I have a few friends that I like to give my version of a Christmas newsletter of the last year... but in favorite songs added to my iTunes each month. Since I can't burn you a CD, I'll do my best to add links.
January: I added this great Paul Simon Christmas song… funny I always thought he was Jewish. Carrie Elkin and Danny
Schmidt will be playing my house concert series in April next year and I
so loved this song, The Company of Friends because I do also feel I work
with a company of friends.
February: Jackie DeShannon re-recorded her hits,
and I pitched Put a little Love in your Heart to our Rose River band; so far we’re passing on covering it
but please keep a little love in your heart. The Civil Wars gets a lot
of playing time in my iTunes, and their Dance me to the end of Love is a great Leonard Cohen cover.
March: I spent some time digitizing a few of my
favorite vinyl songs; of course Dave Mason had a few like Sweet Music or Every Woman. March was also in
the height of Downton Abbey and my love affair with Lady Mary Crawley
who was the inspiration to Graceful and Grand.
There are words to the song but I have not been happy with any vocal
tracks I’ve laid down for it.
April: My favorite Celtic band with Norah Rendell
lead vocalist put out an early release of one song from their new CD;
The Mountain Road. I love Norah too, but she always brings her husband
along with her when she has played our house
concert.
May: Beth Wood came to our house concert in May,
and her Doing this Dance is a favorite. Then we went to see Peter Mayer
play in Zumbrota and his Holy Now is a song we might cover in Church
someday. I had to include Beast of Burden because
when I get my Lucky Dog group together at the Elmaro Vineyard and my
buddy Tim shows… he brings his accordion and we cover this version.
June: 2012 Brandi Carlile released a fantastic CD called Bear Creek, and Raise Hell is one of its spunkiest songs.
July: I will always remember 2012 was the year I
discovered SHEL, a four sister group from Fort Collins. They already
might be too big of name for me to book at the house concert, but I’m
working my tail off trying and they have hit Wisconsin
and Illinois in the past, so I have my fingers crossed. You have to
check them out in YouTube doing their Led Zepplin cover. They are fun to watch as well as fantastic
musicians. Also during July I was working on marketing the November
House concert with Lindsay Lou, and their Lemon Squeezy is another one that sounds old and makes your smile.
August: Another 4 woman group that I follow
released their second CD; the Trishas are out of Austin TX. Of course
another SHEL cut, this one their fun Latest and Greatest Blueberry Rubber band… the
mandolin player is just incredible.
September: I discovered Sarah Jarosz covering one
of my favorite Dylan songs Ring them Bells on YouTube with infamous dobro player Jerry
Douglas; I immediately bought the song in iTunes though without Jerry.
September also found me digitizing my old Johnny
Cash favorite “the One on the Right” in honor of the election year; plus I covered it.
October: I discovered Hey Marseilles on a free
Noisetrade.com sampler, and the significance about it is even my son
Dustin liked them too. I also bought some more Danny Schmidt music so I
know a few more songs when he plays our house
in April.
November: Lindsay Lou and the Flatbellys played an
AWESOME Bluff View House Concert, and I got a pretty good recording of
them HATS OFF!
December: Lori and I went to see Michael Johnson (Bluer than Blue) at the Elmaro Vineyard. He’s a great entertainer and
writes funny songs, or So So. Finally another hipster cover of a
Christmas song, Stujan Stevens is very creative.
Now if you opened up every link you did an outstanding job and listened to some great music.
