photo by Brian Garrity

Faith in Me (1997)

This was my first solo musical release. Recorded by JR Hartley at HomeBassAudio in the Twin Cities in 1997 it sold extensively on MP3.com. The 12 song CD was created "after my first son was weaned and before my second son was born." The band features members from the Parsley Brothers (Minneapolis Regge-Blues sensation). Buster Priest on drums, Matt Yetter on guitars and banjo, Jim Best on bass, David Jones on piano and vocals, and "Black" Tom Grant on harmonica. Additionally, JR Hartley added bass while recording and mixing. Also added was Greg Traxler on lap steel and percussion.

The title track "Faith in Me" - Mp3
was written in 1991 as a response to the assertion that Faith is inherently anti-intellectual and a philosophical "cop-out".

"Would you loose your faith in me if I found it somewhere else? Would you say I was selling out believing in more than myself?"

Blind faith is anti-intellectual and most often leads to fundamentalism and fear of the other. It requires one to give up free will which is our divine gift. But finding Faith in balance with free will is a grueling intellectual exercise. Coming from the perspective of Christian Humanism with a fair amount of pre-Christian root, the rock ballad "Faith in Me" challenges the notion "Cogito Ergo Sum" - I think therefore I am - and calls for the reunification of body to spirit to emotional body to the Earth body...

"Body of She, body of me, more than myself. I always thought that I'd become one with something else."

Many of my originals deal with the process of faith and passion in a cynical and atheistic world, including inspiration for changing the old world view to one of unity and balance.

"Day in Bed" - Mp3 is a bit of a love song, new love that want's to move in with you...and this one turned out full time! It features the fabulous harmonica of Black Tom Grant and the sweet guitar licks of Matt Yetter.

"On The Table" - Mp3 includes the rich vocals of DJ Jones. It's a song from the perspective of an adult child caring for an alzheimers parent. It's a bit sad.

"Accidents Happen" - Mp3 tied with the Little Blinky tune "Me and My Dog" as my young son's favorite song until he discovered Green Day a few years ago. It's a cautionary song for those who would drive a car.

The bonus Tracks include "Mother, Mate, Myself" and "Remember Me" originally recorded with Rose Absolute, which won a highlighted spot on the Witchvox.com Bardic Circle. These 2 cuts were recorded for the 2001 Bush Artist Fellowship work samples. The other 2 cuts are mentioned in the above Voices in the Wilderness Project recorded by Leo Whitebird.