Saturday, July 27, 2013

Dave's in love again..


I can say that I've fallen in love with Barbara Jean, and it won't threaten my 30+ year marriage, because my wife agrees... she's a talented and beautiful young lady.
Don't just take my word, listen to her live on MN NPR, and see how they describe her:

"Blend one banjo, one fiddle, ten years in Grand Marais, a lifetime of classical music...toss together thoughtfully in the studio, simmer with very talented musicians, add boots and you get "The Great Escape".
Barbara Jean's first album is full of original music, mostly written surrounded by the beauty of Grand Marais, Minnesota. After several years there, she's moved back to Minneapolis and has teamed up with some great local musicians to gig in the Twin Cities.
Barbara Jean stopped by the studio with two of her friends, Dave Olson and Erik Koskinen, to play a few songs from her latest album on Radio Heartland."

She's also has a great dark song on the free mix from the Great River Folk Fest :


Monday, July 22, 2013

Guante

Not exactly sure again how I ran into this great poet while looking for how to do a Poetry Slam during the 2013 Great River Folk Fest.  http://www.guante.info/ Check out
 Guante

Guante

, he's outstanding!

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Introducing Amanda Shires

Well she does have 3 CDs in iTunes, but I just discovered her because Lightning Rods sent me a free song in my inbox this week.  Thanks to a nice rainy day finally, I had time to listen to new music.  I've already feasted on a few songs and videos. This cover of "I'm your Man" of Leonard Cohen song stopped me and said I had to share it.



And dang she's cute and any blog reader knows I'm a sucker for a cute fiddle player (Lissa & Kendel won't be jealous.)





Such a clean sound...



This song was the first one I watched and I was hooked.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Free Fest Mix

Sorry I haven't been as diligent posting to this blog; caught up in the pace of summer and add to that work has kept me hopping and being on the Great River Folk Fest committee has been a hoot and of course another time demand.  Let's bring you up to speed quick.

Worked on getting all of our artist (except Dar and I don't blame her, it's her agents that have been silent) into contributing to a FREE Mix of music available in Noisetrade.com  My blog readers know I find many new artists there including SHEL.  Now here's the link to the free mix.


All the things I wrote about it:

The 38th Annual Great River Folk Fest has an outstanding line up, and we change as we grow, like sharing our first Mix before the fest. Dar Williams starts our fest on Friday, and as of the first post of this mix her people haven't talked to our people, but oh feast on the fest of the rest. Willy Porter an outstanding instrumentalist who will leave your eyes tearing from envy and laughter. Claudia Schmidt, proving a folky person can be dragged into social media with her tremendous wit and energy. Barbara Jean the winner of the Big Top Songwriter Contest and such a charmer with a banjo and fiddle. SHEL an incredible 4 pc sister group from Fort Collins who have their own Noisetrade site. Our mix includes a rare unreleased track of Moonshine Hill. Don Harvey of Ultrasonics and his great songwriting... love his Technology Blues. Finally the wonderful groove of the gypsy band Harmonious Wail. They too have an unique Noisetrade page; look them up.
August 23-25 in La Crosse Wisconsin on the UW L campus... all tips go to the fest which is a non-profit, and the artists will be passed your emails. This mix includes some rare songs like the unreleased SHEL "Moonshine Hill" to Claudia Schmidt's 1979 first cut on her vinyl "Drinking Buddy". Please feel generous to tip the fest, our volunteers are working hard to bring cool acoustic music to the lovers of music everywhere. La Crosse used to be advertised by a famous beer company as "God's Country", and it truly is... everyone who gets a chance to visit us is impressed and leaves with comments like "it's as beautiful as the Rhine river valley in Germany" or "wow cheese curds... incredible". Add to the list one of the friendliest festivals you will run into for all your travels; and now you can preview the artists.

Thanks to all the artists and agents who allowed this to happen. The 38th Annual Great River Folk Fest has an outstanding line up, and we change as we grow, like sharing our first Mix before the fest. Dar Williams starts our fest on Friday, and as of the first post of this mix her people haven't talked to our people, but oh feast on the fest of the rest. Willy Porter an outstanding instrumentalist who will leave your eyes tearing from envy and laughter. Claudia Schmidt, proving a folky person can be dragged into social media with her tremendous wit and energy. Barbara Jean the winner of the Big Top Songwriter Contest and such a charmer with a banjo and fiddle. SHEL an incredible 4 pc sister group from Fort Collins who have their own Noisetrade site. Our mix includes a rare unreleased track of Moonshine Hill. Don Harvey of Ultrasonics and his great songwriting... love his Technology Blues. Finally the wonderful groove of the gypsy band Harmonious Wail. They too have an unique Noisetrade page; look them up. Ok one more... Mike Munson is playing a Blues workshop during the day and has contributed a great original blues song to the mix.

And finally... Lori and I have gotten out on dates a few times this year.  We went to Lanesbero MN to bike ride, and we were lucky to get SHEL into LaCrosse when they had an open date on a trip to BlissFest in upper Michigan.  I took a lousy picture, but someone got some great videos when the hit the imfamous Cafe Carpe in Fort Atkinson.  Here they are playing "Moonshine Hil" which will be on their next cd, but it is FREE on the Mix above because of the generosity of these fine women.  My goodness, my wife Lori was sure I liked them only because they are pretty.  She was impressed, talented and most importantly to her... friendly both during the show and after.




Sunday, July 7, 2013

End of Day mix...

Well it isn't right now as I'm writing this, but this is one of my favorite mixes.  It starts and ends with J.D. Souther's recent release "I'll be here at closing time"... God that song gets to me because I so easily fall in love with waitresses and barristas.   Each CD version has unique character to it... horns on one, and acoustic on the other.  In between there is a Baez cover Dangling Conversation which is almost more a morning song, but just longs to put in bed with the other person.  Easy from now on is Becky Schlegel is written by Susanna Clark & Carlene Carter Routh and originally put out by Emmy Lou Harris.  If that isn't easy enough for you, then Give yourself to Love... here in the mix by the author the late Kate Wolf.  Originally written for a wedding, but it always brings me back to a mantra in life... "Give yourself to love, if love is what you are after"

Next a surreal "Hearts and Bones" by The Pines, sung by Benson Ramsey who has a great youthful Dylan sounding voice... again it's all about waking up, but you have to go to sleep before you can wake up.  Hideaway Girl just picks it up a little, without getting you too stirred up.  Home... a Karla Bonoff song but I bet you only think Bonnie Raitt when you hear it.  Those trains come and go, especially in the distance with the window open.

Holy Now... what's the end of the day without a story... brought to you by Peter Mayer about his youth.  

There are three songs that tie the theme together and "I hope that I don't fall in love with you" by the master Tom Waits is one of them along with "It's too late to call it a night" by Amy Speace and the JD Souther pieces.    Of course I put a favorite Midnight and Mississippi song in there for fun too.







Want my cup of Java



HARD Wired by Dave Schipper © 2005 Rose Riversongs

Want my cup of java,
It’s like brain Viagra
Turns the soft and tired 
Into hard wired.   (2x)


It’s Eight O’Clock, come to my House
And let’s enjoy some Columbian ground
Wake the Hills brothers and hear them grouse.
Till they smell of the aroma abound  Chorus

A Java High to just laugh about.
And it’s not a café latte for me
Boil it in a pot then and pour it out
Some rich hearty black co-off- ee Chorus

Break

Caffiene inspired
A jolt of fire
Can’t stop this needless talking
Or the urge for walkin
Just need a cup of joe
Oh please help me sooooo

Calexico & Roger McQuinn - One more cup of Coffee

I need some coffee....

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Company of Friends

Danny Schmidt is one of the best songwriters I personally know, which I can say now since we hosted him and his lovely fiancee Carrie Elkin for a house concert. Danny writes secular hymns at times, and this is one of the best. Carrie is that good Lutheran girl in his life, maybe he'll start writing Christian hymns, but if God is listening to this one... I bet He/She approves. (well maybe the lyrics... He's got to appreciate my voice She blessed me with it... HA)