Album Notes

Listen to the plaintive cry of a steam train’s whistle, the moan of the lonesome prairie wind, red-winged blackbird’s reverie and the cottonwood country’s courting song. Montana singer/songwriter, Jim Schulz, paints unforgettable sound pictures of “the West.” The recording is a collection of original Montana inspired tunes that conjure up images rich in the physical, historical and spiritual beauty of his western homeland. Schulz, a fourth generation Montanan, has roots that go deep into the region. It is this solid connection to a sense of place that vividly permeates his music. He sings about what he knows— a land where prairie meets mountains and mountains meet sky.
Fiddle, guitar, banjo, hammered dulcimer, musical saw and Native American courting flute are all featured in this celebration of new western folk music. His tunes have been heard on numerous nationally syndicated public radio programs including Mountain Stage, The Folk Sampler, E-Town and New River City Folk.
Schulz grew up in Drummond, Montana, a small cowtown that billed itself as “the bullshipping capital of the world.” Such a rural setting allowed a young kid plenty of elbow room in which to roam. Jim realized at an early age how one’s life and actions are intimately tied to the land. This awareness of his surroundings has been a constant inspiration for his music.
Jim is no stranger to performing, having played and sang from Mexico to Canada for many years. Schulz makes his living as a public school teacher where he currently instructs biology and earth science at Helena High School.