Clips

In seventh grade, Mrs. Culp kicked me out of her music class. That she should find me twenty-five years later to tell me that she’s “impressed beyond words” with my new benefit CD, “Forever Young,” then, is sweet relief — and my best review ever. Mrs. Culp’s junior high music class was a south-facing, high-ceilinged,…

Last Sunday afternoon, a dozen New York City’s finest and kindest musicians gathered at Galuminum Foil Studios in Brooklyn to record our fourth “A Holiday Benefit” group single. This year, the group tackled Tom Petty’s “Christmas All Over Again.” “A Holiday Benefit, Vol. 4,”, the fourth installment of our annual charity compilation CD, features brand-new…

Jeff Jacobson and Patrick Riley have never met, and are separated by a thousand miles of Heartland. Still, they helped me create one of the most-beautiful recordings of my life. For nearly twenty years, I’ve described my brand of singer/songwriter fare as “Less James Taylor, More James Hetfield.” It’s a stretch for those who know…

Funny how things change. Years ago now, I was in a country cover band called The Smith Family. Almost Home producer Kevin Anthony had tired of of his techno outfit, Electroland, so formed the band with a nod to his Galveston, TX, country roots. I eagerly signed on. Kevin and I split front man duties…

“It’s not the heat,” I Tweeted in the wee hours of Sunday morning, “It’s the uncertainty.” Ends up it was both. See, Chicago has a bit of history with extreme weather. In 2007, one runner died and another 100+ were rushed to area hospitals on account of too much heat (the mercury topped ninety!), and…

It may not be immediately apparent, but the “Forever Young” track list is intended to reflect the arch of the day. From from “Rainbow Connection” through “Moon River,” the lyrics, instrumentation, and production start bigger and brighter, then transition to more somber and sleepy. “Mr. Tambourine Man,” then, is all about the transition to night.…