Sol Hoopii, Jon Brion, Bill Frisell, Chet Atkins, Tom Verlaine, Tom Dowd, The Band, Andy Iona, Jimmy Nolen, The Carter Family, Van Dyke Parks, Glyn Johns, Elliot Smith, Buck Owens, Sneaky Pete, Leo Kottke, Jimi Hendrix, Barbecue Bob, Tao Moe, Speedy West, John Fahey, Roy Smeck, The Soul Stirrers, Latin Playboys, Mississippi Shieks, The Byrds, Miles Davis, The Beatles, Norman Blake, Jimmy Page, Bill Evans, Nick Drake, Daniel Lanois, Muddy Waters, Oscar Aleman, Robert Pete Williams, Bert Jansch, Lloyd Green, Bix Biederbecke, Greg Leisz, Blind Blake, Thelonius Monk, Bob Brozman, Duane Allman, Tony Rice, Brian Wilson, Dock Boggs, Mississippi John Hurt, David Hidalgo, Son House, Woody Guthrie, Casey Bill Weldon, Chris Whitley, Tchad Blake, Sonny Landreth, Les Paul, Doc Watson, Charlie Parker, John Lee Hooker, George Gershwin, Jerry Douglas, Merle Travis, David Lindley, Skip James, Ry Cooder, Tom Waits.
Acclaimed musician/producer/songwriter Steve Dawson will release 2 new albums of his work in 2008; “Waiting For The Lights To Come Up” and “Telescope”.
“I decided to record two albums at once this year. It wasn’t what I set out to do originally. I was getting ready to make a record that would feature a new batch of songs that I had been writing, but at the same time, I was learning the pedal steel guitar, and had been writing ensemble-based music that would feature that instrument.”
Rather than waiting and recording them separately, Dawson decided to put together a crack band and spend a few days in the studio getting the majority of both albums done at once. The idea was to create two completely different projects that tied together sonically and that shared a similar energy. “I thought it would be interesting to have them both done in the same space at the same time, and by the same people.”
The musicians are players with whom he’s been making a lot of records over the last few years. The band comprises Keith Lowe (Bill Frisell, Fiona Apple) on bass, Chris Gestrin (Randy Bachman, K-OS) on keyboards, and Scott Amendola (T.J. Kirk, Bill Frisell, Madeline Peyroux) on drums.
“With musicians of this caliber, I knew that most of the magic would be happening quickly on early takes, even before the band was too comfortable with the new material.” Dawson and the band set up shop in The Factory Studios in Vancouver and proceeded to record the bulk of the two records in about 5 days. Dawson took the tracks back to his Henhouse Studio to add overdubs, textures and sound manipulation. The result is a wonderful and arresting pair of new releases — “Waiting For the Lights To Come Up” and “Telescope”.
Waiting For the Lights To Come Up
“This album was a natural progression for me. I toured quite a bit when my last album, ‘We Belong to the Gold Coast’ came out in 2005. I did a lot of solo shows in Canada and Europe, and in that time I started writing new songs that I could perform on my own as well as with the band”. While Steve’s hypnotic fingerstyle guitar is still at the heart of the new material, it’s the songs that are most prevalent on this recording. Drawing from his wealth of experience with blues, jazz, rock, old-school gospel and folk music of all kinds, Dawson creates a unique blend of sophisticated roots music as only he could. Polished, but leaving the edges a little rough. Contemporary, yet utilizing sounds and instruments that could have been recorded 60 years ago. The evocative lyrics and textural guitars paint an unforgettable picture in songs like “Room To Room” and “Dry As Our Luck”, the twang of the baritone guitar underlies the foreboding of “At Arms Length”, and Steve picked up his old $50 Silvertone guitar for the searing slide that takes us on a chaotic trip in “Fire Somewhere”.
Dawson continues to explore the traditional side as well, always with a contemporary flair, or something to pull it slightly off in a new direction. He dusts off the Mississippi Sheiks’ “Somebody’s Got To Help You” and burns it down with the band in tow. “Hard To Get Gertie” and “Swinging In A Hammock” offer a take on vintage Hawaiian music, although the addition of drums, pump organ, and several electric guitars skew the context just enough. Dawson is channeling his many influences here, but he has found a unique voice within it all that has truly begun to surface.
The bulk of the new songs were written in a small period of time in between Steve’s touring and recording projects. Dawson’s production work has become sought-after for his multi-instrumental abilities and intricacies, while keeping live performance at the root of most of his projects. Jim Byrnes, Kelly Joe Phelps, Jenny Whiteley, Old Man Luedecke, Ndidi Onukwulu, and Shuyler Jansen are just a few of the many artists who have sought out Dawson in the last few years to produce, record and develop their music, and his instrumental abilities have appeared on over 75 albums and onstage with renowned artists like Long John Baldry, Bob Brozman, Geoff Muldaur, Oh Susanna, Justin Rutledge, and many others. Dawson has been named Producer of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards and twice at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. He has produced 7 Juno nominated albums, and has 4 Juno Awards for albums that he has produced or in which he has been a featured musician. Dawson’s unique production style, paired with his desire to create and experiment with sound has brought him to the forefront of the field.
With this wealth of experience, Dawson has taken his recording experience to new heights with “Waiting For The Lights To Come Up”. Slide guitars, pump organs, pedal steel, wurlitzers, and baritone guitars all dance and sway through Dawson’s strongest material to date.
in 1996, Steve started the independant label, Black Hen Music, which has become one of the leading specialty labels in Canada, specializing in acoustic-based music of all kinds.
Steve's recent production credits include:
Kelly Joe Phelps - "Tunesmith Retrofit"
Jim Byrnes - "House of Refuge", "Fresh Horses"
The Sojourners - "Hold On"
Jenny Whiteley - "Dear", "Hopetown"
Shuyler Jansen - "Today's Remains"
Zubot and Dawson - "Strang", "Tractor Part"
John Wort Hannam - "Two-Bit Suit"
Coco Love Alcorn - "Sugar"
Steve Dawson - "We Belong to the Gold Coast", "Bug Parade"
Old Man Luedecke - "Hinterland"
and lots of others....
For his work in the studio, Steve has been named "Producer of the Year" at the Canadian Folk Music Awards in 2005 and 2006 and at the Western Canadian Music Awards 2007. His work as a musician and producer has resulted in some Juno Awards:
- Roots/Traditional Album of the Year - 2003 for Zubot and Dawson's "Chicken Scratch"
- Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year - 2004 for Great Uncles of the Revolution "Blow the House Down"
- Roots/Traditional Album of the Year - 2005 for Jenny Whiteley's "Hopetown"
- Blues Album of the Year - 2007 for Jim Byrnes "House of Refuge"
As well as many Western Canadian Music Awards, Canadian Folk Music Awards and Maple Blues Awards.
Currently, Steve can be found touring as a solo artist, working as a sideman, or holed-up in his Henhouse Studio in Vancouver making records or just making funny sounds.
Upcoming projects include albums by Ndidi Onokwulu as well as his two new solo projects for 2008. Stay tuned....
We thought it might interest you to hear that our debut CD is now available on CD Baby. Click on the little picture below and listen to some samples. Hope you like what you hear :-)
Cheers Jesper Big Hungry Joe Old-time band from Denmark
Hi Steve, thanks for including me in your circle of friends, great work. I have built a couple of Weissenborn style guitars, amazing sound with a K&K pickup. I'll be in Vancouver for Jazz Fest with some guitars, Tom Taylor is going to stop by would love to have you join us!
Hello Steve, Many Thanks for being my new "space" friend. Find your music super and love it very much ! Wish you many many success !! Have a fabulous weekend ! Musical Greetings, Rose-Marie, Belgium
Andy (my Weissenborn-playing husband) and I will be at the St. James show tomorrow night; we're both really looking forward to hear you play, as always!
