Solo Acoustic – Live at Tempermill
Recording at the Tempermill, in Ferndale, MI
A few folks have been talking to me about recording a cd lately. It’s something that’s on my list of things to do, but I haven’t really had any experience with planning something like this. Fortunately, there are lots of very cool people in the music scene around here that are willing to share their wisdom with a newbie like me. One thing that became apparent recently was that I needed to get a fairly simple demo done.
After spending a few hours at the Tempermill Studio this afternoon, I’ve posted six solo acoustic versions of songs. Some of the songs are new, written in 2008, some are from the past few years. Hopefully all six will find their way into a full CD release in the future. Thanks to Dave Feeny and Jim Kissling for getting me in there and doing such a great job of keeping me productive.
Disclaimer: What you hear on these recordings is what you get. One take of each song, the good with the not so good. No overdubs, no fixes. Just a guy and a guitar in a studio playing music into some really expensive gear.
Hope you like them,
John
Understanding Better Man
Last night I played the song I wrote at Lamb’s Retreat for Songwriters. It’s called Better Man. After the show, Karen mentioned something to me that changed the way I look at this song and feel about it.
During the weekend we were all given a very specific and detailed assignment. Mine had to do with sons. Something I know nothing about for obvious reasons… or so I thought. After struggling to come up with a seed for a song, I laid on my bed and read the assignment over and over and over… hoping it would “take me somewhere” where there was a decent song. The phrase “you’re a better man than I have ever been” was that seed.
After writing the song, I was pleased that I had written something that seemed to make sense, even though I have no sons of my own. It did not seem to be a song born of my own life experience at all. How blind I can be sometimes!
After the show, Karen mentioned that a friend had asked if the song was about me and my dad. *lightbulb* Wow. How did I miss THAT??? After reflecting on that idea for awhile last night I’ve come to think that maybe it does have something to do with the father/son relationship that we had. But, in addition, it also has a bit to do with the relationship I now have with my daughters.
Ain’t music grand?
John
Michigan Music is Alive and Well
Jill Jack Performs at Lamb's Retreat in Harbor Springs. MI
There is an indelible picture of the ceiling of room 1 at the Birchwood Inn in Harbor Springs Michigan stamped in my brain…
Arrived Thursday afternoon after making GREAT TIME. Got settled into the aforementioned room 1 and headed into town to get some dinner at Turkey’s Pizzeria. No, it wasn’t turkey pizza! Right off the bat we had an open mic night and I got to do two songs (Help Me Be Good and Nothin’ All Day). It was a very loose evening of shaking hands and meeting all these new folks that would very soon become my friends.
Friday began with what would soon become a standard feature of the retreat… great FOOD! John made sure we had three square a day. Fuel for the work that was to come! Right after breakfast John let us know who was in charge. We had a meeting downstairs and finished up with our staff “singing for their supper”. These are some incredibly talented folks. The whole “low stress, loosey-goosey” theme was out the window at about 1pm. John gave us our assignments. We had our objective. “SIR, YES SIR!”
I spent the rest of the day attending as many of the seminars as I could, while retreating to my home to lay on my bed and think about my assignment. This would be a common thing for the next 48 hours or so. I’d strum… think. Think… strum. Then I’d lay down and stare at the ceiling for a bit. Who knew that there was so much inspiration in the ceiling of room 1??? Friday ended with me spending a lot of time in that room and finally coming up with a seed for the song that would come later. A verse that I didn’t use and a chorus came out before midnight.
Saturday was, again, spent judiciously using my time between attending seminars and writing (read: staring at the ceiling). After getting a bit more done on the song, I had a private conference with Michael Camp. I was so struck with him as a performer, writer and person that I thought any time spent with him would be like gold. I didn’t bring my guitar or even my song. I just wanted to listen to anything he had to say. And he didn’t disappoint. We even found a few minutes to talk about the song (which was good, because he gave me some very good advice that I needed to hear). John D got us a sweet deal on dinner at Lorenzo’s next door and I stuffed my face with way too much Italian food. Our table was labeled the “kid’s table”. Well, we were the ones that called it that, actually. After dinner we got a real treat! The staff did a concert for us and the townies. It was a packed house and the artists did not disappoint. Jill Jack, Rachael Davis/Brett Hartenback, Michael Camp, Joel Mabus and Karen Mal blew us all away. If JD was trying to inspire us and make us stretch to improve, he hit the nail right on the head. I was stoked. Got back to my room around 11 and continued working on the new song. Tension was building… and the ceiling was running out of ideas.
Got to sleep in a bit on Sunday morning. After another nutritional breakfast/brunch I bailed and played through the song one last time. After taking a moment to lay down and talk to the ceiling one last time, I made that last walk from my room to the Fireside Room (think: Green Mile)… guitar in hand and heart in throat. We started at 10am and I found my place in the rotation. Sitting on the sofa (on-deck circle) waiting to play is not unlike waiting to be executed, I would think. The terror was palpable. My hands went cold and sweaty. I wondered if I would remember ANYTHING! I did. And one of over 35 songs was born in that room today… most of them written by Michigan artists. We have a sound, my friends. It is a Michigan sound. And I am delighted to be a small part of that sound.
After the presentation of the songs, I said goodbye to my new friends. Then I walked back to my room, packed and laid down one last time on the bed and said “thank you” to the ceiling in room 1.
Thank you John, the staff, the food folks and my fellow campers. This was an experience I will never forget.
Hope to see you all again soon,
John
p.s. Thanks to Dalis Allen, producer of the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas for being a part of this weekend. She had some very inspiring words for us on Friday morning. Not to mention the fact that I won a trip to the festival this summer…
One Can Only Hope
Drew Nelson and Sam Corbin at the Trinity House
This post has nothing to do with my music, but, at the same time, has everything to do with it. Saw recently that Sam Corbin was playing with Drew Nelson at the Trinity House Theater so I thought of going. I’ll be sharing a stage with Sam at the White Crow in February and really wanted to catch a show of his (and meet him). At the exact same time I was kicking around the idea, Craig Carrick dropped me a line to put a boot in my butt to go. Craig is very persuasive.
Sam and his drummer, Billy Harrington did a great opening set, finishing with my favorite, Kalamazoo. He also did a great rendition of Ray Lamontagne’s Jolene. Immediately after his set, Drew Nelson came up with a banjo and started in with Sam on electric backup.
Drew Nelson is the real deal, my friends. This guy can play, sing, do the banter and flat out “perform”! What a great treat. I always feel like an idiot when I say things like that, because there are probably tons of people who have known this guy for years. Ah, well. Drew finished with a very cool and unique version of Hallelujah. Totally unique.
During the evening, I got to shake hands with a number of folks. Billy Brandt was there. I got to meet Craig Carrick and John Milroy. Not to mention my girls Ann and Kathy from the Tuesday Solid Grounds open mic! And, yes, I got to meet Sam Corbin. We chatted briefly right after the show. Very cool guy. Looking forward to keeping in touch with him.
What a great evening. I cannot believe that was my first time at the Trinity House. Hopefully the first of many, many shows. Maybe even play there someday! One can only hope.
Night,
J
