Twelve songs by songwriter Wayne Hamilton, delivered with a sense of
humor and true Southern style! Two of the songs on this CD, Lucky That Way and Eye
to Eye, won Wayne a place as a finalist at the Midway Folk Festival Songwriting
Contest in 1999.
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Notes from the
Songwriter
The songs
on Lucky That Way tell stories. Like all good stories, they have characters and situations
we can associate with, mainly because we’ve been there or know people who’ve
been there. The title
song tells two true stories of financial
windfall. Clint Hoover’s great harmonica playing gave this song the sound I was
looking for. Mike Loonan’s keyboard work and Jason Kapel’s bass fleshed out the tune (and all the others!).
In the one song that’s placed in another historical
period ("The Wooden Floor"), the
story speaks to us of our roots and how even our great-great-grandparents, when we know
their stories, provide goals we can reach for. Mary Henderson’s harmony, Geoff Shannon on clawhammer
banjo and fiddle player Tim Reese are featured on this cut.
My
songs are rooted in classic folk and influenced by modern acoustic artists. Influences also include
classic rock & roll, pop, R&B, and straight Blues. Humor flows throughout, like
the songs of Steve Goodman, James Taylor, David Wilcox and Chuck Brodsky, whose writing
and styles I admire.
Three songs ("Eye
To Eye," "Qualified Reciprocation
Blues," and "Cookie Lovers’ Ramble") are humorous songs about relationships. Another ("Pappy’s Pithy Phrases") is dedicated to
the colorful language of my father, who initiated my lifelong love affair with
words. R&B singer Rebekka Fisher lent
her great voice to the duet in "Eye to Eye." Frank Wing’s wonderful banjo
in "Pappy..." was recorded in Tennessee and added to the mix in St. Paul, thanks
to the wonders of modern technology. The songs most clearly influenced by the Blues are
"Eye To Eye" and (what else?) "Qualified Reciprocation Blues."
Most of the songs are upbeat in theme, even those with slow
tempos. Some of the slower tunes are not so much sad as thought provoking ("I Wonder If She’s Mine" and "Return to Love"). "I Wonder..."
is about a man who meets a child who could be his own. Erik Brandt’s accordian and Jay Tracy’s mandolin give old-world soul to
"Return to Love," in which a man speaks of the love he thinks he's lost.
Other
songs are simply about love ("Lullabye" and "Looking for You").
"Lullabye" is a goodnight song for adults, and John Simmer gave us a one-man flute choir on that tune. "Looking for You" tells what a man would do if he
lost his true love and had to start over.
Two songs reflect on some aspect of time ("The Time" and "Generations"). In addition, these are songs of reflection and wondering what
would’ve happened if different choices were exercised in life. "The Time"
is about moving on. Mike Loonan’s fine guitar solo in "The
Time" gives it the feeling of melancholy I wanted. "Generations" is a comment on the never-changing shape of politics.
In all, I hope that listeners enjoy this music. Many songs
came before these, and many more are likely to come, if I’m given the wit to continue writing.
Thanks for your interest!
Wayne Hamilton
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