March 27, 2009
Hello,
In an effort to save paper and money, and eyes (who can read the tiny print on Cd's anymore?)I'm posting extensive liner notes for my new album!
Technical
All the tracks were recorded at Thomas Eaton's studio in Newburyport, MA. Recording was done digitally at 96kHz with a pair of Shure KSM44 microphones in a cardioid XY configuration about one foot away from the guitar, and a pair of Audio-Technica AT4049a omni microphones positioned about 10' in front of me, aimed 6" from a pine wall. We used Geoff Daking Microphone Preamps on all the mics. This was all recorded to Digital Performer with no dynamic effects processing.
The intent of the room microphones was to provide a natural reverb. I wanted this album to sound real, honest, like I was in your living room. I didn't want to use a bunch of artificial reverb or other effects typically used in today's recording. I wanted to use the best of what the digital world provides combined with 'old school' recording techniques.
When we were finished recording we did minor edits, mixed the stereo pairs, added a touch of beautiful Lexicon Reverb, and then Tom mastered the mix. Simple, but all done at the highest audiophile standards.
About the editing: This album is all solo guitar, the pieces were performed live from beginning to end with no overdubs. Any editing was taken from 'inside' the recorded piece. If I blew a note or a phrase that was repeated in the song, we cut and pasted that over the mistake. This allowed me to keep the integrity of the solo performance, and save time and money. If I made a mistake that wasn't repeated somewhere in the piece, I had to start over. Luckily that didn't happen too often.
The Guitar
As far back as early 2006 I had told Alan Carruth that I was looking for a guitar with which to record a solo guitar record. And though the two Carruth's I've had for the past 12 years are amazing guitars, I was looking for something with a bigger sound, something that would really fill up a room with sound. We talked about a variety of possibilities that included a 7-string guitar, a harp guitar, but ultimately we decided on the Baritone; henceforth called Smoky.
This guitar has a 28" scale, and is tuned two whole steps low, C,F,Bb,Eb,G, C low to high in standard intervals. The guitar is a deep bodied OOOO-sized instrument. The top is made of Western Red Cedar, the back and sides are gorgeous Honduran Mahogany. This is an instrument that provides the bottom end I've been looking for, but it's also incredibly detailed, and the highs are sweet and lyrical. Al nailed this one!
As many of you know, most of my recorded performance are in alternate tunings, but, over the past 5 or 6 years I've been playing more and more in standard and dropped-D tunings. Although I loved the possibilities these tunings provide, I missed the timbre that alternate tunings gave my guitars. The baritone gives me the timbre I'm looking for in standard tuning, but still handles the odd tunings I throw at it.
The songs
I've included the tunings and capo positions for all the songs. All tunings are given from the lowest, 6th string, to the highest 1st string, and I use standard tuning as the reference since most of you don't have a baritone guitar. If you do, just drop everything two whole steps and you'll be playing along with me!
1) Opal's Delight (EADGBE)
I've written songs for dogs, cats, and plenty of humans, but never for a car. But then again, I never had Opal, my Scion XB which is the cutest, ugliest car ever made, and is an absolute blast to drive!
2) Getaway (EADGBE) Capo III
I wrote this in the fall of 1996. It took me about 10 years to learn to play it!
3) In Christ There is No East or West (EADGBE)
Traditional, Arrangement Copyright Ken Bonfield, 2008 BMI
This was the first instrumental I ever learned. It's a John Fahey influenced arrangement that I first heard Leo Kottke play. It's funny, but I hadn't played it in almost 30 years until the day I got Smoky, but it was the first song I played when I picked the guitar up. Muscle memory is forever!
I'm a heathen through and through, but given the world we live in today the title speaks volumes to me.
4) Stealin' (EADGBE)
One of my favorite things to do is teach guitar. Whether it's one-on-one or in a clinic with 30-40 people, I just love passing it on.
One of my early students, now a wonderful singer/songwriter in his own right, was interested in learning country blues technique. I wrote this for him, fell in love with it, and I've been performing it for the past 4 or 5 years. It was just waiting for Smoky to get recorded.
For those of you familiar with this style, you'll hear echoes of Doc Watson's Deep River Blues, John Fahey's Last Steam Engine Train, and a little bit of Chet Atkins muted bass for spice.
Thanks Chris!
5) Denouement (DGDGBD)
I wrote this for two friends' wedding. A couple of years later, at the time of the recording, one of those friends was staying at our house contemplating the end of that marriage. This had a huge influence on how I performed the piece and the performance was so vastly different than the original that I re-named the song.
6) Partial 2 U (EADGBE) Full capo V Partial Capo (3rd-5th) capo VII
Inspiration can come from many places, and often from multiple sources all at once.
I wrote this the day I got two new capos and found out my oldest daughter Sloan was engaged. This piece really wrote itself; one minute it didn't exist, and three minutes later it was finished.
For Sloan and Toby,
Love Dad.
7) Goodbye Chester Lee (EADGBE) Capo III
I just love this little tune. It wrote itself. It's written as an homage to the progenitors of 'travis pickin', Merle Travis, Chet Atkins and Doc Watson.
8) Moonlight Music (EADGBE)
Every once in a while I give myself a writing assignment. On this piece I tried to capture the loss of a wonderful venue in Alabama, Moonlight Music Cafe, as well as write something in the style of my good friend and wonderful songwriter Pierce Pettis. This is the result.
9) Zephyr (EADGBE) Capo III
A few years ago my sister-in-law Mary Jo Arthur who is an extremely talented artist asked me my least favorite key to play on the guitar. Without hesitation I said, A major, I've never liked that key. Of course, her response was; "Well then, you must write something in the key of A." After a lot of hard work, I came up with this little puff of wind. Thanks MJ!
10) Prelude (DADGBE) by JS Bach, public domain, arrangement © Ken Bonfield, 2008 BMI
As far as I can remember, I learned this in one of the first editions of Frets Magazine, back in the mid-70's. I've always played it, but it didn't really strike me as something to record until I got Smoky. I hope this honors the work of Bach; my favorite of all composers.
11) Ivy Lane (DADGBE)
In the summer of 2006, my youngest daughter Ella asked me why I hadn't written anything to celebrate the life of our friend Ivy Lane (the wonderdog). It'd been 2 years since she'd passed and I'd promised her I would write something for her. This is the second of three pieces I wrote for her. I tried to catch her joy for life; especially when we would go for a hike in her favorite spot: Raven's Wood.
12) Reunion (DADGBE)
I wrote this to celebrate getting together with my three oldest daughters after way too much time between visits. I tried to capture the 'conversation' by playing the theme in different octaves and positions on the guitar, and while it may seem as if I have the last word in the conversation; being the composer allows me to take artistic license.
13) Study (EADGBE)
I originally wrote this for a student until I realized I could barely play it. It is a fun little short piece that just begged to be part of this album, and it's a blast to play, even if it is hard.
14) Indian Rain (DADGAD)
This is the first, and still only, piece I've written entirely away from the guitar. I wrote this on my computer using a TAB writing program. I'm certainly going to try this technique again soon. It really shows off what the baritone can do when it's tuned really low; the low string is tuned to Bb; an octave plus a whole note lower than middle-C.
15) The Fisherman (EADGBE) written by Leo Kottke, © Bug Music
As I've heard it, Leo wrote this this for and about the ice fisherman of the Great Lakes region of the Midwest. I still remember when my buddy Mike Crane first showed it to me in 1975. I spent hours outside my Spanish Steppe's apartment in Dallas attempting to learn it. I've played this song on and off since then, but never gave serious consideration to recording it until I picked up Smoky. This is my favorite performance on the album. Thanks Leo. Thanks Al.
16) Black Dog (EADBGE)
This is the first song I wrote for Ivy after Ella insisted I needed to write something for her. Black Dog was her nickname, and I used it most often when she was being a pain. The scene most prevalent in my mind as I wrote this, was the time she stole the pizza lunch from the stage manager at the Kent State Folk Festival. He was acting like a prick so I never said boo to her about her indiscretion; he thoroughly deserved it! Interestingly enough, I wrote the intro in 1989 but didn't have a place for it until 2006. Yes, sometimes it does take almost 20 years to finish a song!
17) Lullaby for the Long Dirt Nap (DADF#AD)
For Ivy Lane the Wonderdog. May her adventures in the next life be at least as much fun as the ones we experienced here. See ya on the flip side!
Homecoming (Liner Notes)
October 4, 2006
Alright. First I need to thank Patrick Shea and Loud Dust Recordings for having the vision to re-issue this Cd. I'm so glad he did. This album more than any other helped get my name out there. When it was originally released in 1998 it became an Echoes staple, eventually landing on their 'best of' list for the whole year, climbed to #8 on national charts, and sold over 20,000 units. Not bad considering the label that originally released it shut down a few weeks into its original release.
This album also marks my beginnings with bassist Michael Manring. We began a musical and personal friendship that continues to this day. It is also the first time I began writing pieces with other instruments in mind. Centerline, Floating, and Mirage were all conceived with Michael in mind, and Homecoming was written with a violinist in mind. This is also the first chance I had to be in a decked out recording studio with great microphones and preamps. I remember we used a $5000 Klarik stereo 'lab' microphone and NIeves Preamps for everything. This was recorded over 10 years ago, but it sounds like it was recorded yesterday.
Here are the tracks and the inspiration behind them; enjoy, kb
Wiseman's View
DADGBE
This is a place not a state of mind. This tune started playing itself on my guitar one magical afternoon while watching a hawk soar above a canopy of trees. A 'National Geopgraphic' moment, I caught on the guitar. I've begun playing this tune at shows again, and I play it much differently than the recording, slower and with fewer 'notes'. I found that it really brings out the emotions and melody more clearly. Look for this one to get re-recorded someday.
Floating:
CGDGBE, High String tuning (remove the 3 lowest strings and replace them with strings tuned an octave higher)
I wrote and recorded this on a high string guitar, and only played it a handful of times live. It subsequently has become one of my more 'famous' songs, and is at the top of the list of many critics lists of my work. Recently my wife heard the piece and begged me to figure out a way to play it on standard guitar; I'm almost there, and hope to 'debut' the piece later this summer. BTW, I wrote this after I fired my first booking agent.
Mirage
DADGAD
It's funny, I wrote this piece as 'filler' right before we recorded the album. I thought the album needed a mid-tempo minor key piece in 4/4 to round things out, and I pulled some of this from an old 'song with words' I was no longer performing. Since 1998 this has gone from a nice three and a half minute tune to an almost 6 minute romp; especially when I'm playing with Mr. Manring. This tune continues to inspire me in different directions every time I play it.
When Time Stands Still
DGDGAD
I wrote this the day I realized that the long-term relationship was in was over. I stayed with her for almost a year 'knowing' that it was over. Humans are weird. I want to thank Roger Awe, a wonderful amateur guitarist who prodded me to re-learn this piece so I could teach it to him. I can't believe I ever stopped playing this. I enjoy the bluesy quality of what is almost a classical guitar piece.
Centerline
EADGBE
This is my homage to Quentin Tarantino. I started writing this while watching Pulp Fiction; it's the scene where Travolta is shooting up heroin; quite possibly the sexiest drug scene in Hollywood history.
Lighthouse
DADGAD
For Melanie.
Little Martha
DADF#AD
This chestnut from Duane Allman has always been a favorite of mine. This arrangement was inspired by a duet version I heard Ed Gerhard and Bill Mize play, the 17/8 time signature is my twist on this classic guitar piece.
Homecoming
DADGBD Capo III
I wrote this the first time I visited my wife's family in NY state. I was overwhelmed by over 30 Arthur's, a pretty impressive lot, and slunk off to be alone with my guitar. For all the Arthur clan, past, present, and future.
Roundin' 3rd
DGDGBD
To me, baseball is the mark of summer. The sound of bat hitting ball is magic to me. When I was a kid growing up in Chicago the Cubbie's Ron Santo was my hero. He was a little 'husky', always played his ass off, and I think he deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame. He's suffered from severe diabetes since his playing days, has lost both legs, but still manages to broadcast Cub games on the radio. Ron, you're still my hero.
Taos
DADGAD
I spent 4, almost 5 very turbulent years in Taos, NM in the early 90's. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It took me over 10 years and 6 albums to record all the material I wrote in Taos. This is the first piece of music I wrote after I left Taos and moved to Asheville in '94. I tried to capture the feeling of Aspen Turn; a magical time in the Rockies.
Dancing with Shadows
EbBbEbGAD
Many folks don't know that this album Homecoming, was first recorded in North Carolin in 1996. Flush with the success of Mystic Morning which had very simple production values, the producer decided to throw every kind of instrumentation on it; we had electric piano, acoustic piano, violin, mandolin, banjo, 12-string guitar, nylon string guitar, bass, and even electric guitar. At one point in the mixing session I had the engineer take my guitar part out and it didn't sound like it was missing anything! Yikes. I knew we had a problem. After talking with my record label at the time, BWE, we decided to shit-can the entire project and re-record the whole album. I wrote this song while contemplating telling my friend and producer that we weren't going to release the album. You'll have to come to a show to hear the story about the odd tuning for this song.
The Passing
CGDGBE
This tune is my way of honoring the people in my life who have moved on. See you on the other side!
Mystic Morning Liner NotesOctober 3, 2006
This 10th Anniversary reissue of my first album: Mystic Morning, originally released in 1996. For those of you who had the original release, you'll notice some changes. The album is shorter and the arrangements of Mystic Morning and For a Friend are very different. I want to thank Patrick Shea and Loud Dust for giving me the opportunity to improve this album; I hope you enjoy the new work. And, for those of you who miss the songs Summer Rain and Steel String Surprise, they're included on another album: American Baroque: Steel String Surprise with much better arrangements.
It may seem odd, but I haven't played much of this music since it was recorded. Shortly after this Cd was released I began touring with Michael Manring and Joe Ebel, began writing and arranging music suitable for the trio and left this music behind. As I began contemplating my return as a solo performer, I put together a list of songs that worked well in a solo setting. I was shocked at how many of the songs on this album work. They were fun to play, I loved their melodies, and they were quite challenging to play; all the ingredients I look for in a solo performance piece. If you come to a concert you'll hear several of the songs on this album; sorry it took so long.
In addition to the following notes about the songs and their tunings several of the songs on this album are available in tablature and musical notation as PDFs from my site. hope you enjoy playing them as much as I do.
Ken Bonfield
October 3, 2006
The Songs
1. Dreamin'
DADGBD, Standard Capo II, Partial Capo IV covering strings 2, 3, 4, and 5
I know we've all heard stories about writers waking up after a dream and writing an amazing song or story. I'd always thought that was just marketing, a white lie to make them more compelling to the reader/listener. That is, until it happened to me.
I wrote this in the early 90's when I first became part of the fingerstyle 'scene'. I was talking to a number of guitarists about composition; principal among them were Ed Gerhard and Harvey Reid. Ed recommended I take a look at double-dropped-D tuning, and Harvey was excited about the use of partial capos. One beautiful spring day, while sleeping peacefully in my lover's arms this tune 'presented' itself to me, fully formed utilizing both their recommendations. All I had to do was pick up the guitar and learn how to play it. It's the first and only time I've ever dreamed a song, and the first and last time I've used this particular tuning/capo set up. I love the results, and look forward to the next dreamsong.
2. Homage
DADGBE
One of my favorite things to do is to sit in front of the TV and write soundtracks to whatever sporting event or movie I'm watching at the time. It's actually an effective compositional technique, and non-other than Richard Thompson employs the same method. I find that my fingers roam the fingerboard with more abandon, and my right hand is more apt to beat out new and interesting rhythms when my brain is disengaged.
While I was watching Passenger 57, a Wesley Snipes' film, I started playing what I thought was a Leo Kottke song. After a bit of research, I realized I had something of my own going and kept writing. I was so worried that I'd forget the complex right hand rhythm that I recorded the song in my bathroom on my Walkman for later reference.
The title for this piece says it all: it's my homage to Leo Kottke, whose album 6 & 12 String Guitar inspired me to see the guitar as a mini-orchestra.
For Coop.
3. Sleepless Dreams
DGDGBbD (G minor Tuning)
It's amazing to me how some music is written. I'd like to say that my intentions are pure when it comes to my craft, but sometimes it's all been about the chicks.
Here's the back-story. I was rehearsing for a gig with a new friend who played flute. Her name was Christine, and I was smitten. We had just played through the last song on the set list and our rehearsal was coming to an end. I really didn't want her to leave so I told her that I had a new song that I wanted her to add a part. I had written no such thing, but I was intent on keeping her around for as long as possible so I started playing this. I wrote most of this in the extra 20 minutes she stayed. The gig was a bust, and I never saw Christine again. At least the song was a keeper.
For Dad, who has always loved this song.
4. Mystic Morning
DADGBE
For those of you who had the original version of this album, this arrangement is substantially different. I felt that the produced version with flute, bass, 2nd guitar, and percussion wasn’t the intimate setting I thought this song needed. This is a love song, and I think the solo version is much more compelling.
For Mel
5. Hard Times
CGDGAD
I have four daughters all with very different personalities, priorities, and politics. For some, life is easy, with few, if any, complications. But for others…
For Alex
6. For a Friend
CGCGCD
I was at good friend, guitarist Michael Mandrell's home when he asked me to help him out with some new gear he'd just bought. Michael is a superb guitarist and was very influential in my developing a love and understanding of alternate tunings. So, Michael handed me his guitar and asked me to play something for him so he could turn the knobs on his new gear. I asked him what tuning his guitar was in, he said "it doesn’t matter, just play something!". This is the something I played. Later he was nice enough to tell me what tuning he was using so I could play it on my guitar.
Joe Ebel created and performed a wonderful string arrangement for this piece.
For Michael.
7. Winter Into Spring
DADGAD
This piece was originally two, separate four-minute long pieces of music that I combined into a medley by mistake one evening. It worked.
I now think of mistakes as happy accidents.
8. Ol' No. 9
EADGBE, Standard Capo II, Partial Capo IV covering strings 4, 5 & 6
So, remember when I said writing wasn't always pure, that sometimes it's about the chicks. Well, sometimes it's about the drugs too.
When I recorded this album Richard Birt and I allocated an entire day to set up and place guitar microphones. We finished a couple hours early and thought we'd celebrate with a left-handed cigarette. Richard encouraged me to play something 'for the mics', and this is what I came up with. We recorded the final version a couple of days later, I never played it again, and promptly forgot the song.
I had to relearn it a year and a half later for a Cd release concert my label set up in Salt Lake City in front of 1,900 people. I've never been so nervous about playing a song. It's still the last time I've played it in concert. All I need to play it again is another left-handed cigarette.
9. Nightfall
DGDGAD
This is another one of those gifts. I wrote it in the time it takes to play. Ten years later it’s still one of my favorite pieces, and one of the only songs from this album that I've played consistently throughout the years. Look for a solo version of this piece on another album sometime soon.
10. Deja Vu (All Over Again)
DGDGBE, Capo V
This has turned out to be one of my favorite songs on the album. It's another piece I'd not played in a long time. I'd stopped using a capo to write and play much of my music; I don't really know why, I just stopped. But after I relearned this piece I started experimenting with capos again and immediately wrote a song. I think I'll pull the capo out a little more often now.
11. Coprophagic Smile
DADGBE, Capo III
This has been the single most difficult song for me to get a good take of in the studio. EVER! Most of the tracks on this and subsequent albums have been captured on the first or second take; this took 47 takes, over a 4-day period! I'd give it 4-10 tries a day and then move on to something else. As I recall, this was the last take I recorded for the album, and the first! I played it so fast we had to slow the tape down at playback for Richard to add the percussion and bass parts! What a workout!
For Dave
12. Farewell
CGDGAD, capo IV
This take almost didn't make it on the album. I almost ruined it by stopping near the end because I’d made an arrangement mistake, but Richard Birt, the producer/engineer, caught me eye and made sure I finished the take. I was determined to erase the track and start over, but Richard forced me to listen to it before we did. Boy, am I glad! The mistake works, and this stands as my all-time favorite studio performance.
For CK.
Mystic Morning and the complete Ken Bonfield discography is available through Loud Dust Recordings, PO Box 8521, Burlington, VT 05402 United States
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