Norah Rendell at the Bluff View House Concert series

Another reason I missed a few weeks of blog posts, is that I run this little house concert series four times a year in Western Wisconsin, and I like to usually try to book one in February.  Yes the weather can drive you nuts in winter, but we had a wonderful weekend to host Norah Rendell and Brian Miller.

It was actually their third time back, so in the words of Mary Mack, "Dave must not be a mass murderer because it's a series!"  (She wasn't sure she understood if a house concert was a normal thing when she first came, and she's been back once too!)

Here's a video from one of my favorite songs that Norah covers, "Follow the Heron Home", and yes that was Henry squawking in the background.



Read more about it at it's one blog http://bluffviewconcerts.blogspot.com/ or go like it at https://www.facebook.com/BluffView

Death of Queen Jane - Inside Llewyn Davis

A few weeks back, we were visiting our son at college and ended up seeing Inside Llewyn Davis; the Coen brothers film on a folksinger who really is pretty much a jerk, and yet really tries to take care of a orange tabby cat of his friends that he loses along the way.  (I've heard there are actually three cats playing the part!)  We all liked it and I would highly recommend seeing it.



One of the scenes Davis plays Death of Queen Jane for a promoter in Chicago, and he tells him, that won't sell and casts him off.  The song didn't stick with me then, but it was a pretty song.  A few days later, since my son and I share the same iTunes account, 7 of the songs from the movie showed up in my purchases.  I raised that boy with good tastes.

Then the haunting melody of Death of Queen Jane hit me.  I did find out it was an old Child ballad and the tune was written by a Bothy Band member, Dáithí Sproule.  

What I really liked was hearing all the renditions of it, thanks to iTunes search and the WikiPedia post.

I recorded it instrumentally with only one little flaw, see if you can find it... HA... I moved it up a little so I might add the words some day.  Capo 3 G... Here are the words, chords and the Video, feel free to sing with it.

G                                            C                  G

Queen Jane lay in labor full nine days or more

         C             D            G-Em       G                       C

'Til her women grew so tired, they could no longer there

           G             D      G

They could no longer there

G                                                                   C         G

"Good women, good women, good women as you be

                  C         D        G-Em      G           C

Will you open my right side and find my baby

       G       D     G

And find my baby"

G                                                                              C         G

"Oh no," cried the women, "That's a thing that can never be

              C             D   G-Em       G                           C

We will call on King Henry and hear what he may say

         G         D              G

And hear what he may say"

G                                                         C         G

King Henry was sent for, King Henry did come

               C               D             G-Em          

Saying, "What does ail you, my lady?

         G                            C

Your eyes, they look so dim

           G                D       G

Your eyes, they look so dim"

G                                                                     C         G

"King Henry, King Henry, will you do one thing for me?

                C             D   G-Em       G            C

Will you open my right side and find my baby

          G    D     G

And find my baby"

G                                                                        C         G

"Oh no," cried King Henry, "That's a thing that I can never do

       C             D          G-Em                G                    C

If I lose the flower of England, I shall lose the branch too

            G             D     G

I shall lose the branch too"

G                                                                        C         G

There was fiddling and dancing on the day the babe was born

           C             D          G-Em            G               C

But poor Queen Jane beloved, she lay cold as a stone

        G      D      G

Lay cold as a stone

Venture under Eva's hat

SHEL has been the subject of many of posts in this blog, and today I'd like to let you know that their talented Eva Holbrook has started a blog in the Tumblr world.

She tends to be songwriting force behind the four sister group, and this sure will be an interesting journey into her thoughts.  Join her at:

http://evaholbrook.tumblr.com/

Phoebe Hunt - what a talent

First I need to apologize, it is totally unacceptable to not post to this blog at least once a week.  February 1st to February 19th means that my weekends have been filled, thus no Saturday mornings to blog in excitement for either a new artist, a new song, something funny, or something about Mary (Lady that is for you blog followers).

So this morning finds me with a half hour to ponder the past posts that should have happened since I'm sitting I a hotel room waiting to go a funeral.  Sadly my fourth this year.

Enough with the banter, let's talk about Phoebe Hunt.  A little over a month ago I got an email from my friends at the Pump House that the ticket sales had been slow for Phoebe's show and could I help.  Well a quick view of the MusicFog.com video, and I was hooked.  Readers of the blog know I'm a sucker for a pretty fiddler that I should add a post just to give them all a shout out.  Quickly I was in for Two then quickly 4 tickets with friends.  Gave it a shout out on my FB page, the Great River Folk Fest page, and of course the House Concert page.  Then sadly, I put it out of my mind and got back to the many things that I'm behind on.



Before the concert I did have a chance to hear that circumstances put Phoebe playing alone, and while I wondered how a solo fiddler can pull it off, I've booked a solo bassist Seth Horan and marveled.  Figured I was still going to enjoy it.

Well another busy Saturday rolled around, quick clean of the house, organize Church music, practice and play for a service, put our faces in to a birthday party and run down to LaCrosse for the concert.  Tony was nice enough to reserve seats for some of the help we did so we were the last to sit down and the concert started at 7:30.  Phoebe can in shyly with a uke in her hand and sang Good Blood, and it just put a smile on my face.  It would be a great night.



About the third or fourth song in she mentioned that she used to tour with the Belleville Outfit, and the light went on... I knew that name before and I of course had a crush on her before.  A quick search found two other postings.  That was back in my MySpace days, and it seems I lost track of both the Belleville Outfit and Phoebe after I left my MySpace Zeman persona dry up.  Good thing I've maintained the blog.

Since that night I've kept in touch with Phoebe, a wonderful soul on top of a fantastic.  She even does a live one hour show every Monday in Concert Window.  There should be more in this blog about her, and when I find time there will be.  Got to run and have to add in the other things I've been up to.. I promise to be a better blogger.  Her website is filled with music, but to see her live is really when you sense the humble twinkle mixed up with amazing talent and lots of passion.

And if you would like to watch a nice half hour set from SXSW 2013: here you go...

It was that kind of day...

First I played music for my first funeral.  A beautiful 30 year old teacher lady with two great kids and the nicest husband who also is a teacher.  We played this song written by Tommy Walker, and Jenny's name was spliced into it...



Then I had the house alone... and I got out the equipment:

Of course I shared this in Facebook saying "Guess what will go on during a quiet house?" and Rusty James posted this hilarious video. She noticed one yesterday, and then the next the day they were everywhere...



First up... a Wild Mountain Thyme.. a song that is old enough it could have been played during Downton Abbey.  The lyrics I downloaded had Blooming Heather, and I changed it to Purple Heather in honor Jenny's favorite color.



Finally I had a chance to record Tom Paxton's "The last thing on my mind".. and I was amazed it's in it's 50th anniversary year.

Lost in Mary's Eyes again

I am hopeless, maybe a misfit but truly I am lost in Lady Mary's (Michelle Dockery's) eyes again.  Actually I have started seeing them everywhere, from a barista, to a TV reporter, to a sales associate, and of course my wife.  This could be a problem, and I could start a withdrawal program of say unsubscribing to the biggest Michelle Dockery Facebook fan page.

They posted a photo album of Michelle Dockery attending a photocall for the film ‘Non  Stop’ at The Dorchester on January 30, 2014 in London, England; and frankly I had to stop everything I was doing and just stare.  That's probably not good, but lets look at the bright side.  First, it helps my writing.  Good songs and lyrics come from intense passion either happy or sad.  No milk toast is allowed.  Second, I find myself being more kind and loving to women who remind me of Michelle and in a very gentle way.  It's like I realize I'll never be close to the real thing so be appreciative of the little things.  When possible I love to just talk to someone else with dark eyes peering politely in their eyes, or I glance over to catch a glimpse of some dark eye brows.  I'm as harmless as a hound dog, but it fills in the realness of these photos or TV spots. 

I could claim it's a bucket list item to meet Michelle, but that would be silly... she would be polite, sign whatever I passed her, maybe pause for a picture and then leave.  Hell I want to sit down over a glass of wine and talk; and that won't happen.  I rationalize she's too tall for me anyway... HA.

Yes I want more than this, so I'll live with the beauty that surrounds me and reminds me of Michelle, and I recommend we all find another reason to smile and to be nice to one another.

A new song is like a kitten

Officially I have written probably close to 100 songs, attested by the 196 posts on my prose blog, Zeman's Musings; but does that make me qualified to write about it?  Well my wife would tell you that I have little humility and of course I even sauntered into writing a blog on how to Songwriting though I haven't posted to that site since 2010 (not that the hints and techniques aren't ageless.)

So let's just say a new song has been welling up inside me and I have to explain it and the process.  You know like you get a new kitten and you have to keep playing with them.

First I had some time alone in the house; always important to me for thinking and writing not to have some one looking over my shoulder, and I found this old piece I wrote and it was my standard depressing wanting of a love that wouldn't happen, it started:

The dance of the life, the chance of time
Ages of man and woman have written
Pages and pages of nonsense to fill the subject

And you can read the rest at http://davezeman.blogspot.com/2012/03/dance.html

So I really wanted to write a gypsy type of song, a little rebellious, and some thing quick because I've been stuck in slow sad for too long.  I actually had a been spending some time in the Twitter world and discovered people who are taking identities of Downton Abbey characters.  In a previous post I might have mentioned that and I believe Lady Rose should have an affair with a gypsy lover, and maybe Mary too, why not Bohemians existed back then; plus we are great romantics.

So guitar in hand, a great bouncy beat the first verse went down with much of it borrowed from the 2012 piece:

The dance of the life, the chance of time

Ages of man women have written

Pages and pages filled with rhyme

Still the real bells and whistles simple

A wink of an eye, a glance from behind

To blink you’d miss it, a lover’s symbol

Now the chorus has to more dramatic, modulate it up (even if the voice can't) and DANCE!

So take this dance with me tonight

My hand gentle on your back

Keep me in your constant in your site

As we dance, we dance thru the night

A great writer John David Souther always said, "A good song is timeless" and I think dancing with the woman you love, with your hand on the sweet spot of her back, and her staring in your eyes is timeless.  As I playing it quick, I did attempt to soften up especially as I gently place my hand on her back.  Next up my other mentor, Pierce Pettis said, "Move the story alone"  First verse was the attraction, next has to have the action.  Here I draw off of my love for dark eyes, long neck of a woman with her hair up, and white complexion, ah easily this could be Michelle Dockery or Lady Mary.  Though I wrote it not to be specific makes a song much more compelling; and yes I married a woman with dark eyes and fair complexion over 30 years ago

You hair pulled high all the fabric pressed

The music begins and the crowd stirs a start

Cruising the floor in you red dress

Your skin so white, your eyes so dark

Unclench my soul be still my heart

I would be yours, please drop your guard. 

I really love this verse and thought at one point I might have stolen "Unclench my Soul" but Google did not return any hits to that line. (yet I need to make sure my song comes up HA)

Next up keep the story going, and this song of little over three minutes probably captures a half hour of elapsed time at most.  So the dance is over and a lady with wine and a man with his black and tan live happily ever after.

So mark the time …that song did end

A pregnant pause a silent bow

We left the floor hand in hand

A with a toast … our life began

A blend red a black and tan

We started life a lady and her man.

Now one might wonder if there really would be a sarcastic comment coming after the dance?  Well put two people together and I would claim that too many times we say something we regret saying, thus the  silence ensures the ending.

Now you know the story... hope you enjoyed it and the song.

Loophole for Catholics

It's been a while since I posted funny... so while this video has over 1.5mm videos; I didn't see on the Grammy list and I just heard about it this week.  Enjoy.. just a touch off color... a little brownish.

The Seasons of Mary

I had quiet time in the car commuting this morning and I quickly started humming, "Graceful and grand is your beauty, tender and soft is your white skin"  It was a song I penned for my love of Mary, and thought about the 4 years of Lady Mary Crawley that I've lived through.

Yes I think my love for Mary was immediate.  The stare from her brown eyes and arched brows did take command, and while she was entirely nasty to her sister Edith and overwhelmingly snooty and self indulged; her beauty was intense.  Her long graceful neck, and her smile when she left her guard down;  I knew she had a heart in that protected royal life.  Pamuk really got her guard down, and the rest of the next two seasons would be haunted by it.  Her vindictive self came out toward the end of the first season, but it bit her hard setting up season two.  I believe Graceful and Grand was written for Season 1 Mary.

Season two brought to us a Mary that was much more fragile, while she held her stoic veneer.  While the once manipulative Mary is getting manipulated and pushed into corners that she did not desire. Tenderly she held on to Matthew memories as we held on to the hope that their love would be fulfilled. Then toward the end of the season we get Mary confessing her sins and a love is blessed with a bend of a knee.  After that season I wrote a piece to recap the season; and it again was started in a drive to work to a tune from the 8th century, so it would have been available to listen during Mary & Matthew's time.

Season three was a joy and ended in such disaster.  I really have never written anything that would hold  up to the highs or the lows; and likely to paraphrase Julian Fellows, it's much easier to write about drama and the desire than Happiness and most of the season found me wishing I was Matthew and as happy as I would be.

Season four with it's dark beginning will find Mary as a strong independent minded lady at the end (yes I've seen all of S4).  Mary's men gets coined in the last show, but these two suitors dwarf in anticipation.  I say bring on a little tension in Season Five; someone everyone wants Mary to be with, but she knows she shouldn't.  I'd say a gypsy type American, and since I won't win the job maybe someone who looks like me.  I'm sure George could pull off being desired, yet not "good" for Mary.  I would try too, just put me in coach.

You are mine ... In Christ Alone

Personally this has been a rough week attending two funerals for children of 10 and 17.  First on Saturday we laid to rest a 10 year old who died of leukemia, then on Sunday I heard a friend's 17 year old son took his life.   That is first why I recorded You are Mine, a wonderful song by David Haas.

Then when I attended the second funeral, You are Mine was the opening song, ironic but still sad.

Then our praise band's service weekend was this weekend.  I requested we include that song, and it felt reassuring.  The highlight though of the service was our first time we played In Christ Alone.  I did get a recording of it and we were true the Celtic sound, and here it is on Grooveshark.

It must be a popular song, it has over 6,000,000 views!

Apple Blossom and Snow

On a snowy day in Wisconsin, you watch the birds outside with the cats.  

You dream about spring and the apple blossoms.

And you update both blogs you maintain, and the other one is : 

http://davezeman.blogspot.com/

You just might recognize the new background.

New Sponsor - WinCraft Pin Trading

Ha, one might say they are a major sponsor of this blog because they employ me during my day job.  I just had to share some really cool news out of WinCraft that is timely to the largest single day sporting event;  THE SUPER BOWL.

So this year WinCraft received the rights to make and to distribute collectible pins for the event.  There will be pins in retail.

Pins on lanyards in Pin Trading Starter kits.

And exclusive ones at Macy's in New York see all of the exclusive landmark pins like this Freedom Tower pin at http://wincraftpintrading.blogspot.com/2014/01/nfl-shop-at-macys.html 

Super Glue a practical thing.

Watched this film which is such a warm four minutes in anyone's life.  Why in the world would there be any judgmental people out there saying anything like this isn't just beautiful.  Then the phone rang and I find out a co-worker's teenage son killed himself.  Harsh reality that I'll probably never know the answer, but my guess is that he saw hopelessness and just couldn't face it anymore.

Mary Mack a MN original?

I love Mary and MN Original did a great segment on her though she is really a WISCONSIN original. Love the "Name the Polka" bit, I got them all. ;-)

She said that her bed room is a little cleaner now.



Remember tonight on Fox she is the voice Dylan on Golan the Insatiable, part of Animation Domination.  I like this review calls it a Dark Calvin and Hobbes.

Lady Mary I Love

On Twitter I'm amazed how many profiles are Lady Mary... I just am overwhelmed... I just love one, though I'm understanding she's really Michelle Dockery.. HA.

So as I'm watching posts or tweets, I am taken back to my desire to wrap my arms around the women and dance.  And of course why not to a waltz I wrote, and can sing in the quiet moments in the car on the way to work.

I do also read to much, and Michelle Dockery wishes she had a band... put me in Michelle, I'd love to be in a band with you.  Playing music live is such a rush of emotion... I wouldn't sleep until really late for an old fart like me.



oh yes.. .these are the words and I rarely share me singing them because it takes one of those "pretty voices'


Graceful and grand is your beauty
Tender and soft is your white skin
I gaze into your deep dark eyes
To lose myself once again.

There but a moment when we met
You fashioned my heart
In your alchemy

Casted a spell to tear me apart.
You fashioned my heart
In your alchemy

Graceful and grand is your beauty
Tender and soft is your white skin
I gaze into your deep dark eyes
To lose myself once again.

A season must pass until we meet
You stay in my mind
Each night and day

To renew a love more replete
You stay in my mind
Each night and day

Graceful and grand is your beauty
Tender and soft is your white skin
I gaze into your deep dark eyes
To lose myself once again.

By Dave Schipper © 2012 Rose Riversongs

Season 5 character - English Poet

Yes! I said and tweeted after I read the article where Olivia Hallinan challenged Julian Fellows to write her into Downton  Abbey.  I too miss seeing her wrapped up in beautiful clothes with her hair pulled up, though by season two I believe the corsets were gone.  Yes I've fallen in love with upbeat Laura in Lark Rise to Candleford, and thought she was excellent in her single show appearance in The Paradise.

So what to write, simple! We've had Thomas as the gay butler, we need a lesbian of the time to float through the series, and why not an English poet in the vein of Elsa Gidlow or Radclyffe Hall  I don't mean to type cast but Olivia did play an awesome lesbian in Sugar Rush, (a series I'm through the first season on in YouTube).

So now the plot line, oh it has to be with Lady Rose MacClare, an adventure filled young lady that is prone to be on the rebellious side of the world.  I'd say it wouldn't last and Elsa in reality heads off to New York before Season 4 has started, though Radclyffe Hall stayed in London dying fairly well honored for her writing.  And Radclyffe loved a Blues singer for a while, and we know how Lady Rose loves her musicians!

Connie Tough

I could not let this go by without putting in my blog... one of the best satire pieces of Lady Mary that will ever be... well done Michelle Dockery!

Tough Justice with Michelle Dockery from Michelle Dockery      

Lark Rise to Candleford

Well my passion with the Downton Abbey series lead this yankee to find a way to watch with the UK season four.  So now what to do?  Well someone had recommended Lark Rise to Candleford.  Great recommendation and it's all on YouTube in a few channels.  And Olivia Hallinan easily has won my heart; yes blog readers..."Dave's in love again..."

Watch for yourself, great characters.

Mutineer Cover & Original

When I saw a new video for Amanda Shires and Jason Isbell show up in the new uploads, I had to watch it.  It's a wonderful display of harmonies in a duo format, and I love the smoothness of Amanda's fiddle playing.  Then I read the comments, and one said it was a great cover of a Warren Zevon song.  I've never been a huge fan of him, but mostly because I probably didn't give him many listens.  Had to look it up... sharp contrast... love both the original and the cover.

Best CD of 2013

In my thirst for music, I drink from many recordings and rarely buy the whole bottle. I dabble in Noisetrade, and normally repay artists for free downloads with a few purchased songs in iTunes. Maybe not the way they make a lot of money at this trade, but it's the way I spread the purchases around.

The next problem I have is that I restored my iTunes in February thus losing documentation of when I really purchased this CD. But thanks to FolkAlley.com putting it in their blog and the 3rd best of the year, I had substantiation!

My choice for the best is The Outside Track, Flash Company!  Of course when I clicked on the their link I see it was released in September 2012! HA.  While I love to document these accomplishments at the end of the year, I have truly have a disinterest of holding to dates anyway.

The Outside Track has five incredible musicians, and one outstanding lead vocalist in Norah Rendell.  I have documented them before in this blog, with their intensity of sound, their unique covers of traditional music, and their choice in music.  Alway innovative and never stale.  Norah is no longer touring with them since she's had a baby, and I'll have a chance to host her for the third time in February 2014; but that did not sway my opinion of this cd.

I must be feeling a little Celtic today, because my 2nd choice was Gaelic Storm, The Boathouse; it has their great sound in a fine collection of traditional songs rather than their normal crafted songs.  It is absolutely wonderful... and a cheap download from their website as I type this blog.



Finally I'll end with the 3rd FULL cd that had many many plays this year; The Great Escape by Barbara Jean.  An absolutely tightly written and performed CD from a great new artist, Barbara Jean.  She won the Songwriter contest at the Big Top Chautauqua and this CD demonstrates why.  I think you should read this review.