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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