Congrats Allison!

Steady Heart was nominated for Best Contemporary Album by Just Plain Folks Boy a recognized just a small percentage of names in these lists... I better get listening.

Seven Bridges, Seven Tales

In seven minutes, seven miles breeze by
To my right, the old road beckons
Seven bridges, and seven stories
For my delight, if I just listen.

Lizzy,
Lizzy paid no attention to crickets
But that gun shot made her jump.
Crazy Bill McGilvary shouted
“Dem swamp rattlers!
Liz listen up next time
They sound just like crickets!”







7 minutes, 7 miles
7 bridges, 7 tales.



Davey,
Davey just had an itch to fish
But he had chores galore.
Ma’s fresh pie served as a bribe
And little Jim, he won’t mind
He’ll do the chores just fine
While he finds time to fish.






7 minutes, 7 miles
7 bridges, 7 tales.



Joanie
Joanie had a hankerin for fun
Like a red shouldered hawk
She swooped in on Henry
“Kee Year” she mimicked.
In the bottomland grass,
She rolled with her new hun.





7 minutes, 7 miles
7 bridges, 7 tales.


Billy,
Billy cursed that bridge from hell.
Clinton embossed the back of his neck
As he hung motionless from the A frame.
Damn riverboat gamblers
Took his life savings
So he hung there a spell.








7 minutes, 7 miles
7 bridges, 7 tales.



Tommy,
Tommy never really came back
So he made these swamps his home.
Nam killed more than his hearing
He lost trust in people
They say the lost site of him
As waded out in the river named Black.








7 minutes, 7 miles
7 bridges, 7 tales.

Ritchie
Ritchie mumbled “How did this happen?
Rental piece of shit,” but he hated flying.
Aw a strawberry stand, and a latin beauty.
“Two bits for sweet carazon.”
“Precious what’s your name”
“Oh they call me Donna”






7 minutes, 7 miles
7 bridges, 7 tales.


Albert,
Albert was nineteen in 1865
At the Spanish Fort battle in ‘Bama.
He was 90 when they laid him down
Four miles from the bridge
He and Rynert used to fish
Sure wished he would have survived.










In seven minute, seven miles breezed by
To my right, the old road beckoned
Seven bridges, and seven stories
For your delight, if you listened.





by Dave Zeman (c) 2009 Rose Riversongs





Story behind the song can be read at http://songwriting202.blogspot.com

Photo Credits

Swamp Rattler -massasauga, Red Shouldered Hawk, Historical Marker, Ritchie Valens, Green Mound Cemetary, Bridges & Swamp, Riverboat Gambler

Becky Schlegel Friday July 17th

Yes... It's confirmed and with my shortest time to promote... less than a month to tell you this lady, Becky Schlegel who sings as clear as Allison Krause, writes with passion, covers great country ballads, tours with a wonderful instrumentalist, and could I dare say, drop dead has a look of an angel. She and Brian are coming to the Bluff View Friday July 17th, the last summer she still lives in Minneapolis since she's moving to Nashville. I first saw her at the Great River Folk Fest in 2008. She is good... and instantly Lori and I knew we would love to host her in a concert. I have a great iTunes song of her singing a cover of Greg Brown's Early with Garrison Keilor during one of her visits to the Prairie Home Companion.

Suggested donation will be $12... and who knows if we'll have food before or after, but plan a night out at the Bluff View... weather permitting... a bonfire after outside, but don't worry the concert is INSIDE in AIR conditioning.

Dave

Ordinary

An ordinary morning
To pour out words for you.
You are
The rich taste of Columbian.
You are
The cool morning breeze.
You are
The twinkling distant headlights.
You are
The dampness chilling my bones.

If one is special,
It moves in an ordinary way.
You move
To the task at hand smiling.
You move
To the song’s sound slowly.
You move
Me to write these lines
You move
Me to thank God everyday.

I am just ordinary
And you are too, in a special way.

By Dave Schipper © 2009 Rose Riversongs
Photo credits : Coffee
Ordinary People

Remember the lost Dads and start bringing peace in the world.

The Father Day edition is for all the Children who never had a dad because he never came back.



Eric Bogle is great fine Austrailian Folk Singer and Wikipedia has a great bio here so why rewrite it again. Now I have to admit my first post of this messed up two of his great songs... Audrey is covering a song Eric weaved into the the national anthem Waltzing Matilda about some of the real fruits of a war.

When I originally posted this song a few days ago, I was thinking about was another of his best-known songs, No Man's Land , is also World War I-themed. This song is commonly known as "The Green Fields of France", a title it was first given by The Fureys, and which has subsequently been used in a lot of further cover versions. The song refers to the traditional Scottish song "Flowers of the Forest" being played over the grave of a World War I soldier



Of course I needed to give you another reason to hear and understand my re-write of the Flowers of the Forest.



The whole story behind my lyrics is here.


I heard them laughing, at the sun’s setting
Young girls giggling before the dawn of day.
Now they are sobbing on green grass a growing
The flowers of the forest are laying to rest.

Once they had futures, and love a waiting.
Fathers and Mothers, a life to enjoy.
Then came the call, a service to them all.
A noble cause written, they stood tall and proud.

I heard them laughing, at the sun’s setting
Young girls giggling before the dawn of day.
Now they are sobbing on green grass a growing
The flowers of the forest are laying to rest.

Midnight songs a playing, shots and beer flowing
Smiles all a plenty, til the night is done.
Xcept for the lady, the moon cold and lonely
Thoughts of her flower, are growing inside.

Justice for the lowly, help for the helpless.
Brothers and sisters, a hand to them all.
Now there is silence, though debate rages loudly
These flowers of the forest, victims to the gall.

I heard them laughing, at the sun’s setting
Young girls giggling before the dawn of day.
Now they are sobbing on green grass a growing
The flowers of the forest are laying to rest.

Now go out there are reconcile with your enemy... why don't you spare a life today in the name of God!

Rock me Mama by Parkington Sisters

Ok a friend wanted me really know the Old Medicine Show and Rock Me Mama, so she got me the CD for my birthday. Of course I wonder how does one rock some one like a wagon wheel? I thought they wrote it.. HA... per Hickory Wind, Dylan did, no wonder it's great and it doesn't make sense. HA... Dave



Following is from: http://www.hickorywind.org/000327.php
Written by Bob Dylan with additional lyrics by Ketch Secor
Performed by the Old Crow Medicine Show

Headed down south to the land of the pines
And I'm thumbin' my way into North Caroline
Starin' up the road
And pray to God I see headlights

I made it down the coast in seventeen hours
Pickin' me a bouquet of dogwood flowers
And I'm a hopin' for Raleigh
I can see my baby tonight

So rock me mama like a wagon wheel
Rock me mama anyway you feel
Hey mama rock me
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain
Rock me mama like a south-bound train
Hey mama rock me

Runnin' from the cold up in New England
I was born to be a fiddler in an old-time stringband
My baby plays the guitar
I pick a banjo now

Oh, the North country winters keep a gettin' me now
Lost my money playin' poker so I had to up and leave
But I ain't a turnin' back
To livin' that old life no more

So rock me mama like a wagon wheel
Rock me mama anyway you feel
Hey mama rock me
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain
Rock me mama like a south-bound train
Hey mama rock me

Walkin' to the south out of Roanoke
I caught a trucker out of Philly
Had a nice long toke
But he's a headed west from the Cumberland Gap
To Johnson City, Tennessee

And I gotta get a move on before the sun
I hear my baby callin' my name
And I know that she's the only one
And if I die in Raleigh
At least I will die free

So rock me mama like a wagon wheel
Rock me mama anyway you feel
Hey mama rock me
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain
Rock me mama like a south-bound train
Hey mama rock me

source of the lyrics

This song is without a doubt my favorite Old Crow Medicine Show song. The pedigree of this song is a bit interesting, however. It seems it's an unreleased song that may or may not be from Bob Dylan, but most likely is. Then the fiddler/singer from OCMS added his own lyrics. From the only lyric sheet I found of the original Bob version, it sounds like he added the majority of the verses, if not all.

More to the story from : http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858619338/

This song was actually originally called "Rock Me Mama" and was recorded in Mexico in 1972 for the Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid movie. However, it was never released and was never actually finished either. The only part existing at that point was the chorus.

The verses were added in by a guy named Ketch Secor, the lead singer of a bluegrass band called Old Crow Medicine Show, who released this finished version of the song a few years ago. It's by far their most popular song and is incredible to hear played live. Recently, Ketch went on a radio station and explained the origins of the song:

"It'd be my pleasure to dispel the myth and rumor about the song Wagon Wheel, or "Rock Me Mama" as Bob Dylan himself called the song when he recorded it down in Mexico in 1972 for the soundtrack of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. This song was not released, and it was not finished either, this is a demo of a practice session of him, Rob Stoner, and a couple of gals doing the chorus over and over again while the bass player learns the bass line. That's what I heard on a German bootleg about nine years ago in high school. And I wrote the lyrics to the song because I loved the chorus so much and I sung it in my head for maybe a year straight, and then just penned what I penned, which is something of an autobiographical story about just wanting to get outta town, gettin outta school, and just wanting to go play music. It's sort of autobiographical like that. But yeah, it's sort of a Bob Dylan co-write with about 25 years inbetween."


Anybody have a copy of that bootleg, or any other original version of this song?

And now you and I know the rest of the story... let's watch those pretty Parkington Sisters again! Yeah!

How's the world treating you...

Star Maker runs a pretty cool blog, and it's in my right hand bar of Shout out sites. This week's theme is Cry, Cry, Cry. I think my week is going to be finally a little more relaxed so I think I'll follow all the songs. It made me think of a song that didn't have the word cry in it, but the loneliness that Allison Krause and James Taylor had in their voices and the great video made me run out a few years back and run out and buy the CD. Now this was a weird circumstance I even saw it in the first place. I never watch CMT, but in a rare need to put something on while I fold the clothes on a Saturday morning... I flipped it on to see this video... wow what a great video and what a great cover of a Louvin Bros./Chet Atkins song. Now you can say you saw it on the Zemmy Show.



Of course they did another one where the quality is also top notch... watch for Allison's air fiddle.

Oh what has become of the Old Rose & Crown

This week a rare folk song music book surfaced in my house. It was the book I had just acquired when we added a piano to the house. Now I play a piano like a guitar... melody right hand, chords left... but at least I entertain myself and can play something at any time when I see an old grand in an antique store or stashed in some corner at a church.

Today's entry is great drinking song by Canadian, Ian Robb. I guess the Old Rose and Crown exists! So now are they offended by Ian's song? Well it ain't on their website, and I bet they might have a renovated bar.




Old Rose and Crown
(Ian Robb)

chorus:
What have they done to the old Rose and Crown?
The Ship, the King's Arms, and the World Upside Down.
For oak, brass, and leather, and a pint of the best
Fade away like the sun as it sinks in the west.

Good friends, gather round and I'll tell you a tale.
It's a story well known to all lovers of ale.
The old English pub, once a man's second home
Has been decked out by brewers in plastic and foam.

And the old oaken bar where the pumps filled your glass
Gives way to Formica and tanks full of gas.
And the landlord behind, once a man of good cheer
Just mumbles the price as he hands you your beer.

And where are the friends who would meet for a jar,
Or a good game of darts in the old public bar?
The dartboard is gone, in its place is a thing
Where you pull on the handle and lose all your tin.

But the worst of it all's what they've done to the beer.
For their shandies and lagers that will make you feel queer.
For an arm and a leg, they will fill up your glass
With a half and half mixture of ullage and gas.

So come all you good people who like to sup ale
Here's hope to a happier end to my tale
For there's nothing can fill a man's heart with more cheer
Than to sit in a pub with a pint of good beer.

Recorded on Rose and Crown, Robb (Folk-Legacy)
Copyright Ian Robb
RG... lyrics posted at http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiROSECRWN;ttROSECRWN.html

Joanie The Jehovah Witness Stripper by Paul Thorn

Now to many Paul needs now introduction, he's been on the Bob and Tom radio show and he's released 5 cds, but to me he was unknown until my friends saw him open for John Prine. They loved him and got me some of his music, then I bought my nephew one of his cds for Christmas and started some fans down in Madison. If you like Prine'sor Todd Snider's sense of humor coming from a boy raised by a Baptist Preacher, you will love Paul Thorn. Then pass the word around like a big old plate of southern fried chicken.


Ok... this one has a funny story at the beginning and end so hang into the whole piece.

What to do on an airplane...

Ok... just did the word from the sponsor, so here's a funny video to make you smile from Nalts.

Wow... gorgeous ring

And this word from our sponsors....

My friend Allison Sattinger can not only sing incredibly, her artisan gift in metal is evolving... look at this ring she made and describes as:




Lastly but not at all leastly, a stunning Agua Nueva Shelter ring in 5.5 featuring a wide band
and a tremendous amount of detail work.

A master of the understatement too....

New Video from Ana Egge: Storm Comin'

From Guest Correspondent Heather of LyricalVenus.com

Ana Egge's 6th album came out a couple months ago. It's called Road to My Love and this is the first video from it, for the song Storm Comin'. The video is directed by Noah Mayers:



I love the puppet! And the song! :D

Find out more about Ana on her website. Her impressive bio includes a quote from Lucinda Williams describing Ana as a "folk Nina Simone."

I've seen this guy's

I've seen Dale Watson's tour bus outside my hotel in Janesville Wi... I had my guitar... if I had known the night before ... He looks fun to play and to sing with..

Belt Buckle by Kendel Carson

I read a review over by Wildy's World, but I'll hold judgement until it's out on iTunes. And.. I'll save you a trip to her MySpace Site : here's what she's writes about her new upcoming CD.

One of the last songs Kendel Carson prepped for her extraordinary new album, Alright Dynamite, was a cover. It came about when the 24-year old Canadian singer/musician (and fiddler extraordinaire) was in a bar one night with Chip Taylor, the legendary songwriter (“Angel of the Morning,” “Wild Thing”) and her trusted collaborator.
Suddenly, Janis Joplin’s “Mercedes Benz” belted out of the jukebox.

“Neither of us had heard it in so long. It kicks so much ass!” says Carson. “The original isn’t even really in tune, but it just has something else to do it…there’s that attitude, that magic.” She laughs. “So, for the album, we did this rippin’ fiddle take on it. And I have a bit of a running theme about cars and trucks, so the song suits me just fine.”

Trucks? Fiddles? If that sounds familiar, you may remember Carson from her single, “I Like Trucks,” which came out in 2007 (on Rearview Mirror Tears) and garnered the singer a huge audience on both sides of the Atlantic. The song, a playful slice of country/roots music, served as a nice introduction to the singer, who was already a much sought-after studio/live performer in her homeland before the song hit.

But to really get to know Kendel Carson, listen to Dynamite. It suggests a singer who’s both confident and coy, and a musician who’s technically gifted but spontaneous at heart. It also ties together everything that make her one of today’s most important new performers – her mentorship with Chip Taylor, a childhood spent in the prairies of Alberta and, later, the burgeoning roots music scene of Victoria, and her lifelong passion for music and the fiddle.

“I own this record a lot more than my first record,” she says, and it shows; Carson took greater reins on the songwriting this time out, contributing to four tracks, including the album’s sultry standout “Oh Baby Lie Down.” Recorded over two sessions, Dynamite saw Carson and Taylor working with a heroic cast of musicians—John Platania (Van Morrison), Bryan Owings (Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, Shelby Lynne), Ron Eoff (The Band, Delbert McClinton), and Tony Leone (Levon Helm, Ollabelle)—and recording the tracks in upstate New York, close to Woodstock in an old converted barn.

Lyrically, new tracks like “One Blue Dress on the Line,” “Jesse James” and “Cowboy Boots” show a singer and songwriter who’s imagery is still heavily attuned to the countryside. “The feeling of growing up on the prairies is like nothing else,” she says. “As a kid, I remember riding horses and dirt bikes around, and wandering along train tracks. Those childhood images stuck with me.”

Those images, and Carson’s love of music, began on a family farm outside of Calgary. It’s where the singer first learned about the fiddle…and discovered her love of trucks (“In Alberta, everybody drives a truck,” she explains. “My sister liked trucks, and boys that drove trucks; I picked up on that pretty quickly. I mean, I wore dresses, but I also rode ATVs!”).

Her mom taught young kids – and she knew music was a great development tool, and had son Tyler taking violin lessons when he was five. Carson, 2 years younger, didn’t want to be left out. “I had to sit there while Tyler practiced. It looked fun, so I asked if I could join in,” she says. Her mom agreed, and soon Carson was playing day and night.

Although classically trained (and eventually a performer in the National Youth Orchestra and a featured soloist with the Victoria Symphony), Carson’s musical passion lied in the folk, country and rock scenes – especially after her family moved out West. “There’s an amazing roots scene out in Victoria,” she says. “That became my primary influence. It’s a really community-minded spirit out there. It’s inspiring.”

Carson and her brother quickly made their mark on that scene, working in several bands together and ending up under the tutelage of Daniel Lapp, one of the greatest violin instructors and performers in the world. Lapp was also a touring member of Spirit of the West, a legendary Canadian folk-rock group. “I adored that group since I was 7, so working with Daniel was amazing for me” Carson says.

Through her connection to Lapp and a friendship with the group’s drummer, Carson was able to make her way backstage at a Spirit show in Victoria, fiddle in hand. “I met the band and asked them ‘who’s playing fiddle with you tonight?’ and they laughed, because nobody was. So they asked me to come up for the encore.” That impromptu jam – which ended up with Carson shotgunning beers on stage (a Spirit tradition, it seems) – led to her befriending Spirit founding member Geoffrey Kelly.

Eventually, Carson joined Kelly’s other group, the Juno-award winning Celtic-Latin folk-rock band The Paperboys. That, in turn, is how Carson ended up at a folk festival talking to Chip Taylor. “I talked to this guy one morning, and afterwards my band was like, ‘Do you know who that is?’ It’s the guy who wrote “Wild Thing.’ I didn’t know!”

Through the festival, and the coming weeks, Taylor and Carson kept talking. “I told him I was looking for direction,” says the singer. “I felt like it was a gift to meet him, so I just asked, kind of naively, if we could keep in touch. And it definitely worked out – he called and asked me to come to New York to record some music. He said he had a gut feeling about me.”

Neither Carson nor Taylor expected more than a couple of songs and ideas to come out of that initial recording session. Surprisingly, they ended up cutting a whole album in just a few days, including the eventual hit “I Like Trucks.” Laughs the singer: “I’ve always liked cool cars and old trucks. Before we recorded together, he asked me to tell him something about myself that made me different from other girls. When I got to his place, the song was there… he definitely got what I was about!”

The resulting album, Rearview Mirror Tears (released on Train Wreck Records), caught the ear of an unlikely source: BBC DJ Bob Harris, who championed the single “Trucks” and helped turn it into a hit thousands of miles from Carson’s home. Success snowballed: the influential U.K. mag Q named Tears one of the five best roots albums of the year. Eventually, the record’s success led her to a sold-out tour of England, Germany, Ireland and Denmark. Back in North America, the video for “Trucks” received over 350,000 hits on YallWire, while the album was heralded as the top debut album by the Freeform American Roots Reporters; XM Radio labeled it one of the Top 10 Best X Country Albums of the year.

Dynamite appears ready to expand on that early success. Two years after her stunning debut, Carson is brimming with more confidence than ever. “Chip helped mold me into something more complete,” says Carson. “He helped me find my own voice. I remember one of the first things he told me - to treat singing like playing the fiddle. It just has to be me being me, going by feeling."

ALRIGHT DYNAMITE ***** OUT JUNE 23 2009

Introducing Jenna Bryson

I've known Jenna Bryson for awhile. She's officially been a subscribed reader to my MySpace Blog since February 5, 2008. She is a very creative ambitious singer songwriter in LA, and I believe I ran into thru Allison Sattinger's top friends. I'm writing this little blog to tell she has a great new song up ..Me minus You... It does have a great use of the F-Word in it...

Ok so is she? Sometimes I get lazy, so here goes again... here is how she describes herself on her myspace site... the same place to listen to the new song.

If you’re expecting some tale about a gifted child prodigy, or a girl born into poverty whose only escape was music, or anything of that nature which you would usually find in a story like this one about a musician or an entertainer, you won’t find it here.

I am from a middle of the road, middle-class family. I went to public school, earned just-above average grades, and then went to a state university where I graduated with a B.A. degree. Nothing fancy, nothing to complain about.

I haven’t been singing since I could talk (not that I’m aware of), I’ve only been playing guitar for five years, piano for less than one year, and I still work several jobs in order to pay my rent each month.

I am not that which dreams are made of; I am not the picture of success. I have had several opportunities to make something happen and, so far, all of these have fallen through. In some cases, the failure was my own… probably a lack of true preparation on my part. In other instances, it just wasn’t my day; no luck, I suppose.

There was the occasional dangling carrot, however, and about a year after moving to Los Angeles from my home in Maryland, I auditioned for an all-girl pop group and actually got selected. I was the first one chosen (the group didn’t even have a name yet) and I got to check out the other contenders and voice my opinion about them, too. I also met “Babyface,” who supposedly had dibs on the group and wanted sign us to his label.

It didn’t pan-out, of course. I went on, though, and tried for several other groups and bands, never hearing anything from those auditions. Guess they just didn’t want me. Looking back, I remember auditioning for “The New Mickey Mouse Club” (the breeding ground for many now infamous stars such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera). It was my first audition ever and I don’t think I did very well, because I didn’t make the show. Didn’t even get a callback. Should I have taken that as I sign???

These days, I write and play my own music as a solo act, but I don’t have a booking agent, a fancy entertainment lawyer, or even a manager. A few years ago, I got close to landing a manager that represented Jason Mraz, but… you know the rest.

In fact, I’ve made a lot of contacts in the music industry, but nothing career changing or life altering has come from any of it. I’ve met and talked music with Gavin DeGraw after a concert at The House of Blues, slipped my demo into Justin Timberlake’s take-out bag at Outback Steakhouse, and before Jason Reeves took-off with that hit, “Bubbly” (which he co-wrote with Colbie Caillat), we were supposed to play a show together. It never happened, however, Jason is doing extremely well and I couldn't be more excited for him. Maybe I'll still get to share a stage with him... someday.

A lot of people have asked if I've ever auditioned for "American Idol." I actually did go, once (which I had sworn I would never do), and just as I was getting in line I got word that I’d scored an audition for a spot on “Entourage.” I went to that audition instead, didn’t get the part, and wasn’t allowed to get back in line at “American Idol.”

My music hasn’t been played on “The Hills,” you can’t find me on iTunes, I’ve never sold-out a show, and I have yet to book a gig at the infamous Hotel Café here in Hollywood. And as you can see from that little section over to the left of this page titled “Record Label,” I don’t have one of those either.

So what, right? Woe-is-me! What the hell am I getting at?!

After years of feeling defeated by the entertainment and music industries and wishing that something serendipitous would happen to me and make all my wildest dreams come true, I’ve realized that some walls are placed in front of us not to keep us from getting what we want, but to help us find out how badly we really want it.

And if you can’t climb over that wall, you break it down. You decide to make your own opportunities and quit relying on fate or luck or other people to give those chances to you.

Now, I’m recording my first mini-album of seven songs with a fantastic producer (whom I hunted-down here on MySpace and begged to work with) and amazing musicians (who’ve played on recordings for Sara Bareilles, Anna Nalick, Alanis Morissette, Michelle Branch, etc). I’m paying for this all on my own, with a little bit of help from do-gooder fans and friends like you (if YOU would like to donate to help me finish the record sooner, message me and I'll send you the link).

Once the record is done, I’d like to at least recoup the money spent to make it and take the songs on an itty, bitty tour so that I can share it with you and your friends. Accomplishing this will be the biggest, real goal I’ve set so far in my life. Ultimately, I hope it might inspire others to make their dreams happen, too.

So, that’s it. That’s my story. For now. I’m sure there will be other missed boats, dropped balls and delicious carrots hung just out of reach, but so what? These things don’t define me and they don’t decide if I am a success or not. I’d rather leave that up to you.

You’re here, you’re listening, and that’s all that matters. Thank you.

Enjoy the music!

And how about seeing her in a video posted back in 2007 ... an Acoustic cover of Santeria.

Let Go by the Parkington Sisters

While the poster, http://www.youtube.com/user/MichaelCanProducer says : Hi everyone, www.yourkom.com here, can't help but keep uploading the Parkington Sisters. I still have a few more then I have another artist that we will be uploading, raw talent but has to keep working at it. I think this is one of the best shot and best music quality video posted of these wonderful sisters. Now of course, I'm in love with the cello player. oh my.

Take a break... Catherine MacLellan

Ok I've decided there is an absolutely endless supply of outstanding independent artist. Thanks to MusicFog.com I had a chance to take a break with Catherine MacLellan. You know you should too.



As always.. more to come about this great new talent.

I am filled with So Much Grace

Ok... it's been a few weeks since Allison played my fledgling house concert series... and I'm still getting goosebumps listening to her cover of Spoon River... I promise to share it... until then, I noticed I never posted this little photo montage to her wonderful gospel tinged love song.

Cool...

Ever run into something that you said... Dang I wish I thought of that, or cool... so now how am I going to do something similar...

Thanks to a http://booksinq.blogspot.com I found this and just had to share it. You'll note at the end it puts the credit to his blog at : http://paulsiegell.blogspot.com/ also definitely worth a visit or two he is one creative soul.

Introducing Betty Soo

Wow I was this close to having the booked a house concert the same day I got a cold email asking for a possible date.

So what was the trigger? How could I say no to Betty Soo the woman opening for Joan Baez the night before at my most favorite venue "The Big Top Chautauqua"... How could I? Well we're out of town...

Maybe next time... but you can catch her via YouTube here...



or on great Townes Van Zant cover here

Molly Marlette

Sharing time again... who is this girl? She's pretty good...

Molly Marlette is the singer-songwriter from Southern California that has everyone talking and everyone listening at the same time. Her debut EP, The Allumette, is a glowing mix of stripped down, sensual pop and delicate quirkiness. At times moody, at others cheery, her songs are consistently delightful and sung with a voice so pure and sweet that draws you in from the first line and doesn't let go. The album got its name from the French word for "matchstick" for a few reasons, among which was the idea of igniting something. It has certainly ignited Molly's career and established her as a force to be reckoned with in music. It is clearly just the beginning for this talented songwriter and vocalist, and doubtlessly more greatness lies ahead.




Here's the liner notes... the free song link didn't work anymore...


Porchisode number 2! Another homemade video from the porch. This particular video isn't as serious as the song.

Lyrics: The music's playing with my head
That old song reminds me of what you said
That something's missing if you could guess
Behind my smile and my very best dress

I sang to you
You said I used to sing a happier tune

I look up at trees that climb
Into an empty sky
Missing the stars we're supposed to find
It's never been enough
To fix this living in a city
Where smog is so thick I didn't get enough light
From the sun

The air was cold
And it didn't help to know
You wouldn't be there
When I got home

I didn't sleep last night
I got to thinkin when it got too quiet
So I picked up the phone
And suddenly I didn't feel so alone

You said keep your head up
Try looking down on the sky up above
Maybe it's all turned aroung
Well last night I tried that
I found the star we always look at
I've never seen it here before

I'm scared I've lost touch or feeling
I haven't felt that much
I've been lost in a haze
Or the sun isn't very bright today
It hasn't been out for days

Drowning in Amsterdam

Another great song by Vanessa Peters

Today...

Today,
Everything reminded me of you.
The contour of the pen
The song overhead
The rain on my face.

Funny,
I’m probably not an afterthought
You are self-centered
You’re already down the road
You’re in your place.

Honestly,
My imagination created it all.
The look was innocent
The laugh was casual
The silence, just space.

At lunch
I reconcile the past events.
We’ll see other again and again
We’ll talk and freely laugh
We’ll meet face to face

And I
Will die a little more each time
When your eyes light up
When your hand touches my arm
When you turn with grace.

And leave.

Dave Schipper
© 2009 Rose Riversongs
photo credit

Until I know the Zeman Musing site is working for everyone... I'm reposting the pieces in both places. This is piece is a combination of a lot mixed up feelings and imaginations. It was fun to write again... I have to make more of a habit of it... HA... thanks goodness for the rain and how it put me sitting alone for a while.

Speaking of alone in a quiet house; I had an opportunity to record a reading of this.

David Seagull at Cafe Paradiso

From Guest Correspondent Heather of LyricalVenus.com

Seems like I can't turn around but there's another great artist playing at Cafe Paradiso in Fairfield, IA, and half the time it seems like they are right from town!

David Seagull's concert this weekend was no exception. His bluesy folk style was just perfect for my mellow Saturday night mood, and it was also a treat to hear another great local musician, Sharon Bousquet, backing him up on a few of his tunes. I caught a few clips and made a video:



You can listen to or download both David’s self-titled album and his latest release Rough Echoes, on his website: davidseagull.com

I am definitely going to keep an eye out for David’s performances in the future, it was a great show!

Demaree - and now I might know an actress

This is a cool short film that Demaree had on her YouTube site. Enjoy a film by Dave Hill called Mojave.

Introducing Angela Josephine

I was introduced to Angela Josephine by my friend Mark a while back, and while I haven't really taken the time to explore her music, I have always noted that she writes with a love and a passion for life. Now she has moved into BlogSpot. I'm going to make a point of reading her blogs... you should too at http://thesimplesacred.blogspot.com/

And of course everyone has a YouTube.... so enjoy her outside with a little wind and a little inspirational talk. Devine is devine.

Introducing Leah West

Per her myspace site: Leah West is a Canadian-American Singer-Songwriter who grew up in New Jersey, near New York City. "It is a huge melting pot of culture and it was a great place to grow up and be surrounded by fabulous music and entertainment from all over the world." Leah moved to Canada in 2005 to immerse herself in the vibrant Canadian music scene. She travels extensively, but calls Kelowna, BC, Canada home. Even though her main genre of music is in the Alternative-Indie, Pop-Rock realm, she can't deny roots and influences from all types of music.

I noticed that another friend of mine that I respect added her as a friend, yes as it goes she was already my friend in MySpace because I've gotten to a freewheeling point if you send me an add, I normally just click yes (it was not always like that). At least to compound my stupidity there wasn't a song of hers in my iTunes. So I tried to fix that and buy the following song... yikes another artist that doesn't get it... she's not there but does have some of her music available at http://www.leahwest.com; but not the one I was looking for... so please enjoy an original song of hers called Santa Fe. Someday I'm sure you could buy it somewhere.

Funny?

Wow... get her a cell phone quickly there are some other babies to talk to...



Is this Lynn and Sue at Holy Crap practice... no I'm just kidding.

Stay on your side of town

Susan Werner and John Gorka "Stay On Your Side Of Town" Wildflower Festival Dallas. May 2009 ... what a wonderful duet by two great talented people. Susan says during the video she didn't realize it was a duet... that's how I felt when I twisted Denim and Lace into a duet. Now I wouldn't eve go back to one voice on the piece.

Sure to make you smile

Greatest impromptu piano duet by a 90-year-old couple in the Mayo Clinic lobby you'll hear today. Cool tag because there is no AWESOME tag... thank you Rick for forwarding this to me....

Reach a cover of a Carolyn Arends song

Carolyn is my top favorite Christian artist.... look her up... she's a folkie down to earth musician.

Here's a great cover of her song.

I want to invite this guy over...

Hey a good variety show should have a guy Richard as a regular... I might have to buy the book.

Love the duct tape part.

Spoon River

Sometimes you get caught up in history by the love of a song, especially when it's well done. That's how the subconsicious has been since Allison Sattinger and Matt Coleman covered Michael Smith's Spoon River at my recent house concert.

I forgot that 20 years ago we saw a Viterbo College play based on the Edgar Lee Master's Spoon River Anthology, and I forgot how rich the writing was in the novel. Now I am no reader but I intend to spend some time at http://spoonriveranthology.net. Lately my writing time has dwindled to dust time, so I think I need to read and write again. I think I'm going to give up listening to music... HA... well maybe less..

Go to that site... it's cool.. this the most talked about poem written in 1915...

VERY well, you liberals,
And navigators into realms intellectual,
You sailors through heights imaginative,
Blown about by erratic currents, tumbling into air pockets,
You Margaret Fuller Slacks, Petits,
And Tennessee Claflin Shopes--
You tound with all your boasted wisdom
How hard at the last it is
To keep the soul from splitting into cellular atoms.
While we, seekers of earth's treasures
Getters and hoarders of gold,
Are self-contained, compact, harmonized,
Even to the end.

Then there is a video:


2008 RELEASE! A new look at a classic of the American heartland, which unraveled the myths about people who lived and died in the supposedly idyllic days of rural America. Director Thomas G. Smith has digitally remastered his original 1976 production, which captured Edgar Lee Masters’ lyrical realism with dramatic readings, authentic settings, and period photography. Smith's brand-new DVD adds nearly half an hour of new material exploring Masters' life and works, and includes interviews with John Hallwas, a Masters expert at the University of Western Illinois, and Hilary Masters, Edgar Lee Masters' son and a professor of English and creative writing at Carnegie-Mellon University.

In "Spoon River Anthology," Masters probed beneath life's surfaces to reveal the very human strengths and weaknesses of the people who inhabited his semi-fictional town. Smith's production, subtitled "Heartland Poetry for a New Age," shows why "Spoon River" was a major milestone in American literature - a book of poetry that was a national best-seller, and that still resonates nearly a century after its publication. DVD includes text versions of 11 poems. Click on the text version to go directly to the dramatic reading.


And if you want to hear the song covered by Allison & Matt.. email me and I'll send you the song free if you promise to go buy an Allison, Matt, or Michael Smith song on iTunes... or just go straight and buy the Michael Smith song on iTunes by Claudia Schmidt and you will have the version Allison listened to.

All of the riverboat gamblers are losing their shirts
All of the brave union soldier boys sleep in the dirt
But you know and I know there never was reason to hurt
When all of our lives were entwined to begin with
Here in Spoon River

All of the calico dresses, the gingham and lace
Are up in the attic with grandfather's derringer case
There's words whispered down in the parlor, a shadowy face
The morning is heavy with one more beginning
Here in Spoon River

Come to the dance Mary Perkins I like you right well
The union's preserved, if you listen you'll hear all the bells
There must be a heaven, God knows I've seen mostly hell
My rig is outside, come and ride through the morning
Here in Spoon River

Demaree - and you saw her here first.

I just found Demaree, or should I say she found our Rose River Myspace site and sent a friend request.

Here is how her MySpace site describes her:

Demaree is a singer/songwriter who recently relocated to LA from Nashville, TN where she studied Music Business at Belmont University. She is currently writing/ recording and co-producing original material. She is looking for great writers,musicians and producers to collaborate with throughout this process! Demaree made her Broadway debut at the age of eight as Young Cossette/Young Eponine in the Broadway production of Les Miserables. Broadway National Tours include: The Secret Garden (Mary) and Big (Cynthia Benson). Demaree has worked as a demo singer and back up vocalist as well as making personal appearances in National Troops Rally’s and The Little Nashville Opry. She thanks her friends and family for all of their continued support! Most importantly thanks God for his unfailing provisions and love! :)

And I'm going to guess that I'll be seeing and hearing more from this talented woman.