The passion and mythology behind the blues speaks to different people in different ways, but nearly every person that crosses paths with it's powerful voice are affected. For Deron "doctor d" Reynolds, first introductions to the music came from his father's record collection which were filled with blues and R & B greats like Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Creedence Clearwater Revival. His favorite movie growing up and still today: The Blues Brothers. The first song (other than classical music) he
ever played live: Burning Love by Elvis Presley. And yet, he never really got into playing the music until his college years.

While studying at the University of Washington in Seattle, he forged friendships with some local blues artists, and ended up playing piano with a band at the invitation of one of these friends. To help with his education, this friend supplied Deron with cassette tapes and CD's full of Elmore James, Muddy Waters, Son House and others that he'd never heard before ..... and before he realized it, Deron was hooked. It was a musical epiphany, and for the first time in his life, he found himself completely comfortable and in love with what he played. He trained himself, mostly by ear, how to play the riffs that he liked, and with his background in classical music he soon learnt and understood jazz theory and chord progression. This unusual background helped him to develop a unique playing style that audiences loved.

After graduation, he travelled across the Pacific to Osaka, Japan, and quickly began hanging out with Kobe area blues musicians, including members of the popular blues band "Yukadan." He began solo shows almost immediately, playing pop piano classics by Billy Joel, Elton John and The Beatles to name just a few, and sprinkling in classic jazz standards and the blues. His high pitch, whiney voice is reminiscent of original blues artists like Leroy Carr or the legend himself, Robert Johnson. But because Deron learns all his songs by ear, you will hear him changing his voice and persona from song to song, depending on which version of that song he is imitating. In fact, it is sometimes difficult to know where this imitation starts and Deron's original voice begins.

Deron's professional piano playing career took huge leaps and bounds when he joined Giza Studio in Osaka Japan as part of their production staff. At studio parties, he was blessed with opportunities to play and jam with the Mai Kuraki live band, "experience," B'z guitarist Tak Matsumoto and the legendary blues artist Kondo Fusanousuke. He played keyboards and piano in the studio for several of the label's artists, and played live with the band "The Tambourines." This experience helped push his performances to new levels, and gave him a new title he was proud to use: "professional musician."

And so, as Deron continues to burn up clubs with his play, his legend continues to grow in the Osaka area. To see his show, just look for his nickname, "doctor d," which was given to him by Kobe blues artists in reverence to the New Orleans artist Doctor John. They say that Deron has a striking resemblence in both appearance and playing style to this music legend, but Deron prefers to let the audience be the judge. After all, to him it's just a nickname, and the music, well, it always speaks for itself.


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