March 20, 2008
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 I was finished with the raw recording, Tom created stems from the four microphones and I took this with me to Airshow Mastering in Boulder where Dave Glasser mixed the stems, edited, and EQ'd the mix prior to mastering the album.
We ended up using Sony's Sampling Reverb, an amazing piece of gear that costs more than my car, as the only 'artificial' effect on the album. Sony went around the world recording the finest acoustic spaces like Mechanics Hall in Worcester, MA, or St. John's Cathedral in New York. We ended up using the side chapel from St. John's. It's gorgeous, honest reverb, and adds just enough 'air' to the recording to let it breathe.
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) Trad. Arrangement ©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) Beginnings (DGDGBD)
I wrote this for two friends' wedding. At the time of the recording one of my friends was staying at our house contemplating the end of the marriage. The timing of the recording and the break-up had a huge influence on how I performed the piece.
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) 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.
8) 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!
9) Bach 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.
10) 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.
11) 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.
12) 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.
13) 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.
14) The Fisherman (EADGBE) written by Leo Kottke, © Bug Music
According to Leo, this is written 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 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.
15) 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!
16) 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!
New Age Reporter: American Baroque: Steel String Surprise
April 2, 2007
KEN BONFIELD
American Baroque: Steel String Surprise
Loud Dust Recordings (2006)
If you consider yourself a lover of acoustic guitar instrumentals and you haven’t heard Ken Bonfield’s music yet, you’re missing out. Bonfield is one of the best guitarists recording today, possessed of technical chops, sincerity and passion, and a poet’s sense of beauty in his composing. If he’s escaped your detection so far, you’ll be glad to know that here is an album which will serve as a great introduction to his musical gifts. While this is not a career retrospective, per se, since the songs are only from his three most recent releases (Kadotume, Dancing with Shadows, and Harbor Town), the seventeen selections on American Baroque: Steel Spring Surprise still serve as an excellent appetizer, if you will, to the main course of the many fine recordings this artist has released over the last eleven years. All the tracks here have been remastered by David Glasser, and one song, “Steel String Surprise,” was re-recorded by Bonfield especially for this CD. Even though I have all of Ken Bonfield’s releases, I have to say that Glasser’s remastering reveals all kinds of details on songs that I thought I knew by heart. Even if you’re not a completist and already own some of the originals, you’re still in for a treat.
Bonfield frequently surrounds himself with excellent talent, and here he is joined on various tracks by violinists Joe Ebel and Jerry Goodman (the latter on one track), bassist/ super-session player Michael Manring, and tabla player extraordinaire Ty Burhoe, as well as a few other musicians. A lot of the selections feature one or more accompanists, so if you’re looking for a solo guitar recording, look elsewhere. Instead, what American Baroque delivers is an exceptional collection of tunes featuring artists who are truly simpatico with each other (especially Ebel and Manring, both of whom have been recording with Bonfield for years).
“Renaissance” opens the album on a sprightly note, with adroit finger work by Bonfield as he flies through the lively tune with joy and good cheer. Counterpointing this is the next cut, “Sunday Morning,” featuring violinist Ebel’s first appearance. The pace here is relaxed and pastoral, with a hint of languid repose. Shifting gears again, “Kadotume,” literally leaps out at you, with Bonfield’s fiery energetic guitar work and Ebel keeping pace right alongside him.
Later tracks include the pensive and somber “And Now?” which expertly conveys (via its slowly unwinding melancholy) the open-ended mood of the title’s question, the lovely melodicsim of “Summer Rain,” veering from gentle and soothing to a subdued sense of urgency, the playful yet subtle “Floating” (one of absolute favorites Bonfield tunes, and one of the best ever in the acoustic guitar subgenre), and the cinematic drama of “Centerline,” which brings to mind visions of the open spaces of the American Southwest. Showing that he can stand all by his lonesome self with equally satisfying results, Bonfield goes solo on “Steel String Surprise,” and the bouncy liveliness of the song is bound to make you tap your toes.
What sets Ken apart from the other talented acoustic guitarists out there is his unostentatious playing even when he really lets it fly. His music just always “sounds right,” and he gets those around him to play with the same unforced naturalness, no matter the tone or mood of the song itself. I remember first hearing his music back in 1997 when I reviewed Mystic Morning. I realized then his special talent and have kept a keen eye trained on him ever since. Ten years later and he still impresses me with his skill, artistry, and his tireless dedication to making music which is always accessible yet never mundane. I highly recommend American Baroque: Steel String Surprise as one of the best examples of guitar-led ensemble music around.
Bill Binkelman
New Age Reporter
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!
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