Awkward kid turned garage band drummer turned bluegrass mandolin player turned singer/songwriter, Chris Lee Becker creates tunes that make the listener both laugh and cry before the fadeout. A fan of the human condition and a bit of a cynic, Becker’s stories are bittersweet, tongue-in-cheek and sometimes below-the-belt teary-eyed tales born from fact and fiction. Producer Jared Tyler refers to Becker as “the best unknown songwriter in Oklahoma” and folks who have heard Imaginary Friends just might agree. Some of his songs are overtly political (“Folk Singers”) and some are overtly accusatory (“Banker’s Blues”). Others are just caricatures of people with stories deserving to be heard (“Bill & Sue”, “One Eyed Suzie”). Some are boldly honest (“Dinosaurs”, “If There’s a God”) and the rest, well, you just gotta hear them. Tulsa and the rest of Oklahoma have no lack of talented musicians and a gaggle of them appear on the new CD. Monica Taylor, Cooper Waugh, Gene Williams, Michael Staub, Jeff Coleman, Jay Lesikar, Alex Adams, Bo Hallford, Kabe Cornell, Travis Fite, Andrew Bones, Thomas Trapp and, of course, Jared Tyler can all be heard on the tracks doing what they do best. The music draws influence from Folk, Bluegrass, Americana, the Tulsa Sound (and more!) creating a melting pot of sound and a well-rounded recording. Jared Tyler has an extensive and impressive resume that has pigeon-holed him as one of the best in the producing biz here in Oklahoma and beyond. His vision, accompanied by Becker’s creations, has turned into an extremely listenable album that might just become a cult classic or a staple of most folks’ Folk collections. Becker was featured on the Horton Record collections New Tulsa Sound Volume 1 and New Tulsa Folks and has continued the relationship with the release of the full-length Imaginary Friends. Captained by Brian Horton, Horton Records is a non-profit label based out of Tulsa with a mission to spread the incredible local music scene all over the world. And they’re doing a bang-up job so far. Becker is honored to be a part of the Horton Records family.