Esther Golton
Talkeetna Roadhouse Live
© 2002 Esther Golton
CD permanently out of stock. Sorry!
Live dulcimer, singing, flute and several local characters from Talkeetna, Alaska. A magical night as recorded at the Talkeetna Roadhouse.
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About the Talkeetna Roadhouse Live CD
* On August 7th, 2001, Esther got together a bunch of friends to spice up her concert at the historical Talkeetna Roadhouse - it was the first time - and she loved the results. These concerts became a Roadhouse tradition, with different friends involved each time.
* The concert was recorded 'as an experiment' by Esther's partner and sound engineer, Jim Kloss, using a personal computer.
* The recording was mixed in an old log cabin "up the tracks" from Talkeetna, during several weeks of solitude, using a small generator to power the equipment. Aiming to capture the essence of that evening of music, Jim surprised Esther with the finished product in March of 2002.
* There is a multimedia show on the CD which includes movies and photos from the concert and some personal home videos of Esther and Jim fishing and saying silly stuff at home (never knew they'd go public! J )
* The CDs and packaging are entirely produced at home in Esther's self-built 12x12 cabin.
* Esther uses recycled plastic CD jewel cases whenever possible (if you have some, pass them along!) Esther mostly gets them from people in Talkeetna who transfer their CDs to "CD wallets".
* Talkeetna women who are friends of Esther's often gather for coffee klatches, filling CDs with dried flowers, beans, river rock and other creative things, all found around our own cabins (see the spine on the left of each CD! Each one is unique!)
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About Esther Golton
Talkeetna, Alaska is a long way from the home of the Appalachian mountain dulcimer. So it makes sense that singer-songwriter Esther Golton would elicit some non-traditional sounds from this instrument, which she uses as the main accompaniment for her songs. "You can paint a surprising range of colors and textures with a dulcimer," she says, "especially when you plug it in."
Esther released Talkeetna Roadhouse Live in the spring of 2002. She is currently recording and arranging a new CD - Bent Nails - which honors the 12x12 self-built cabin where she lives and records. "I've got 2 woodstoves, a kitchen, a recording studio, a queen-sized bed, a piano, a sound engineer, and a radio station in the space many Americans would use for a closet..."
After graduating from Penn State's School of Music in 1989, Esther taught music, thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, taught English and busked in Tokyo, lived in the backwoods of Maine, then moved to Alaska. She spent her first year in Alaska in an old log cabin 20 miles from the nearest road. "It's a simple and peaceful life, a different reality. No music equipment, computers, telephone... or people." Following that sojourn she moved to Talkeetna, built her own little house, and became part of a small, vibrant community 100 miles north of Anchorage. In 2002, her partner Jim Kloss began operating Whole Wheat Radio - http://www.wholewheatradio.org - out of the tiny cabin, a 24/7 live indie-music webcast. That's what happens when you get electricity, phone, and a geek all in one place. No running water needed.
"All of this seems ordinary to me now," says Esther, "but years ago, when I was a Philly girl, I couldn't have imagined this kind of life for myself."
Appropriately, her songs vary widely in mood and subject matter. "Echo Point" is a haunting ballad about a love that could not survive isolation in the Alaskan bush. "My Head's In The Trees" humorously questions city life and celebrates outhouses. "Louise" is a poignant reflection about a friend with a brain tumor. And "Toe Jam" is a silly rap about... well... the condition of one's feet after a long distance hike. That's a smattering of what audiences can expect to hear at her concerts.
And then there's the flute. "People keep telling me the flute is 'my instrument'. Funny - it was years of classical flute study that caused me to rebel musically. Now, I improvise. It's an exhilarating freedom. My body just takes over. And audiences seem to love it."
"I play music because I can't help it," Esther says. "Living a simple life in the woods couldn't cure me of it. I've got to communicate this weird and beautiful language to people."
A dulcimer, a flute, and a voice that echoes the vastness of glacial canyons and the laughter of hidden creeks... a weird and beautiful language indeed.
reviews
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Delightfully Quirky and Creative
author: SolI was hooked from the word go with this creative musician who loves music so much that she spends far more time promoting other indie musicians' music than she does working on her own. What really drew me to Esther's music at first was the creativity that is abundantly clear in her writing, and the quirky (in a good way) nature of some of her songs. As an avid outdoorsman, I could really relate to the humor in Toe Jam and Toilet Paper, and the messages in some of her other songs with a nature theme, such as the love song for insects, called Angels and Insects (she says she won't write love songs for humans, because there are too many of them). If you have ever spent time listening to Esther and her partner Jim on Whole Wheat Radio ( http://www.wholewheatradio.org ), then you can really appreciate their humorous take on Sweet Baby James. If you haven't tuned in, please do so and find out why they have an entire community of listeners who love and support their efforts to promote indie music like that here on CD Baby. There is plenty of material here though that shows more "traditional" talent. I really enjoy her version of Two Little Feet and her song Slow Boat. This album was recorded live in the local bar with several guest singers and a community atmosphere. It gives a great small-town feeling, but just don't expect studio-type perfection. On the other hand, Esther has some great material in-the-works, and has a home-produced album on the way. Don't forget to check out the bonus materials on the CD -- they'll give you a quick view of why we love her so much. Esther's CDs are also hand-decorated with... well, whatever she finds around the house - a nice personal touch, making each one unique. Tune in to Whole Wheat Radio to catch a listen, and encourage Esther to finish up her next album!
The Real Thing
author: Jim KlossHaving a lot to do with this CD makes me totally biased. So I won't comment on the musical quality ... I will only say this...if you want a REAL momento of Talkeetna's quirky character, this is the CD for you. The fun and joy you hear is genuine.