MUSIC Boyd Tinsley explores new style

The Dave Matthews Band violinist will release his solo album Tuesday.
By JOHN PATRICK GATTA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
When the Dave Matthews Band plays Blossom Music Center and Post-Gazette Pavilion next week, fans may want to save a little cash when they step up to the merchandise booth. They'll probably need the extra funds to buy a variety of side projects by their favorite artist.
The group's namesake and bassist Stefan Lessard will be releasing solo albums later this year, and drummer Carter Beauford is contributing material to a soundtrack and television show. DMB violinist/ vocalist Boyd Tinsley drops his first when his solo debut, "True Reflections" comes out Tuesday.
"All along, everybody in the Dave Matthews Band figured that there would come a point that we would all go and do solo projects, because everybody comes from so many different musical backgrounds," said Tinsley during a recent telephone interview.
"Everybody was always interested in going back into the studio and playing some of the music that we came from and also exploring musical territory."
Though Matthews has added guest vocals to other albums (Santana, Blue Man Group, Angelique Kidjo), it's a little surprising that Tinsley has taken the lead as far as producing an album's worth of non-DMB related work.
"I felt like I really wanted to write some songs, something that I wanted to do for a long time. Sit down and write a group of songs," Tinsley said.
Don't expect the same
If you notice, the key to his statement is the use of the word songs. While Tinsley has a classically trained background and his serene and abandoned solos provide highlights during DMB concerts, the recorded work bearing his name contains little of his ability to run a bow across a set of strings.
"The whole point of this, we didn't necessarily want to make a violin jam album. That's my primary role in the Dave Matthews Band. I wanted to explore songwriting. I wanted to explore singing and create some other music."
That also meant displaying a sentimental side in his lyrics, a reaction to the events of Sept. 11, 2001. It led to one song called "Perfect World," which he wrote for his two children.
"For a good month, it almost put me in a state of shock. It also got me to some really heavy thinking about what was important in life, just trying to make some sense out of the craziness that was going on. And I think that's why a lot of the songs came up about love, especially that it is the most important thing."
Still, matters that deal with using the power of love to blossom a feeling of positivity around yourself and spread to others are issues that have been on Tinsley's mind for more than a decade. It's just that he never took the time until now to ponder them and bring them into a song.
"To me it was like a turning point," he said, referring to "True Reflections," which he's performed numerous times during past DMB concerts.
"At the time, I was thinking about what direction my life was going in. I was at a crossroads, and that song reflects what I was going through at that time, just a very reflective time. Oddly enough, 12 years later, it still fits in with the other songs that I wrote, not necessarily by design."
Tours
While he plans a solo tour to promote his album this fall, Tinsley's focus remains on DMB's upcoming summer trek across North America. When asked how all the side projects could affect the group, he could view it only optimistically.
"The creed of the band is always take it to the next level, always improve upon the music. We can look on it different ways and make it better.
"This project is an extension of that. This is my way of exploring, individually, as a member, different avenues of music for me -- singing and songwriting and some different styles that I haven't really played in awhile. It's all about developing as a musician and continuing to push music forward."