The Ridgewood Boys
Music CD
Folks who know us personally or follow our weblog know that the guy who owns this bookstore and his oldest son have been working for two years now to become old-time country musicians. It's been a long and rewarding journey for us, one that is far from over. The latest milestone along the way was recording our first real CD, Things I Used to Do. We're pleased enough with it, and so we thought we'd offer you a chance to buy a copy for yourself.
Over the past few years we've learned from some of the best teachers in the business, and Things I Used to Do is at heart a tribute to them. The songs are our favorites from the ones they've taught us, played the way they taught us to play them.
The recording is an accurate snapshot of how we sound in live performance—close duet harmonies, accompanied by upright bass and either guitar or banjo. The range of styles is broad; some songs are slow and dramatic, some light-hearted and upbeat, some fast and nearly raucous, one is a capella. We think it makes for a good tour of the fringes of old-time and early bluegrass music, as well as a good forty minutes of listening.
From the liner notes:
Dedication
Thanks to all our friends and teachers for making our musical journey so enjoyable. There’s no way we can repay you, except to make you proud of us.
Song notes
It’s been two and one half years since we started playing bluegrass and old-time music. Our goals have always been modest—to work as a father-and-son team, to learn something about music and the music business, and to see how far a little talent and a lot of hard work might take us. We’ve come farther than we ever hoped, with the help of some fine teachers: Ginny Hawker and Tracy Schwarz, who taught us to sing; Roy Andrade and Brandon Story, who taught us to play; Ron Short, who taught us so much about the music and the people; and most especially Pete Wernick, who first inspired us to embrace this music as our own, and who has time and again been there with the right advice at the right time. Thanks to each of you for your help, your encouragement, and your kindness.
Rick and Chris Saenz
August, 2005
(Song titles are links to 1 minute audio clips)
1. Cool Down On the Banks of Jordan (Traditional)
A great gospel shouter we learned from Ginny Hawker and Tracy Schwarz, who learned it from the Cooke Duet of Wise County, Va.
2. How Dark My Shadow’s Grown (Danny Barnes)
We admire Danny Barnes both for his music and for his unconventional approach to performing. His songs are intimidating, but we love this one so much we had to try it.
3. House of Gold (Hank Williams)
If the Carter Family wrote most of the great songs, Hank Williams may have written most of the rest of them. We learned this from our heroes the Krüger Brothers.
4. Wishful Drinking (John Lilly)
John Lilly won our hearts with this song, which takes a clever play on words and builds it into a spare, haunting portrait of melancholy and regret.
5. Going Down to Tampa (Traditional)
There are lots of songs about wandering, precious few about settling down. We first heard this one performed by Roy Andrade.
6. Whiskey is the Devil (Walter Bailes)
In their heyday, the Bailes Brothers were the most popular act on the Grand Old Opry. It was because of songs like this, one we discovered all by ourselves.
7. Pallet on Your Floor (Traditional)
Our friend and fellow jamcamper Ralph Heymsfeld taught us this Mississippi John Hurt song. We found the lyrics in Pete Wernick’s Bluegrass Songbook.
8. Here in the Vineyard (Traditional)
The Primitive Baptists call this “the old way of singing.” Sometimes the old way is the best way. The arrangement is by Ginny Hawker and Kay Justice.
9. Raleigh and Spencer (Traditional)
Lots of old-time songs tell about folks that you might not care to spend a Sunday afternoon with. We learned this one from the fine CD Songs From the Mountain.
10. The Angels Rejoiced (Charlie and Ira Louvin)
Nothing beats a Louvin Brothers song, especially when the harmonies have been tweaked by Ginny Hawker and Tracy Schwarz.
11. Don’t Cheat in Our Hometown (Roy Marcum/Ray Pennington)
Ginny Hawker used the Whitley/Skaggs version of this Stanley Brothers song to show us that you can be faithful to the original while still making it your own.
12. Things I Used to Do (Traditional)
Ginny Hawker and Tracy Schwarz taught us this Marshall Family song using an unaccompanied four-part Southern gospel arrangement. We changed it a bit.
