The idea for the REBIRTH sessions about came from a shared vision: could we capture the sound of our kitchen jams in the studio?
We booked time at East Works, and recorded the album in three sessions. We were joined by long-time friend and mandolin-player, Mark Leveille.
The instrument and vocal tracks were recorded LIVE and UNPLUGGED. Overdubbing was minimal however we did add BKG vocals later. Ian Cameron's fiddle was added to the first and last songs. Bob Fox added washboard.
Justin Pizzoferrato recorded us. Mixing and mastering were done by Andy Kowal. Keith and Andy designed album art.
REBIRTH was released in December 2011 and available by digital download or as a CD (packaged in an an Eco-Friendly sleeve by Benchmark Multimedia).
The songs in order:
Mount Pomerey is an original song influenced by a traveling family bluegrass band that played the gazebo in Easthampton in July 2010. We would like to thank Chris Slattery for the inspiration on this song and for his lyrics on "Good Old Days" (originally, a separate song that we glued onto the end of Deep Dark Back Woods).
Deep Dark Back Woods is about growing up rural and stupid: a theme repeated over and over in our original works.
Can't Run a Farm Blues is an original number about an ignorant, misogynistic farmer. The song alludes to Cherokee legend of the Two Wolves and to the Three Little Pigs.
You Ain't Goin' Nowhere by Bob Dylan is sung by Paul Carpenter. We often introduce new players to our kitchen jams with this number: sort of musical currency.
Land of Plenty is sung by Phoebe Stewart. This is an original story song that reflects the plight of a poor farm girl growing up in rural America.
Old Home Place is a bluegrass song by Mitch Jayne widely covered by artists diverse as Phish and JD Crowe.
Rain and Snow is a traditional number made famous by the Grateful Dead. Paul Carpenter and Phoebe Stewart perform on vocals.
Raise a Ruckus is also a traditional song we learned from Old Crow Medicine Show. Variations of this song are well-documented from the 1940's but probably date back to the late 1800's.
No Good Chicken is an original song about a hungry farmer who can't quite catch a chicken.
Wrinkled, Crinkled Dollar Bill is written by Vincent Matthews and popularized by Johnny Cash. It is sung by Keith Kleeberg.
Gravel Yard is written by Malcolm Pulley. It was introduced to us by friends, Kim and Mike. A funny bluegrass song with an edge we love to play.
66 Highway Blues by Woodie Guthrie is a good travelin' song and features the line that inspired the band's name: "I'm gonna start me a hungry man's union". Guthrie was singing about marching on Wall Street almost seventy years ago now. Times haven't changed that much, have they?
Postcards from the Poor Farm was written in the middle of the housing crisis about the old community poor house in Easthampton. It is the story of how one's identity can be stripped away by loss and foreclosure.
We would like to thank everyone who contributed to and inspired this project. Our kitchen jams afforded us the opportunity to meet and play with many fine musicians. Thanks to them and thanks to you too for listening.
