Vagabond, Nelson’s 2012
release, takes you on a musical journey, part travelogue with stories from Oklahoma, New Mexico, and the Carolinas,
part love song, and part wistful remembrance.
The follow up to “Tengo Ranchito”, Nelson’s 2008 release which garnered
“Best of 2008 Americana Records” (Barbed Wire Productions), Vagabond continues the thread with infectious groves,
tasteful arrangements and pristine production. Containing 13 self-penned originals, it carves out musical territory
from the folk-grass inspired “My Sweet Love” to the swampy “Waiting For The Weekend”. “Medicine Creek”, recounting the
treaty signing of 1854 with Native tribes received a Woodyfest songwriting competition honor. “Oklahoma Saturday Night”
paints the picture of a dance in Americas’ heartland with twin fiddles and sweet harmonies. “There’s No Right Way To Do
Me Wrong” lays down a blues swagger with honky-tonk piano and an Epiphone Zephyr cranked through a Fender Vibrolux.
Character driven narratives like "Jezebel" relate another time and place in an old mill town and “By The Light” portrays
a gentle remembrance, complete with a lilting string trio.
Musicians contributing their considerable talents to Vagabond include “International Steel Guitar Hall Of Fame Inductee”
Doug Jernigan (Johnny Paycheck, Vassar Clements) fiddle ace Barbara Lamb (Asleep At The Wheel, Sweethearts Of The Rodeo),
blues fiddler Jon Parry (Danny Barnes, Hank Williams Jr.) and the Grammy nominated Native American Flute player
Gentle Thunder.
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Tengo Ranchito, released
May 2007, combines acoustic guitars, vocals, fiddle, mandolin and dobro in
a mix of folk, blues and country textures. This collection of 13 originals and one cover
are infused with the values of traditional American Music.
“She’s Lucky” captures the honky-tonk tale of a good
luck girl. “Troubled Love” haunts with it’s aching slide guitar and Hammond B-3
organ and the classic “Satisfied Mind” features Alice Stuart on vocals. Guest
artists include Orville Johnson,
Jon Parry, Chris Leighton, Jeff Simmons, Murl Allen Sanders, Paul Elliot, Jane Milford and Tammy Nilsen. A mostly acoustic record,
Tengo Ranchito at times features Fender Telecaster, lap steel, piano and drums.
Reviews are available here
Sound samples are
available here.
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Soliloquy, released in 2003, is a collection of gentle
guitar instrumentals. These compositions were inspired by John's performances at Children’s Hospital in Seattle.
They combine meditative themes, varying time signatures, a spacious feel, and a warm inviting sound. Since it’s release
Soliloquy has gained an appreciative audience with artists, healers, massage therapists and many others.
Reviews are available here.
Sound samples are here.
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Released in December 2004, Coast Bound Train is the result of
a collaboration between longtime Seattle songwriters and instrumentalists Max
Paul Schwennsen and John Nelson. Featuring acoustic guitars and voices complimented by a sympathetic rhythm section,
this CD includes 12 original compositions and one penned by the great Ron Davies.
Special guests include Alice Stuart on background vocals and Jon Parry on
violin.
Reviews are here.
Sound samples are
here.
Lyrics are here.
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| A Night Of Song For World Harmony |
On September 11th, 2003, more than thirty-five
acoustic musicians came together to record a night of song and healing at Dodge City Studios in Seattle,
Washington in rememberance of the 9-11-2001 tragedy. Spanning diverse politics, backgrounds and styles,
we struck a common chord in our desire to transform individual feelings of loss into positive action.
The resulting six-hour concert proved to be much more than the sum of its parts. This CD is a sampling
of that magical evening. We hope that you enjoy this amazing recording as much as we do and in some way
it helps spread healing in all of our communities. All proceeds from the sale of this CD go to Northwest Harvest.
By Anita LaFranchi.
I am the editor of the Victory Review Acoustic Music Magazine, and I give this CD 5 stars. What you hear in
this CD is some of Seattle's best Indi artists. Eva's Tree Blue Skys is extraordinary. If you are a Pacific
NW Resident look for the Victory Review in December. This CD and the making of it is in our cover story .
Names such as MJ Bishop, Val D'Alessio, John Nelson, Larry Murante, Harp 46 and Cat Kinsey are all stars in
their own right as well as Victory Members. Buy this CD - You will not regret it, and the proceeds do not go
to the artists, but to hungry people in the Pacific Northwest. Makes a great gift.
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| The Mystery Of Ron Davies |
Beneath the glittering surface of celebrity toil the myriad journeymen — among them, songwriters, whose daily dream is
that somebody famous will record their tunes, or that their songs will make someone else famous.
Ron Davies, who grew up in the Port Orchard-Bremerton area and died in 2003, was such a songwriter. He penned a few hits
along the way, the best-known being "It Ain't Easy," recorded by David Bowie and Three Dog Night. And dozens of
well-known artists, from the Fabulous Wailers ("It's You Alone") to Joan Baez ("Dreamsong"), Helen Reddy, Maria Muldaur,
the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Anne Murray and Joe Cocker released Davies tracks, too.
Now Davies' contemporaries — notably, Seattle singer-songwriter
Eric Apoe along with Davies' daughter, Michelle Collette, have jumped in.
Sunday, they celebrate the release of a fine compilation CD of 18 of Davies' best songs including "No Regrets"
performed by Max Schwennsen and John Nelson.
"The Mystery of Ron Davies:
A Pacific Northwest Tribute". (Excerpted from the Seattle Times 2011)
Proceeds benefit MusicCares
Ron's web site
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