Jill's Liner
Notes
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Easy and Slow-
I first learned this wonderfully sexy song from a sampler cassette that
was given to me by my Dublin-born friend Chris Sullivan whom I met when I lived
in LA. The melody haunted my brain
until I finally set out to learn the song for performance.
Bernie Lowis’s expressive
and fluid piano part adds a gloriously languid feel to this tale of randy
youngsters in the heat of the moment.
Risin’ of the Moon-
I had heard this song done as a steady march sans dynamics many many times
before. It’s so familiar, in
fact, that I had ceased to really listen to the words, so when I decided to add
it to my repertoire, I was determined to wring every bit of storytelling value
out of this time-worn classic. In this frame of mind I discovered the amazing
suspense, mystery, and adrenalin in this rousing account of preparation for
battle. Pay special attention to
Dave Marsh’s bodhran, the urgent heartbeat of the song.
Wayfaring Stranger-
When it had come down to the task of choosing the seventh song for this
collection, I was stumped. I sat in
the studio with Steve Horner listlessly thumbing through a dusty, dog-eared book
of folk music published in 1946, purchased by a friend on a lark in some used
book store. “How about this
one?” I asked Steve, pointing to
the title of the simple, homespun American spiritual. Thus began our “journey of discovery” of the song that continually
fascinates me when I listen back over our recording. Only a week later, my bluegrass-obsessed brother showed me a documentary
about the roots of “roots” music and sure enough, one of the songs in the
soundtrack was…”Wayfaring Stranger” (done with a decidedly Appalachian
twang, of course). American folk
music, Civil War era music and traditional spirituals are holding an increasing
fascination for me. Look to hear
more.
Nurse’s Song-
I embarked on a project with Steve Horner about a year ago in a time of
boundless optimism and ample free time. Our mission was to set some of William Blake’s best known poetry,
Songs
of Innocence and Experience, to music. Blake has long been one of my very favorite poets and his simple,
striking works have had huge appeal for me ever since English class. Nurse’s Song was one of my first solo attempts to set anything to
music. Steve liked the sound of it
and decided to record it for me. That led to a discussion about a larger
project. We got through one other
Blake piece, “London,” before other pressing projects pulled us away from our
little pipe dream. Don’t give up
hope, though. We may finish our
fabulous masterwork yet.
Queen Of Argyll-
When I lived in Chicago, there was many a drunken session with my dear friends
Jim Fitzgerald and Mark Rector along with various and sundry others when each
would take his turn after being implored (in the most offensive of Lucky Charms
brogues) to “Give us a wee tyoo-un” by some member of the circle. Then, in impassioned tones, the singer would croon or bark to the
accompaniment of pizza box bodhran and beer bottle whistle as the rest would
clap, stomp, or melancholically wipe away a stray tear. In this very setting I first heard
Andy Stewart's “Queen of Argyll” from the
aforementioned Jimmy Fitz. It was
always a rouser.
Fields of
Athenry-
Fans had long requested this beautiful and melodramatic song by Pete St. John.
I first sang it when
local Irish favorites, the Turfmen, were generous with the mic and invited me up
at the Omaha Dubliner to sing one. I had coveted and admired this song for a long
time. I found that it suited my
voice well and decided to add it to my rep permanently.
Parting Glass-
It seemed a suitable ending to an album. I
like to close my live performances with this one. It has a great melody and it lends itself to being sung a cappella.
Thanks for checking out the liner notes. Hope you enjoy the music and “joy be with you all.”