Lehigh Valley musician Brett Andrew will perform some of his “lost” music during a show June 19 at Vic’s Jazz Loft, located at the Stabin Museum, West Broadway, Jim Thorpe.

Andrew, living in North Whitehall, recently “started digging into old recordings. It’s amazing how much time I’ve put into this craft without really bringing anything to fruition.”

“It’s also difficult to dig into the archives,” he continued, “when I’m hearing new ideas in my head on a regular basis.”

Andrew will play an “eclectic mix of styles with elements of smooth jazz, psychedelic rock, dark blues and Americana catered to suit the chill ‘in the round’ vibe of Vic’s.”

An ensemble will accompany Andrew, a member of retro funk-soul band Hunkajunk and spin-off folk-soul-pop duo/trio Honey & Nutz, at Vic’s. The ensemble consists of: Justine Williams, vocals; Egan Miller, drums; Dylan Walker, bass; and Adam Ahuja, piano.

Motivation

The motivation behind the Vic’s show “is to rekindle a fire that has been smoldering for too long,” said Andrew, set for a Honey & Nutz show tonight at Jim Thorpe’s Broadway Grille. “Just a low-key Thursday night with some good friends exploring my lost art.”

Born in Bethlehem, Andrew grew up with a piano in the house and a dad who occasionally strummed a few chords on a guitar. However, “listening to vinyl records in stereo with a pair of headphones was fascinating.”

What struck Andrew “were the sound recordings; arrangements, instrumentation, sonic choices producers were making. I can appreciate almost anything that was well crafted.”

Andrew, starting with a cassette deck, played around with recording devices prior to learning an instrument. He remembers “the first time I heard my voice played back; it was horrifying and sometimes still is. But it began a lifelong pursuit to create and capture.”

How the music started

Around age 8, Andrew briefly took piano lessons. He then started learning guitar and acquiring instruments and equipment, later playing his first gig — a mix of popular hard rock covers and similar original music — at 13 in the early 1990s.

After graduating from high school and a vocational-technical program, Andrew migrated to Schuylkill County as a freelance carpenter and built a home studio. He experimented on his own, later tracking demos for regional musicians. He also started performing locally.

Signing a deal

In 2006, Andrew moved to the Philadelphia area. He and a friend ran a product production facility, signing aspiring artists and regional bands to fledgling label Fuzztone Records.

Fuzztone released the first two albums by bluegrass/dirt-rock/folk band Free Range Folk and an album by roots-rock reggae band The Mighty Manatees. Andrew occasionally performs with the former and will perform with the latter in early July.

In May 2010, Andrew received a call from the production manager of gospel/soul/funk act Robert Randolph and The Family Band. The group sought a guitarist/keyboardist for an upcoming tour, with Andrew scheduled for an audition the following week.

A month later, Andrew — with cover bands and loads of solo gigs to his credit — performed at the Hollywood Bowl and, a few days later, “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”

Andrew’s absence, though, damaged the record label. Despite his attempts to maintain artist development and record on his time off, “the writing was on the wall. Several artists bought out of their contracts and we closed up shop.”

During his five years with Randolph and The Family Band, Andrew also performed on Jimmy Fallon and David Letterman late-night shows, plus “Live with Kelly and Michael” and the U.K.’s “Later … with Jools Holland.”

A world traveler

The multi-instrumentalist, whose upcoming gigs include Funk Fest in Saylorsburg and Musikfest in Bethlehem, has performed in 48 U.S. states multiple times. He has also played all over Europe, Australia, India, Indonesia and Japan.

Andrew left The Family Band in 2015, at which time he returned to the Lehigh Valley. As a performing musician, he reestablished himself in the place he called home 20 years prior.

Right before moving out of the Philadelphia studio, Andrew “hired or brought in some friends to record as much as I could. That’s where it stopped until recently.”

Andrew has “probably completed upwards of 100 songs, most of which I later abandoned, as tastes and styles changed, as well as my abilities.” An album never materialized, as Andrew “never felt I had 10 or 12 songs that belonged together.”

In addition, the musician “may have been too aware too soon for my own good. Realizing there is always room for improvement. Crippling self-doubt, I suppose.”

While Andrew “didn’t think it would take nearly a decade, now that we are established in the region as performers, I intend to focus once again on writing and recording.”

Andrew, who always wanted to create a catalog of recordings for licensing, “will likely continue to perform until I fall over.” In the meantime, he has advice for aspiring artists.

“Don’t die with your music still inside. And don’t buy an old farmhouse that needs a decade’s worth of work.”