The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Musicians cut unique paths in pursuit of craft
A Hartford veteran jazz bassist who blended into the jam band world. A rapper from Trinidad and Tobago who relied on rap to find comfort in a new country. An up-and-coming musician who mixes multiple genres to define herself as a musician. These three Connecticut artists are tied together by one thing: their passion for creating music.
Born and raised in Hartford, Dezron Douglas, a jazz bassist, went from playing bass at church with his brothers and father to becoming a Grammynominated artist. Douglas produced Brandee Younger’s debut record, “Somewhere Different,” which received a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Composition in 2022.
Music has been a part of Douglas’ life since he was born. He started playing bass guitar at church thanks to his father, Pastor Alton Douglas. He learned how to read music and play the tuba at Duffy Elementary School in Hartford.
“The Black church is very influential in regards to the arts and literature,” he said. “I was blessed to learn about music at both school and at church. Those same qualities I learned growing up, I still practice and excel on today.”
Around the age of 14, Douglas got the “bug” to learn jazz, he said. He became obsessed with the history of jazz in Hartford. At 18, Douglas met jazz saxophonist Jackie McLean and said it changed his life, furthering his obsession. Douglas studied at the Hartt School at the University of Hartford and was McLean’s student.
“There’s so much jazz, gospel and soul history in Hartford,” he said. “It’s funny because he [McLean] would visit my great uncle’s home and I just thought he was some guy who would sit and play the piano,” he said.
Douglas is known for his work with Pharoah Sanders, Ravi Coltrane, Cyrus Chestnut, David Murray and others. In 2021, he joined the Trey Anastasio Band, an offshoot of the band Phish. He has recorded more than 100 albums, released six albums as a lead artist and teaches Jazz Studies at New York University.
“I owe it all to the music scene in Hartford,” he said.
Rapper Dion O’Joe, who goes by Pseudo Black, also owes his success to the local music scene, he said. O’Joe was introduced to the rap and hiphop world when he moved to Brooklyn from Trinidad and Tobago at the age of 12.
“I would look up Biggie [rapper Notorious B.I.G.] videos on YouTube and was really hooked on his style and flow,” O’Joe said. Before you know it, I was walking 45 minutes to 50 Cent’s ‘The Massacre’ and fell in love with the hip hop scene.”
O’Joe and his family later moved to Waterbury. In high school, he played football and received a partial scholarship to play at Southern Connecticut State University, studying sports management. But music never left his mind.
“Music was and still is my diary,” O’Joe said. “Creating music and being able to rap about my struggles and the ups and downs in trying to make it, keeps me going.”
Waterbury rapper Mark Dubb asked O’Joe to hop on a track and in 2009, he released his first project, “Mindset,” under the stage name “Dojo.”
The rapper said following his passion is still a challenge. He moved to California in 2021 with an unsteady income. O’Joe works hand-in-hand with other artists like Connecticut’s Nocturnal and Maine’s John X Smith. The trio moved to California together to pursue their dreams. O’Joe said if it weren’t for going to SCSU, he would not have met his team.
“We are solo artists that work together. We all moved out here together to pursue the same thing,” O’Joe said. “Everything is a collective idea between the three of us. It’s easier when you have a team.”
O’Joe collaborated with rapper Jadakiss in September 2022.
“I was spamming everyone’s DM’s [direct messages] on Instagram for a collaboration,” he said. “We chatted a bit and he agreed to doing an intro for a song, which left me with $23 to my name.”
Over time, his music has evolved to focus on his everyday life.
“I rap more about pain, struggle, maturity. And having to juggle it all while still raising a family in a different state,” he said. “My music is much more relatable than it was when I lived a comfortable life in Connecticut.”
New Haven native Keila Myles knows about juggling responsibilities. She gave up her career as a dental assistant to pursue her music full-time while being a mother of two.
“I ended up leaving my job. It was the highest-paying job I ever had,” Myles said.
The 30-year-old musician wanted to have a life that was rewarding and do something she loved. Myles was exposed to music at a very young age and said she is inspired by artists like Jay-Z, Billy Joel and Bobby Womack, thanks to her father. At first, she was shy and didn’t want her family to know she could sing, but became more comfortable expressing herself in high school.
“I love music. I love art. I grew up on all sorts of music,” Myles said. “When I hear myself, it sounds like me, but it’s a blend of everything I’ve been exposed to.”
She released her first album, titled “Just Add Water,” in 2015. It features a mix of rap, pop, rock, jazz, soul and R&B. Aside from her solo performances, she also plays with a band called the “Moose Knuckles.”
“I want to be part of the innovation of music and introducing cross-pollinating genres,” she said. Myles is currently working on her second album and released a single in 2020 titled “Love As Is.” She plans for her albums to be a trilogy.
“I still have been writing, working and performing this entire time, but it has just been a really slow move to release this second project,” Myles said.
Myles said that in her experience, older men are often the ones in charge of giving newer artists record deals.
Aside from the Nutmeg State, she has performed in New York, New Jersey and California. Outside of music, Myles advocates for young Black individuals to respect themselves and always ask for what they want.
“Respect your craft, trust your instincts, respect your intuition and advocate for yourself. Don’t be afraid to say no,” Myles said. “Stand your ground; if you say ‘no,’ stick to it.”