enjoyable atmosphere. I've had the CD in my player for two weeks now and I suspect it will remain there for many weeks to come!"

"There are times when one positively reels at the gross injustices in the world --- poverty, hunger, Middle Eastern tomfoolery, war, reality TV, natural disasters, and the fact that Dave Matthews gets gobs of fawning press and the adoration of fans everywhere while Forest Sun toils under relative obscurity. Who? Exactly. But you read it here first: PLENTY, Sun's newest album, is on eof the best CDs of the year, and no, it really doesn't matter that we're only halfway through the year. Forest Sun (his real name) is a San Francisco based singer/songwriter who others in the press have compared favorably to Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, and Van Morrison. But the comparisons generally end there, as if that were enough. It's not. Sun is all that and a bowl of gravy. By blending soul, blues, jazz, gospel, and a touch of 20th centure "Americana," Forest Sun has managed to carve out a niche that is uniquely his, one which sounds remarkably like all of the above (and a little Keb'Mo' added to the mix) without the unsettling feeling that he's copping others' licks. His is a style of naked, earnest sincerity, with the kind of soul-baring lyrics one expects of someone at least a generation older. What's more, Forest Sun is the consumate musician. Sophomore effort PLENTY features him on -- among other instruments-- both acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, harmonica, and organ; meanwhile, sidemen perform on upright bass, tabla, and sarod. It's an album that simultaneously explores and bends -- and ultimately blurs the lines between -- seemingly disparate genres with ease. But PLENTY isn't just fodder for music geeks (though one could spend hours dissecting it)/ nor is it merely a vehicle for jam-based virtuosity. Rather, it's a singular marriage of lyric beauty and inimitable craftsmanship; a wholly organic work of musical art. If you can't catch Forest Sun and his band live (and, quite frankly, some sort of invasive surgery might be the only legitimate excuse), then at the very least buy PLENTY. Right now. Then immediately drop to your knees and thank the good Lord that musicians like Sun still exist."