Over the past few months I've been digging deeper into Chris Whitley's discography. I was initially turned onto his music a few years ago by an album called "Dirt Floor". The album was recorded live with Chris, his guitar and his foot stomping on the floor. It thrives on excellent songwriting delivered in a raw and honest manner, while maintaining brilliance. I have since gotten into his other albums which are a lot more traditionally recorded and they are great though that album was the perfect one to start on for me. I feel like I have learned from him that sometimes you just have to take what you have and make things work. When Chris's music career started out he had two pairs of pants that he stuck in his guitar case and he just went from there.
So I walked a little to the side and found a place that seemed secluded. The wind blew a cool breeze, but with my jacket it was too hot. It was early enough in the year where I wasn't sure if it was too early to hike yet, but was eager to.
I found a rock to sit on and started playing some of my songs on my little Martin traveler guitar. Despite having the Martin name on it, it is a miniature guitar, making it sound similar to a ukelele. Not the greatest of tone, but I've grown to love it, for what it is. It had a raw quality to it that almost reminded me of Chris's resonator guitars.
As the hike continued I looked to my right and at the top of the mountains there was a thick fog. Right in front of those mountains were smaller mountains without an ounce of snow. The contrast between the two was beautiful.
I remember looking out into the valley. It was a gorgeous day. The skies were temper-mental. Clouds hung over different parts of the valley, sun snuck in at others.
As I started to make my way further up the mountain, another hiker around my age came closer. I arrived to the top of a small mountain that had some sort of radio tower or something. The stranger met me there shortly after and we talked about hikes for a bit. He said he was done for the day and headed back down. I looked up an saw a large mountain and wondered what it would be like to make it to the top of it. I headed down the current mountain and up the larger one. Soon I could see the back of the tower as I climbed up the mountain.
As I got to the top I found a pile of rocks with two mailboxes in them. I opened the mailboxes and found about 8 journals dating back to 1999 of letter's addressed to Jack.
Along with my Chris Whitley kick, I've also been thinking a lot about Jeff Buckley and how his situation was similar to mine when he started his music career. There is an unfinished song I have had for a while with the working title "Triad". I look at Jeff Buckley's album "Grace" and how beautifully the first track "Mojo Pin" starts off the record. The title track "Grace" is also a masterpiece. I like to imagine what my first album will sound like. About this 'Triad' song, as I came down from the hike I began imagining what the strings would play. I don't have any conducting experience but I want to get to the point of my career where I can play with string players who I can get to know on a close level. I want to feel comfortable enough to completely let go of myself and use my arms and body parts to express the motions I want their playing to shape.
I've recently thought about how I wish I would have learned to play the violin or cello as a child. I also would like to have played the sax. I want to experience what it's like to have the ability to express those emotions that I feel could only fully be expressed by a musician who has a good amount of control over his/her instrument.
I think of vibrato on a stringed instrument, or the movement of the bow.
Anyhow, it was a great day for thinking!
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