As I began compiling ideas for this album (a captured moment?), it occurred to me that several melodies had existed for several years already but were never quite ready, mindlessly marinating in another room, waiting for hopeful connection to another idea.

This may be the kind of thing that happens when you delay sharing your original work with people—things can kind of exist that represent a moment of excitement but little else. I started to think about my Paw-Paw more and more, who obviously exercised his visionary skill but also trusted in his own process, creating a scene that didn’t exist prior to his canvas. As I sat down to write more often, I started to trust my own process of doing. Songs start to realize themselves, as if to be uncovered from the subconscious. Ideas that sat dormant began taking shape in newer ideas as I became more disciplined in the work, as if connecting several moments in life.

As a younger improviser and as a seasoned improviser, especially as a guitarist, there is a tendency to play too much; too many notes; abandon breath. A close friend who happens to be a brilliant songwriter set into motion the practice of writing singable melodies—a simple idea, but harder to execute when previously relying on the guitar exclusively as a writing tool.

Bluegrass Melody

There are songs on this record that yield more into what I hear as a “bluegrass melody,” that came from guitar topography, but I found that they “sang” more at certain tempi, etc. This took time. It all takes time, but this collection of songs took the time they needed and I’m grateful to be able to share them now.