More On "least"

My incredible friend, Jeff Henig, came over to the studio yesterday to help me classify what influences simply jump out from listening to the rough pre-production tracks of "least". Jeff is steeped in music and comes from a different listening background than I do. So, his insights were, well, insightful...

I had no idea that so many artists that I had never really paid attention to (and some I had never heard of) were so influential to the sound that is emerging. Edgar Winter Group... Really? Okay, I'll bite - so, I YouTubed a couple tracks online and found out it's pretty cool. Then there was the reference to Alice Cooper... Still not sure how he fits in. More obvious influences are Keith Green, GLAD, Bruce Hornsby, Billy Joel, etc... But David Bowie?? Really? And after some more YouTubing I'm sold...

But this project is about more than sounds, techniques, arrangements of notes, inflections, and, as it turns out, even more than lyrics. There has been an interest and outpouring of goodwill that I didn't really expect. Cindy, the wife I do not deserve and who deserves so very much better than me, thinks maybe it's because some people see me using a hitherto neglected talent (or at least unused for the past decade or so...) and are happy to encourage me. But I have to believe there is more at work here than anything so "me-centric."

No, what I'm finding is that while the song lyrics are striking an emotional-spiritual chord, the real magic lies in generating relationships. Some relationships are being re-invested, others are being re-discovered, and still others are being discovered for the first time. How cool is that? I mean, here's this highly introverted guy who thought he was perfectly happy and content to be relatively alone...and then relationships start to build and all I can think about is, "wow...here are all these people willing to help me...I wonder how I can ever help them?"

Then it strikes me all over again (from conversations twenty years passed), "life is about relationships." The other day Myles, our 8-year old, and I were driving into town and talking about sharing with those in need. Some people have needs that only others can fill, and for those others their great need is to help fill the needs... The result is proof of life.

I'm not sure yet where I fit into all this, whether I'm in need or filling needs - but I do know that I am enjoying the journey this project is taking me on. I'm enjoying finding that my journey is resonating with others and that others are willing to share their journey with me. It's almost like what I imagine it must have been like to sing ascension songs on the way to Jerusalem or field songs in the 1840's deep South. Sometimes depressing, sometimes exulting, always pressing on to some better destination - but not sacrificing taking in this moment with friends and family.

Thank you for sharing the journey thus far. I'll be posting some more lyrics from the album soon and hope the themes and thoughts are worth your comments.