D. R. Commander

As a keyboardist, D. R. Commander's approach is decidedly non-traditional and borrows from string players like Earl Scruggs and Mark Knopfler as well as from keyboard greats like Bruce Hornsby, Billy Payne, Jon Cleary, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Steve Winwood, Jackson Browne, Ray Charles, and Donald Fagen. As a singer/songwriter, he is further inspired by artists such as Paul Simon, Gordon Lightfoot, Waylon Jennings, and Bruce Springsteen. A seasoned and versatile performer, Commander is equally as comfortable belting out songs in an intimate solo keyboard setting as he is rocking them out with a full band. He often performs songs in different styles based on the mood of a particular performance.

While his musical style is not easily categorized, to Commander, it seems like a perfectly natural product of his many diverse musical experiences. From teaching himself the piano at age 7 by playing along with country and pop radio stations in his home town of Beaumont, Texas to playing trumpet with the University of Houston Jazz Ensemble, music-- in one form or another-- was always an integral part of his young life. After college, Commander played piano professionally in the Houston jazz, swing, and R&B scene for four years before moving to Austin. He spent over two decades in Austin honing his keyboard and songwriting skills with various bands, including jazz fusion quintet The Harmony Theory, R&B/funk powerhouse Akina Adderley & the Vintage Playboys (whose first album contains two of Commander's songs), veteran jam band Flounders Without Eyes, Austrian-American "Viking Blues" band Ulrich Ellison & Tribe, Americana jam band Rhythmic Statues, and-- perhaps most notably-- Grammy winner Peter Rowan's all-electric band "Twang an' Groove." On occasion, Commander has also lent his keys to a variety of other artists, including the legendary Arthur Brown. In addition to performing as a singer/songwriter, Commander also currently performs with his Asheville-based New Orleans-inspired R&B/funk trio Commander Voodoo.