Album Notes

Witch of the Westmoreland
The first time I heard this song - sung by Stan Rogers - I had to pull the car over. I replayed it several times to asborb the imagery. It hearkens to another time in which we were all much more integrated to the life all around us.

Joshua Gone Barbados
Around 1970 I worked for Chavez and the United Farm Workers to help establish fair labor conditions and wages. The struggle continues....

Crossing Over/The Road To Lisdoonvarna
A original "traditional" fiddle tune with the lovely trad jig tagged on. My son Aaron plays wooden flute on this one.

Mercy Brings Mercy
Along with the Kennedy assassinations one of the defining moments in my lifetime was September 11 of 2001. In the immediate aftermath we felt united - though I never felt the right approach was to make war.
May we always choose the path of mercy first.

California
I wrote this song in Telluride in 1984 and recorded it on my first record. Here it is dusted off and still relevant.

The Reagan Blunder
This came from an article published in 1989 while I was at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. When RRR died I updated it and recorded it; fabulous banjo and mandolin picking by David West!

Estamos Unidos
My response to a bumper sticker I saw in 2004 -- an apparent attempt to rally the Latino community to the cause of Empire. With the economic disparity so plainly evident in our community the irony is duly noted.

God's Greatest Gift
This one's for the animals! Written for the annual St. Francis Day blessing of the animals at Trinity Episcopal Church in Santa Barbara.

Vigilante With A Paintball Gun
Ever been annoyed by someone and want to get even? Ever notice that they won't look you in the eye?
Go get 'em Dougie!

On The Day That I Called
I had the privelege of playing this at Hope Church in Chicago backed by an unbelievable choir - and a young man named Rev. Walker on the B-3 organ. We white folks did our best in this recorded version.

Just Keep Goin' On
I heard Eric Bibb do this on a compilation and it took hold of me. Fabulous harmonica by Tom Ball.

Lightness of Love
Originally written as an instrumental - then the words came while I was driving to the Bay Area.