1) buddy bolden * this
song ( and several others in this first group, [ designated with *] )
was written in New York City in 1969, the year before i moved to California, while i was still a member of RIG.
i worked on it with the band, hoping to put it on our second album.
the band broke up, and it became the title track on what was to
be my first solo album, never released. this recording was
made in San Mateo, CA,
with Fred Catero engineering, produced by Mark Spector. the
players include, Ronnie Montrose, electric guitar, (Montrose) David
Torbert, bass,
(New Rders) Spencer Dryden, drums ( New Riders, Jefferson Airplane),
Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead) pedal steel and banjo. i play piano,
organ, and sing lead
vocal. back up singers are Pamela Polland and Barbara Mauritz.
this song is dedicated to legendary jazz trumpeter, B.Bolden, who
played in New Orleans at the beginning of the 20th century. reputed to
be the 'inventor of jazz. for me, it encapsulates my hope that my
own long creative project will be brought to a happy completion.
so far, so good. :-)
2)
black train * recorded
in san mateo. same cast, (no back up vocals) with the
addition of Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead) on pedal steel. R. Montrose plays lap steel on this.
in 1969, Arthur Richards, RIG's guitarist, told me the sad story of a
musician friend who had died of a heroine overdose. i wrote this
song as a memorial to his friend.
3)
mr white's song i
wrote this in San Anselmo, CA in '71. when my first wife, Lynne
Charles,
and i relocated to northern CA to work on the 'buddy bolden' tape,
we rented a house that was unique in it's beauty. we
were so impressed that we made an effort to locate the former owner, Mr
White. this man, a former police chief in San Anselmo, had built
the house for his wife and lived there happily with her for many years.
this song, in the Gene Autry' style, is my tribute to
them. LC joins Pamela and Barbara on the chorus. the fiddle in Ed
Neff.
4)
get on by me written
in san anselmo, '71. one of very few songs i've written whose
background remains something of a mystery. the subject,
perhaps a 'guerilla fighter' of some kind, chooses to defend a
hopeless position, while his friends and family escape to safety.
5)
country lullaby also
written in San Anselmo, for my wife, Lynne Charles. a naive hope,
a little like a dream. not to be found in this world, i would
learn. but the picture lives on.
6)
jesse, jesse
1971. i met two little boys named Jesse that year.
Judy, wife of RIG drummer, R.Shlosser, named her new
baby Jesse. Ronnie Montrose, who worked with me on BUDDY BOLDEN
had a 2 yr old son, also Jesse. this song is for them.
7)
don't you worry, darlin' written
on the long car trip from NYC to CA in '71. a promise to my wife.
another dream. i revised this song 10 yrs later. the
original then exists as a parenthesis in sadder and wiser context.
( included under lyrics. )
8)
arabian queen*
written in NYC for LC. someone had given us a pair of
Morrocan jalabas. i wore one on stage with Black Betty.
Lynne sailed down west 10th st in Manhattan in the other.
my arabian queen.
9)
city lights same dream, different day. for Lynne Charles.
10)
after the rain one
of 2 'bagatelles' that round out the BB set. our house in San Anselmo
had a tiny room, formerly a sewing room, off the living room.
i used to meditate there and look out at the garden.
reminds me of the Allman Bros. a little.
11)
my delight
* the other 'bagatelle'. we rehearsed this with RIG and
performed it quite a bit in its 'heavy metal' version. i hated
it. one reason i quit the band. fortunately, RIG never
recorded it. Jerry Garcia adds the perfect banjo part. LC sings harmony on the last verse.