Have Reverence
We are getting OH SO CLOSE to done with the High Sierra. Here’s the latest and second to lastest track, quoting liberally from John Muir and trying hard to channel the thoughtfulness and joy of time in the wild. And thanks again to Travis for delivering yet another perfect fit on lead guitar. Enjoy! And as always feel free to share with your friends.
Meadows
Meet “High Mountain Meadows” the latest addition to our High Sierra collection. Here, we evoke the pastoral, the temporal, the gentle passing of the afternoon into the evening and beyond, a celestial ballet for the earthbound observer. Travis delivers more stellar lead guitar work and Jeff takes his turn at lead vocals.
The Range of Light
We are more than thrilled with the final mix of our instrumental “The Range of Light!” Travis Wood came in and laid down nothing less than the perfect lead line for this piece, making it sound as EPIC as the landscape that inspired it. Michael continues to astound us all with his finesse on production. John Muir called the High Sierra as such, “The Range Of Light”
“Looking eastward from the summit of Pacheco Pass one shining morning, a landscape was displayed that after all my wanderings still appears as the most beautiful I have ever beheld. At my feet lay the Great Central Valley of California, level and flowery, like a lake of pure sunshine … And from the eastern boundary of this vast golden flower-bed rose the mighty Sierra, miles in height, and so gloriously colored and so radiant, it seemed not clothed with light but wholly composed of it, like the wall of some celestial city…. Then it seemed to me that the Sierra should be called, not the Nevada or Snowy Range, but the Range of Light. And after ten years of wandering and wondering in the heart of it, rejoicing in its glorious floods of light, the white beams of the morning streaming through the passes, the noonday radiance on the crystal rocks, the flush of the alpenglow, and the irised spray of countless waterfalls, it still seems above all others the Range of Light.” — from The Yosemite (1912)
As Far As I Can See
Life on the trail, like life in the studio is one step at a time. Our good friend Travis has stepped back into the studio with us to contribute to the revamping of “As Far As I Can See.” This song is inspired by an early morning visit to the summit of Mt Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48 states and 215 miles from the start of the John Muir Trail in Yosemite Valley. Enjoy!
Travis is a real savvy and skilled player, a real pleasure to work with. His tone and his phrasing are just so right for these songs. We are really thrilled to have him working with us in Studio M. The remaining pieces are coming together at last, and our sights are now set on finishing the project.!
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Sunrise!
We have released our new song “Sunrise” to the free world! Yes it has been a long time in coming. You know the last half of ’15 was hard on us, but through it all we couldn’t wait to get back to work on our High Sierra project and carry on! “Sunrise” is a little song of hope, gotta love the morning light. In John Muir’s words, “It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never dried all at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.”. Here it is friends! Enjoy!
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Storms in the Palisades
“Storms in the Palisades!” Inspired by a few pretty wet days in the high country, but most of all by the journey over Mather Pass, high and exposed to crashing thunder, ever so close lightning cracks and a steady downpour. Truly awe inspiring and nerve wracking. When it’s close you can feel the hair on the back of your neck stand up.
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The Edison Queen
Here’s our latest demo “The Edison Queen!” Sometimes you get to take a “zero day.” A break from the wear and tear of the trail, real food! And a shower! Vermilion Valley Resort is a unique way station on the edge of the wilderness. It is a welcome break for hikers where we all can bask in some hard earned downtime. In a year with normal rainfall, VVR is reached by way of their water taxi, “The Edison Queen.” 2015 is the 4th consecutive drought year in California, so the Edison Queen will sit idle again. Even if you have to walk a few miles out of your way, VVR is a great experience. Enjoy!
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In This Wilderness
The deeper you go into the High Sierra, the wilder the landscape becomes. Above treeline we find largely bare granite expanse. But even here, life will find a way.
The higher we climb in this wilderness
Mettle gives way to the cold
The country grows wilder
With every footfall
Life is more precious than gold
Thanks to our good friend Travis for laying down the tasty lead guitar.
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Secrets
For Evolution Valley, the home of The Hermit. This is the spot on the John Muir Trail where things begin to change from beautiful to unreal. Civilization is left far behind as we climb into the vast, wild, high Sierra.
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San Joaquin
From 1000 Island Lake south to the John Muir Wilderness, there are many miles spent in the canyons carved by the San Joaquin and its tributaries. The river’s course includes two mountain passes used for thousands of years by the Chumash, Miwok and Paiutes for trade. The spirit permeates the land.
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