Conceiving this record, I only knew of one musician who I knew would be along for the ride—Lenne Klingaman, who sang on my two earlier albums. Everyone else came onboard during the recording, often after lengthy searches and delays, and often after one new contact referred me to someone they knew. So here they are:
Core Band
Me!: Vocals, Guitars, Bass – As a singer-songwriter, it would be fair to put the emphasis on songwriter. But for this record, I really worked the singing, choosing songs and keys that suited my voice. As a guitarist these days, it would be fair to say I come from the school of Mark Knopfler. That is to say, a person who loves and respects the instrument, who plays acoustic and electric, and who leans toward clean and slightly dirty tones. As a bass player, I just arrange and play to the song, as best I can, on a bass, the model of which no one would ever guess, and I will never tell. The rest is in my bio on the website.
Lenne Klingaman: Backup, Duet Vocals – Lenne is possessed of a beautiful voice with superb pitch. She recorded these sessions a before we made her debut record, The Heart is the Hunter. On these sessions, she was recording my arrangements, following my lead vocal tracks and the backup tracks of Eliza Blue. This forced her to keys and parts, like high harmony parts, that gave her a chance to shine in new territory. Her duet vocal on “Till There Was You” is effervescent. She keeps it fresh by working extremely quickly, she never needs a lot of takes, and if she takes a warmup take you’d better hit record! Lenne is a veteran national stage TV actor with a ton of credits under her belt, including Hamlet in Hamlet. The Heart Is the Hunter was a very successful indie release that was following by an extended in the national touring company and on Broadway run of Waitress in the role of Dawn. www.lenneklingaman.com
Eliza Blue: Backup Vocals, Violin, Viola – I first encountered Eliza performing with Roma di Luna at the Cedar in Minneapolis. I was struck by some of the unique vocal blends she was getting with Channy Leaneagh (also Poliça) and struck up an acquaintance. She was my first collaborator, singing through extensive sessions on nearly the entire album. When she was working with me on the album she was having a very successful run in the Minneapolis roots and folk scene as a solo artist accompanying herself on guitar and banjo. There are too many highlights to name on the record, but her work with Lenne on “Famous Blue Raincoat” is just one stunning example of many notable performances. She lead the strings team as, literally, the first violinist on the record, setting the standard for expressiveness and tone for the two chamber folk tunes on the record. And she turned me on the to the other players who would become our string section. She is currently living on a ranch raising a family in a nearby state. She remains active as a singer/musician and writer. www.elizablue.net
John O’Reilly, Jr.:Drums – John added his tracks when I reactivated the Roots and Branches project 2018 and 2019 after I had finished promoting the release of the Lenne’s The Heart Is the Hunter. I discovered him online, where he can be found at www.boomcrashdrums.com and the producing team of the Heart project, Lenne, Mark Christine, and I were knocked out by his work with fun. and Rachel Yamagata. He did the drums on The Heart Is the Hunter at his dedicated boomcrashdrums studio in Pennsylvania. He became very close to the team during his tracking of his parts and remains so to this day. He works with friends like Meg Toohey’s Butch and stars like Matt Berninger on his side project Return to the Moon in the duo El Vey, (in heavy rotation at our house for years.). I have always said drums are my favorite instrument after guitar, and John is my favorite drummer. He can play literally anything, and is an astonishingly quick study. Like mixer Neilson Hubbard and Lenne, he is a first-take person. For his subtle virtuosity, I recommend “Medley: Travelin’ Man / Travelin’ / Know You Rider.” For an extraordinarily dramatic build, check out “Famous Blue Raincoat.” Lenne, Mark, and I just love this guy. www.boomcrashdrums.com
Featured Players (by order of appearance)
Sarah Norine: Violin – (“Driving from Calgary,” “Famous Blue Raincoat,”) I believe I was introduced to Sarah, who lives in Minneapolis, by Eliza. Their blend is uncanny in unison, harmony and counterpoint passages. Sarah helped me flesh out the arrangements on how best to play with Eliza’s tracks. Her accents on the chorus of FBR and in the pre-verse 3 “moment” are stunning. And she really brought home the mini-“minuet” vibe in the chorus of “Driving from Calgary.”
Deborah Copperud: Cello – (“Driving from Calgary”) Deborah’s cello track provides the low-end drive of the strings in a call-and-response with the violins, bowing at the very front end of the beat that gives the chorus a sense of urgency, and providing the chorus with a memorable hook. She lives in Minneapolis and appeared on Advice from a Happy Hippopotamus by Cloud Cult.
Henry Fagenson: Drums – (“Driving from Calgary,” “Till There Was You”) Santa Monica-based producer-drummer Henry Fagenson contributed a compelling drum performance to “Driving…” providing a strong, beautiful downbeat that plays against delicate cymbal and hi-hat figures. His bongo version of “Till There Was You” perfectly echoes the Beatles’ BBC Top of the Pops broadcast-era cover that we were offering a tribute to.
Jon Pemberton: Trumpet, Piano – (“Life in the Fifties,” “Mack the Knife”) Jon is a Minneapolis-based jazz musician who improvised three stellar solo verses on “Life…” in just a few takes. He handles all the trumpets on written arrangements for “Mac…” with two other local pros. He has two albums out, a quartet and a trio outing. www.jonpemberton.com
Patrick O’Keefe: Clarinet, Bass Clarinet – (“Mack the Knife”) Patrick is a co-leader of the St. Paul-based world renowned group Zeitgeist, a “new music chamber ensemble comprised of two percussion, piano and woodwinds.” Working with him was such a treat! His lead clarinet work on “Mack” provides a stunning counterpoint to my vocal, so much so I went with a solo vocal on this track. He improvised over a basic my melodic arrangement, expanding it in every direction—in about two takes! He also contributed transpositions of the brass arrangements. His clarinet work is absolutely a high point of the album. www.zeitgeistnewmusic.org
Tom Wells: Trombone – (“Mack the Knife”) Tom anchored the bottom end of the “Mack…” horn section, provided the tugboat toot alongside Patrick’s bass clarinet, and hooked me up with Jon Pemberton. Tom has long been an active member of the Minneapolis jazz scene and was a preeminent jazz educator for 30 years.
Mark Christine: Backup Vocals, Piano – (“Lucky’s Café,” “Medley: Travelin’ Man & Know You Rider”) Mark’s stellar backup vocals on the medley gave me the perfect male tenor foil that was somewhere between the Flying Burrito Bros. and the Eagles. His was the last vocal track to be added to the album, filling a void that I previously just couldn’t find the voice to fill. And he filled the bill on piano to further “balladize” “Lucky’s…” Mark performed most keys and co-produced The Heart Is the Hunter with Lenne and me. Mark is also my son-in-law, Lenne’s husband! Years ago I visited him playing and singing anything and everything at a piano bar in West Hollywood where an opera singer from NYC handed Mark sheet music for a six-minute aria, which Mark played flawlessly as the man knocked it out of the park. I instantly knew I was out of my league! Mark’s credits are many, including stage actor, theater musical director, owner of a boot camp training company for aspiring musical theater majors, and he even was in a teenage boy band! Truly, a man of many talents. www.markchristine.com
Neilson Hubbard: mixer – Neilson is “an American record producer, film director, film producer, singer-songwriter, and photographer. He produced Mary Gauthier‘s Grammy-nominated album, Rifles & Rosary Beads, as well as albums for Sam Baker, Kim Richey, and Glen Phillips.” His list of credits is as long as my arm. He mixed The Heart is a Hunter and is an integral part of the @iheartLenne and Humuncules Music family. He works out of Nashville. He aced this mix and made my voice sound better than it ever has before. Most of these mixes were one-takes and the ones that weren’t were tiny tweaks and done. (Although he did do a last-minute save on “Mack the Knife,” but that’s a story for another day.) I love his records and am currently savoring Cumberland Island. www.neilsonhubbard.com
Jim DeMain: mastering – I met Jim through an online friendship with a family member of his. He has run Yes Master Studios in Nashville since 1998, where his client list includes some of the biggest names in Nashville and some of the best of indie-ville. He did Lenne’s and my albums, where he displayed such perfection and patience with our two projects that we’ll always be indebted. He is our consummate professional. Jim and Neilson have an amazing working relationship and if memory serves, it was Jim who referred us to Neilson. www.yesmasterstudios.com
Castmates, thank you all! Don’t hesitate to amend, correct, or update me. My gratitude is eternal!
