What’s the old saying…

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue? The adage describes this album just about perfectly. A couple of gems from my long-ago repertoire are reimagined with the able assistance of my crackerjack band, the Whippersnappers. There are several new songs, some of which were being polished until the last take of the recording sessions. A couple were borrowed from friends. And blue? Well, some people say everything I sing is blue to some degree.

According to persistent legend a truck carrying a load of green parrots turned over on the Interstate highway near New Orleans sometime in the late twentieth century and spilled its colorful cargo into the local mythology. Whether the story is true or not, there are green parrots all over town and they often congregate noisily in tall palm trees and on telephone and electric wires above the heads of the citizens. The song, Seven Birds, was inspired by the activities of these birds and their similarities to the activities of my son, Tucker, and his teenage friends during high school. Like the parrots who fly away one at a time, Tucker’s friends dispersed slowly as they grew into adults. There are eleven stories on this album, but this is the only one told from the perspective of a flock of birds.

Midnight Delta gives us a feeling for the sights and sounds of rural Mississippi. I’ve Been Delayed tells of longing and loneliness. The Party’s Over describes the liberation of a woman who has finally had enough of her old life, while I’m the One paints a picture of acceptance of a status quo that is far from perfect. What’s in Your Pocket takes us on a tour of one man’s personal, portable treasures; and Disappearing Nightly illuminates the life of a traveling musician. The thread that ties these songs together is nothing more or less than life itself.

On this album I take advantage of a pool of musician friends in Germany. Sini, Reinhard, Fred and Mutz bring fresh ideas to the studio; and it is a treat to create music with them. The two tracks recorded in New Orleans give me a chance to introduce the wonderfully impish Aurora Nealand, one of my all-time favorite musical cohorts. But, of course, no matter how much we enjoy making music, the circle is not complete until someone hears it. Thank you for listening!

Spencer Bohren
January 2015, New Orleans