Songs from my new album: FOUR SONGS (2014)
1. THE CUCKOO SINGS
I took an old-timey country song about the cuckoo bird and thought about the lyrics for a while. Then I took a recent love affair and thought deeply about that. Then I let it all simmer together so I could write this song.
2. C’MON LET’S GO
A true story (the names have been changed…) chock full of forward action and earnest effort, with a talking blues interlude and a nice vocal fade-out.
3. MOM
The song is pretty self-explanatory. My mom was dying. I got on a plane to see her. I got to Florida in the early morning. She died that afternoon. She was my mom. I love her.
4. HOLY SMOKE
I woke up one morning amazed that I was still here. Holy smoke! And then to look through that lens as the day unfolded. Oh my! Oy vey! O happy day! The whole crazy ride for free!
Songs from my previous album (2013): Richie Jenkin – New Songs
1. HOLD THAT WOODPILE DOWN
A song made popular by Uncle Dave Macon in the late 1920’s. I really love the wonderful “travelin’” chorus, so I kept it and wrote a new song around it; re-writing all the verses and adding a bridge.
2. 500 MILES
A beautiful American folksong. For me, this is where simplicity trumps everything else.
3. ALAN BLACK
This is a song I wrote in 1992 that I recorded recently, just wanting another go at it.
4. KATHY’S BALLAD
Written by Mike Brown in the late 1970’s. Mike was a smooth, rock-steady frontman for our band, Country Jam. We were in and out of bars around San Francisco Bay and we made some exciting, beautiful music. I was just drawn to record this one – to make a run at it as a tribute to Mike and for the fun of singing a really sweet country ballad.
5. COLUMBUS STOCKADE
A song I learned when I was 12 years old, and I still play it and love to sing it when I’m serenading myself.
6. UNDERCOVER COP
I wrote it disappointed and fed up with the world’s politics, voting for bliss over fussing and fighting; although the undercover cop seems to like a good fight.
7. HOBO’S LULLABY
A favorite of mine, and a favorite of a favorite friend of mine.
8. BLUESTIME
I’m a fan of my own song! It’s a tribute to a basic blues form with a bouncy beat and a lyric that hits a bunch of topics I seem to love re-visiting.
9. WABASH CANNONBALL
The great eternal train rolls on. I took out the last verse (about Judge Daddy Claxton) and wrote one of my own. Now I don’t know why.
10. SONG FOR DON
My very, very favorite musician/brother. We hung out together on country bandstands – his drumming and my bass – listening for the music and cherishing the togetherness of the beat.
