Not sure how this one popped in my head, but I thought it would be a fun one to learn and perform for you. “All of Me” is a great example of lyrical dissonance: sad lyrics set to an upbeat, happy melody.

From Songfacts.com: “Written by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons, this song was introduced by popular performer Belle Baker in 1931 and was first recorded by Ruth Etting that December. It became the biggest hit of the songwriters’ careers as nearly every major performer of the era took a crack at the song, including Billie Holiday, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Frankie Laine, and Dean Martin, among others.” Willie Nelson also did a great cover of it.

I must admit that my most vivid memory of a performance of this song is watching Flip Wilson do it as his “Geraldine” character. Anybody else remember Flip? As always, thanks for listening, liking, and commenting when you can.

Thankfulness edition: I’m thankful that in February we’ll be receiving our first grandchild into the family! In 1968 Kenny Loggins was just getting his start as a songwriter and he penned this song for his older brother, Dan, whose girlfriend had just given birth to their first son. Anne Murray recorded it in 1972 and made it a hit. With Kenny’s (assumed) forgiveness, “Danny’s Song” will become Andy’s song with my Thanksgiving dedication to my son Andy, his beautiful bride Mary, and their son who’ll be joining us soon.

My wife Tina bought me this hat and she said it would go well with a Willie Nelson song. I asked her which one she wanted me to learn and she said, “How about ‘Crazy’?” Hmmm. I can take a hint.

Anyhow, Willie wrote this one way back around 1960 and it was eventually pitched to Patsy Cline. Nelson’s demo was more in his signature off-tempo style and Cline couldn’t get a handle on it until the studio band settled in to the easy swing she recorded. The song took off and was quite a boost for both Cline’s and Nelson’s careers. My version takes it back to its roots, using plenty of Willie’s standard bass runs and fills. Hope you like it.

My brand-new sister-in-law, Karen, requested that I give this song a try, so I’m trying to get off on the right foot with family. “Catch the Wind” was Donovan’s debut single way back in 1965. Although he charted with some trippier songs like “Sunshine Superman” and “Mellow Yellow,” Donovan Leitch had his roots in folk music. This nice little song about unrequited love is very simple, but its memorable melody and poignant lyrics have made it a favorite and it’s been covered many, many times. Another example of how three chords and the truth are often all you need to make a hit.

October 20 is Tom Petty’s birthday. We lost him much too early on October 2, 2017, but he left behind quite a musical legacy for us. To pay our respects, Ben Robert Eastman, Gary Schoolcraft, John Bacon, and I put together this collaboration of one of Petty’s great songs, “Learning to Fly.” Ben gets special props for his outstanding audio/video production on this one. Happy birthday, Tom. We hope you like our take on this.

I’m not sure why this old song popped into my head last week. Could it be because of the “season” we’re in here in the U.S.? Hmmm. Anyway, Tim Hardin wrote and recorded it back in 1965 and it was later covered by Glen Campbell, The Carpenters, and Rod Stewart, among many others. Short and bitter, here’s “Reason to Believe.” As always, I truly appreciate you taking time to listen and comment when you get the chance!

Well, I hit 68 on September 4 (years, not MPH) and I’ve also been thinking a lot about Jimmy Buffett this week since September 1 was the first anniversary of his passing. This little ditty from JB sprang to mind and seemed to describe my situation the best, so here it is: “Growing Older but Not Up.” By the way, I did the math and it looks like Jimmy was at the ripe old age of 34 when he penned this ode to ungracious aging. I’m sure he felt ancient at the time.

On a recent RV trip across country I had the chance to drop in on my friend John Bacon in Missouri. He had a recording studio set up in his own RV and was gracious enough to allow me to play his beautiful 6-string Collings guitar for this video. John did a terrific job on all the production work for this classic tune. (And, yes, that’s me and my wife Tina pulling out of his driveway in the opening shot.)

“Take Me Home, Country Roads”, also known simply as “Country Roads”, is a song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver. It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number two on Billboard’s US Hot 100 singles for the week ending August 28, 1971.

I’m currently on a road trip with my wife, Tina, and we recently had the opportunity to drop in on my friend John Bacon and his lovely wife, Sharon. I’ve participated in numerous online collaborations with John, but our trip through Missouri presented the perfect chance to meet him in person and make some music while we were in the same room. This is our rendition of the great song “Lodi” by John Fogerty and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we did making it!

“The Sand and the Foam” is from Dan Fogelberg’s great 1981 album, The Innocent Age. This beautiful little piece talks about the fleeting nature of childhood innocence and wonder, things we adults could sure use more of. Dan was a great guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter and we lost him much too young. I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do.
I AM FOREVER walking upon these shores,
Betwixt the sand and the foam,
The high tide will erase my foot-prints,
And the wind will blow away the foam.
But the sea and the shore will remain
Forever.
Kahlil Gibran