Monday, February 25, 2013

Off Stage With Meyer and McGuire

Hey Folks,

As always, hope you are all doing well! If you have some time for reading, viewing and listening, here's what I have for you this month.

Siobhan and I are in the process of recording some of our new original material. So, since most of you never get to see us play because you are spread all around the globe, we thought we would share some of it with you here. This first video, shot on our back porch, is a song called "Just One." Before you watch the video, here's a little background information as to how the song got its start.

A couple of years ago, Siobhan and I were visiting with our Friend Ray Hackett at the Canandaigua Brew Company, a local tavern here in Canandaigua. Ray tended bar there in the evenings, and often Siobhan and I would stop and see him while we were out walking. Anyway, during this visit, Terry Beyea, one of the well-known patrons, shouted over to me, "Hey, you need to write a song called "Just One." He told me that whenever someone tries to leave a bar, they are always enticed by the other patrons to have just one more drink. He figured nearly everyone could relate to this idea, and I agreed with him. So, I stored it in my memory bank where it was destined to be forgotten because I am over sixty now.

When it comes to songwriting, there is no real format for it. While some writers are very disciplined and write every day, others let their ideas blossom when they are ready to come out. Although I would like to be a disciplined writer, I must admit, I am lazy, and I let songs come to fruition when they are ready. Some of my songs have stayed in my soul for years, while others have materialized immediately. Fortunately, "Just One" came to me a few days after Terry gave me the idea.

The characters in this song are real, and I want to thank them for their unforgettable contributions. Here is a link to the video. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoy it!

The "Singer/Songwriters in the Side Room" concerts at Buffalo Bill's in Shortsville, NY, continue to go well. The concerts are on the third Thursday of the month from 7 to 9 PM. In my last post, I played you a video of Lisa Winter playing her song, "Roadkill Cafe." In this post, we have a video of Jim Clare doing his song "Jumpin' Sam Patch." With his acoustic guitar and Perry Cleaveland accompanying him on mandolin, Jim delivers an entertaining ballad about Sam Patch, a dare-devil who traveled around the country in the early 1800s. Sam met his demise when he jumped into the Genesee Gorge in Rochester. Here is the video. Hope you enjoy it, and I hope it encourages you to check out this venue. We have some great songwriters in this area, and if you like original music, you owe it to yourself to experience some of these artists. Stay tuned for more videos of other songwriters we have showcased.

Since I am on the topic of the songwriters' series, I want to thank Maria Gillard, Perry Cleaveland, and Elaine Verstraete for the awesome show they did for us in February. It was a perfect start to Season Two! On March 21, we are having Connie Deming, an awesome singer/songwriter who started her life with music in New England. After many adventures, Connie landed in Rochester, where she continues to dazzle her fans with her insightful lyrics and unbelievable voice. People quite often compare her to such greats as Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Carly Simon, and Sarah McLachlan. You can learn more about her right here! Hope you can join us on March 21!

Since songwriting seems to be the main focus of this post, here is a link to "Caught in the Middle," one of my original songs. You can read about the development of the song, check out the lyrics, and listen to the song. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you may have seen this one already. If this is a new song for you, I hope you enjoy it!

or those of you who have stumbled upon this post accidentally and have no knowledge about Meyer and McGuire, here is a link to our web site. Hope you enjoy learning about us!

Well, once again, it's time for me to stop babbling. I often go walking at night, and much to the chagrin of Siobhan, I am a daydreamer who should be paying a little more attention to my surroundings. Many of you pass through my thoughts, sometimes for a fleeting moment and other times longer. I want to thank you for being in my thoughts. You have contributed to my life much more than you will ever know. So, see you on the streets somewhere!