KENNY BUTTERILL
''TROUBADOR TALES''
2014
48:30
1 Good Thing That Couldn't Happen Here 03:08
2 Gaia Blues 04:06
3 Old Man And The Kid 03:14
4 Flying With Buddha 03:50
5 Cyrano's Song 03:43
6 Hocus Pocus 03:41
7 Pajaro Dunes 03:23
8 Greatest Love Story Never Told 04:18
9 Dead End Of The Dirt Road 02:57
10 True North 03:11
11 Willie We Miss Ya 03:51
12 Woman In A Canoe 03:46
13 Good Thing That Couldn't Happen Here (Extended Version) 05:15
All Tracks By Butterill
Audrey Auld/Choir/Chorus, Vocal Harmony
Ray Bonneville/Choir/Chorus, Guitar (Electric), Harmonica, Vocal Harmony
Kenny Butterill/Choir/Chorus, Guitar (Acoustic), Vocal Harmony, Vocals
Sarah Elizabeth Campbell/Choir/Chorus, Vocal Harmony
Cindy Cashdollar/Choir/Chorus, Guitar (Steel), Vocal Harmony
James Crandell Executive Producer
Stevie Da Vinci/Shakuhachi
David S. Davis/Choir/Chorus, Guitar (Acoustic), Vocal Harmony
Kenny Feinstein/Choir/Chorus, Fiddle, Mandolin, Vocal Harmony
David Grier/Guitar (Acoustic)
Harpin' Jonny/Choir/Chorus, Harmonica, Vocal Harmony
Rick Hoornbeck/Bass
Rob Ikes/Dobro
Katie Kendall-Weed/Vocal Harmony
Sid Knee/Shaker
Bill Laymon/Bass
Jim Lewin/Guitar (Acoustic)
Linda McRae/Vocal Harmony
Zoe Muth/Choir/Chorus, Vocal Harmony
Jim Norris/Drums, Percussion, Rainstick
Jim Oakden/Accordion
Judy Painter/Choir/Chorus, Vocal Harmony
John Reischman/Mandolin
John Lee Sanders/Choir/Chorus, Hammond B3, Piano, Vocal Harmony
Redd Volkaert/Choir/Chorus, Guitar (Electric), Vocal Harmony
Washboard Hank/Banjo, Choir/Chorus, Vocal Harmony, Washboard
Joe Weed/Guitar (Classical), Spanish Guitar
This Troubadour Tales album was ten years in the making and took me a year to produce it and we used several different studios. There are over twenty work class guests on this record including Donovan!
Before I jump into the song notes, I need to express my deep appreciation for my fans, radio listeners and concert goers who come and then buy our music and merchandise. I enjoy meeting and getting to know so many of you. It makes touring like visiting friends across the country and world. A special thanks to the radio and press folks who have followed me over the years and kept asking when I was going to release the next album. I’d like to call out all the musicians, studio pros, colleagues, advisors, artists, and everyone else who contributed to this album. And a special thanks to Donovan Leitch for adding his special magic to this record.
I hope you enjoy these songs and share them with your friends. If we all reach out to each other and help Earth, our society and each other, we can create a better place for us, our children and our less fortunate neighbors around the world.
Peace – Kenny
1. Good Thing That Couldn’t Happen Here 3:10 (short version)
Given my long time admiration of JJ Cale and my political views, a DJ friend suggested that I write a cool morning drive song for the common man. This tune is the result - a blistering satirical commentary on how the complicity of Big Business, Big Government and Big Media has damaged our democracies and citizens’ rights. Great playing here by my friends John Lee Sanders and Ray Bonneville. This song is dedicated to Amy Goodman, Rachael Maddow, Bill Moyers, Bill Maher, Jeremy Skahill, Travus T. Hipp, Walter Cronkite, Noam Chomsky, Pierre Trudeau and all the other ethical folks I have admired who do and did look out ‘for the common people’.
2. Gaia Blues 4:07
A song about mankind’s connection to the Earth and the perils of ignoring the warnings of Mother Earth (Gaia). Absolutely amazing harmonica by Donovan on this – he actually did a harp duet with my vocal. It was humbling and a really great thrill to have him on this record. An interesting bit of synchronicity happened here. On my last CD I wrote a song about legendary Texas songwriter Townes van Zandt (“The Townes You Left Behind”). Here’s the kicker - the only other time Donovan ever played harmonica for anyone else’s album was for Townes van Zandt. Since this is a siren song about such a serious urgent issue, my album guests wanted to sing on the last verse like a “we are the world choir”. The angel singing in the choir is Audrey Auld while Zoe Muth weighed in with a fantastic harmony vocal during the regular verses.
3. Old Man and the Kid 3:12
A song about empathy, seeing yourself in others, giving someone a hand up or some wise counsel or a shoulder when the blues come calling. I co-wrote this song with Kenny Feinstein, a young talented music virtuoso, on a sailboat out on Monterey Bay.
4. Flying with Buddha 3:51
A spiritual (not religious) song about the impermanence of life and being comfortable with death, reincarnation, etc., based on my study of the Tibetan Book of the Dead. I am grateful to Robert Gass for permitting me to use the Tibetan Monks Chant as the introduction to this song. Great guests on this include friends Cindy Cashdollar, Redd Volkaert, Ray Bonneville and John Lee Sanders.
5. Cyrano’s Song 3:44
A romantic love song that the 16th century fictional swordsman Cyrano de Bergerac would have sung to Roxanne (the princess he served) if he had had the courage. Cyrano was a childhood hero to one of my heroes - former Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau. As I studied Cyrano, he became a hero to me too – a man who does his own thing with panache, class and grace, no matter what people think and who was also great romantic poet. Fantastic acoustic guitar here from David Grier, one of the best in the world. Smooth, angelic harmony by Zoe Muth added just the right touch. The Cyrano's Song sketch of the Woman in Canoe in the CD booklet was done for me by the great California artist Richard M. Bennett.
6. Hocus Pocus Magic Mojo Music Man 3:43
My homage/tribute song to JJ Cale. This minor chord shuffle song was recorded three weeks before JJ Cale passed away in 2013. Great playing here by my friends John Lee Sanders and Ray Bonneville. John Lee also did the perfect harmony vocal. We got some really great feedback from Cale’s colleagues, friends and fans on this tune. Cale’s long-time friend, producer David Teegarden mastered this CD at David’s studio in Tulsa, OK.
7. Pajaro Dunes 3:24
A romantic escapism song about stealing away to an enchanting place and closing out the world to be far from the madding crowd. I sometimes come off the Santa Cruz, CA mountains, where I live, to stay at Pajaro Dunes which is right on the Pacific Ocean. Just hanging out for a few days to ‘chillax’ and do some songwriting.
8. Dead End of the Dirt Road 2:58
A tune about the splendor and peaceful serenity of living the simple life; this is a co-write with my good friend, Washboard Hank. In early 2013, about a month after Hank visited me at my home at the "Dead End of the Dirt Road" off the beaten path in the Santa Cruz Mountains, I travelled to my Balsam Lake cottage north of Toronto, Canada. Hank picked me up and gave me a ride to my cottage, wherein we stayed up late and, ironically, wrote this song about where I live back in California. Having Audrey Auld sing harmony with me on this was terrific.
9. The Greatest Love Story Never Told 4:19
A deep, romantic love song about how true love transcends sentient life and the lessons that can be learned about following your heart, honoring your soul and listening to the Universe while we’re on this journey here on Earth. The harmony vocals are from the late, great Sarah Elizabeth Campbell. This was the last recording Sarah did before she passed away in late 2013. Amazing performances by David Grier on acoustic guitar and Cindy Cashdollar on steel guitar!
10. True North 3:12
A song about love and my back and forth life between Santa Cruz, California and my Balsam Lake cottage in Canada and missing my gal back in California when I’m at my cottage. My buddy Ray Bonneville turned a great performance including harmony vocals. When we were listening back to the tune while we were in the studio, Ray said, ‘you know, we sound pretty good together’. Hope ya’ll agree.
11. Willie We Miss Ya 3:53
A tribute song to Willie P Bennett - a close friend and one of the biggest supporters of my music who passed away in 2008, which is when I wrote this tune. Willie P was one of Canada’s most beloved songwriters and performers. Rob Ikes, one of the world’s best dobro players and John Reischman a mandolin virtuoso, turned in great performances here. It was wonderful to have Linda McRae and Washboard Hank, also friends of Willie’s, sing harmony on the choruses with me. Willie We Miss Ya!
12. Woman in a Canoe 3:44
A dreamy, romantic inspirational song of love and about never giving up, no matter what! The painting of the Woman in Canoe in the CD booklet was done for me by the great California artist Richard M. Bennett.
13. Good Thing That Couldn’t Happen Here (Extended Bonus Track) 5:17
This is an extended version of track 1. Great playing here on the extended breaks and the rideout by my good friends John Lee Sanders and Ray Bonneville.
----------
ABOUT
By Official Website
Kenny Butterill is back with his new release “TROUBADOUR TALES”. Early indications are the long anticipated CD has a sound and feel that is true to Butterill’s legacy of delivering “rootsy, folksy, bluesy, Americana, alt.country, feel good music”. Sometimes compared to J.J. Cale, John Prine and Gordon Lightfoot, Butterill’s music has garnered airplay on hundreds of radio stations and has endeared him to markets all over the world.
TROUBADOUR TALES, a project ten years in the making , is the third CD from Butterill and it has over 15 world class artists performing on it including Cindy Cashdollar, the late Sarah Elizabeth Campbell, John Lee Sanders, Ray Bonneville, Redd Volkaert, Rob Ikes, David Grier, John Reishman, Joe Weed, Washboard Hank and Linda McRae amongst others. The songs selected for the new CD emerged from the songwriting immersion Butterill has been in for the past ten years. Recently dubbed “the romantic poet of Americana music ” by Dallas Dobro the dean of Americana DJs, Butterill writes close to the heart and this is reflected in the new offering. TROUBADOUR TALES also offers a retrospective of Butterill’s past, present and future observations on world events and the human state. Filled with inviting melodies, masterful songwriting and engaging, earthy vocals, the self-produced TROUBADOUR TALES album is Kenny Butterill personified: compassionate, sensitive and diverse, yet singularly individualistic.
OFFICIAL SITE
''TROUBADOR TALES''
2014
48:30
1 Good Thing That Couldn't Happen Here 03:08
2 Gaia Blues 04:06
3 Old Man And The Kid 03:14
4 Flying With Buddha 03:50
5 Cyrano's Song 03:43
6 Hocus Pocus 03:41
7 Pajaro Dunes 03:23
8 Greatest Love Story Never Told 04:18
9 Dead End Of The Dirt Road 02:57
10 True North 03:11
11 Willie We Miss Ya 03:51
12 Woman In A Canoe 03:46
13 Good Thing That Couldn't Happen Here (Extended Version) 05:15
All Tracks By Butterill
Audrey Auld/Choir/Chorus, Vocal Harmony
Ray Bonneville/Choir/Chorus, Guitar (Electric), Harmonica, Vocal Harmony
Kenny Butterill/Choir/Chorus, Guitar (Acoustic), Vocal Harmony, Vocals
Sarah Elizabeth Campbell/Choir/Chorus, Vocal Harmony
Cindy Cashdollar/Choir/Chorus, Guitar (Steel), Vocal Harmony
James Crandell Executive Producer
Stevie Da Vinci/Shakuhachi
David S. Davis/Choir/Chorus, Guitar (Acoustic), Vocal Harmony
Kenny Feinstein/Choir/Chorus, Fiddle, Mandolin, Vocal Harmony
David Grier/Guitar (Acoustic)
Harpin' Jonny/Choir/Chorus, Harmonica, Vocal Harmony
Rick Hoornbeck/Bass
Rob Ikes/Dobro
Katie Kendall-Weed/Vocal Harmony
Sid Knee/Shaker
Bill Laymon/Bass
Jim Lewin/Guitar (Acoustic)
Linda McRae/Vocal Harmony
Zoe Muth/Choir/Chorus, Vocal Harmony
Jim Norris/Drums, Percussion, Rainstick
Jim Oakden/Accordion
Judy Painter/Choir/Chorus, Vocal Harmony
John Reischman/Mandolin
John Lee Sanders/Choir/Chorus, Hammond B3, Piano, Vocal Harmony
Redd Volkaert/Choir/Chorus, Guitar (Electric), Vocal Harmony
Washboard Hank/Banjo, Choir/Chorus, Vocal Harmony, Washboard
Joe Weed/Guitar (Classical), Spanish Guitar
This Troubadour Tales album was ten years in the making and took me a year to produce it and we used several different studios. There are over twenty work class guests on this record including Donovan!
Before I jump into the song notes, I need to express my deep appreciation for my fans, radio listeners and concert goers who come and then buy our music and merchandise. I enjoy meeting and getting to know so many of you. It makes touring like visiting friends across the country and world. A special thanks to the radio and press folks who have followed me over the years and kept asking when I was going to release the next album. I’d like to call out all the musicians, studio pros, colleagues, advisors, artists, and everyone else who contributed to this album. And a special thanks to Donovan Leitch for adding his special magic to this record.
I hope you enjoy these songs and share them with your friends. If we all reach out to each other and help Earth, our society and each other, we can create a better place for us, our children and our less fortunate neighbors around the world.
Peace – Kenny
1. Good Thing That Couldn’t Happen Here 3:10 (short version)
Given my long time admiration of JJ Cale and my political views, a DJ friend suggested that I write a cool morning drive song for the common man. This tune is the result - a blistering satirical commentary on how the complicity of Big Business, Big Government and Big Media has damaged our democracies and citizens’ rights. Great playing here by my friends John Lee Sanders and Ray Bonneville. This song is dedicated to Amy Goodman, Rachael Maddow, Bill Moyers, Bill Maher, Jeremy Skahill, Travus T. Hipp, Walter Cronkite, Noam Chomsky, Pierre Trudeau and all the other ethical folks I have admired who do and did look out ‘for the common people’.
2. Gaia Blues 4:07
A song about mankind’s connection to the Earth and the perils of ignoring the warnings of Mother Earth (Gaia). Absolutely amazing harmonica by Donovan on this – he actually did a harp duet with my vocal. It was humbling and a really great thrill to have him on this record. An interesting bit of synchronicity happened here. On my last CD I wrote a song about legendary Texas songwriter Townes van Zandt (“The Townes You Left Behind”). Here’s the kicker - the only other time Donovan ever played harmonica for anyone else’s album was for Townes van Zandt. Since this is a siren song about such a serious urgent issue, my album guests wanted to sing on the last verse like a “we are the world choir”. The angel singing in the choir is Audrey Auld while Zoe Muth weighed in with a fantastic harmony vocal during the regular verses.
3. Old Man and the Kid 3:12
A song about empathy, seeing yourself in others, giving someone a hand up or some wise counsel or a shoulder when the blues come calling. I co-wrote this song with Kenny Feinstein, a young talented music virtuoso, on a sailboat out on Monterey Bay.
4. Flying with Buddha 3:51
A spiritual (not religious) song about the impermanence of life and being comfortable with death, reincarnation, etc., based on my study of the Tibetan Book of the Dead. I am grateful to Robert Gass for permitting me to use the Tibetan Monks Chant as the introduction to this song. Great guests on this include friends Cindy Cashdollar, Redd Volkaert, Ray Bonneville and John Lee Sanders.
5. Cyrano’s Song 3:44
A romantic love song that the 16th century fictional swordsman Cyrano de Bergerac would have sung to Roxanne (the princess he served) if he had had the courage. Cyrano was a childhood hero to one of my heroes - former Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau. As I studied Cyrano, he became a hero to me too – a man who does his own thing with panache, class and grace, no matter what people think and who was also great romantic poet. Fantastic acoustic guitar here from David Grier, one of the best in the world. Smooth, angelic harmony by Zoe Muth added just the right touch. The Cyrano's Song sketch of the Woman in Canoe in the CD booklet was done for me by the great California artist Richard M. Bennett.
6. Hocus Pocus Magic Mojo Music Man 3:43
My homage/tribute song to JJ Cale. This minor chord shuffle song was recorded three weeks before JJ Cale passed away in 2013. Great playing here by my friends John Lee Sanders and Ray Bonneville. John Lee also did the perfect harmony vocal. We got some really great feedback from Cale’s colleagues, friends and fans on this tune. Cale’s long-time friend, producer David Teegarden mastered this CD at David’s studio in Tulsa, OK.
7. Pajaro Dunes 3:24
A romantic escapism song about stealing away to an enchanting place and closing out the world to be far from the madding crowd. I sometimes come off the Santa Cruz, CA mountains, where I live, to stay at Pajaro Dunes which is right on the Pacific Ocean. Just hanging out for a few days to ‘chillax’ and do some songwriting.
8. Dead End of the Dirt Road 2:58
A tune about the splendor and peaceful serenity of living the simple life; this is a co-write with my good friend, Washboard Hank. In early 2013, about a month after Hank visited me at my home at the "Dead End of the Dirt Road" off the beaten path in the Santa Cruz Mountains, I travelled to my Balsam Lake cottage north of Toronto, Canada. Hank picked me up and gave me a ride to my cottage, wherein we stayed up late and, ironically, wrote this song about where I live back in California. Having Audrey Auld sing harmony with me on this was terrific.
9. The Greatest Love Story Never Told 4:19
A deep, romantic love song about how true love transcends sentient life and the lessons that can be learned about following your heart, honoring your soul and listening to the Universe while we’re on this journey here on Earth. The harmony vocals are from the late, great Sarah Elizabeth Campbell. This was the last recording Sarah did before she passed away in late 2013. Amazing performances by David Grier on acoustic guitar and Cindy Cashdollar on steel guitar!
10. True North 3:12
A song about love and my back and forth life between Santa Cruz, California and my Balsam Lake cottage in Canada and missing my gal back in California when I’m at my cottage. My buddy Ray Bonneville turned a great performance including harmony vocals. When we were listening back to the tune while we were in the studio, Ray said, ‘you know, we sound pretty good together’. Hope ya’ll agree.
11. Willie We Miss Ya 3:53
A tribute song to Willie P Bennett - a close friend and one of the biggest supporters of my music who passed away in 2008, which is when I wrote this tune. Willie P was one of Canada’s most beloved songwriters and performers. Rob Ikes, one of the world’s best dobro players and John Reischman a mandolin virtuoso, turned in great performances here. It was wonderful to have Linda McRae and Washboard Hank, also friends of Willie’s, sing harmony on the choruses with me. Willie We Miss Ya!
12. Woman in a Canoe 3:44
A dreamy, romantic inspirational song of love and about never giving up, no matter what! The painting of the Woman in Canoe in the CD booklet was done for me by the great California artist Richard M. Bennett.
13. Good Thing That Couldn’t Happen Here (Extended Bonus Track) 5:17
This is an extended version of track 1. Great playing here on the extended breaks and the rideout by my good friends John Lee Sanders and Ray Bonneville.
----------
ABOUT
By Official Website
Kenny Butterill is back with his new release “TROUBADOUR TALES”. Early indications are the long anticipated CD has a sound and feel that is true to Butterill’s legacy of delivering “rootsy, folksy, bluesy, Americana, alt.country, feel good music”. Sometimes compared to J.J. Cale, John Prine and Gordon Lightfoot, Butterill’s music has garnered airplay on hundreds of radio stations and has endeared him to markets all over the world.
TROUBADOUR TALES, a project ten years in the making , is the third CD from Butterill and it has over 15 world class artists performing on it including Cindy Cashdollar, the late Sarah Elizabeth Campbell, John Lee Sanders, Ray Bonneville, Redd Volkaert, Rob Ikes, David Grier, John Reishman, Joe Weed, Washboard Hank and Linda McRae amongst others. The songs selected for the new CD emerged from the songwriting immersion Butterill has been in for the past ten years. Recently dubbed “the romantic poet of Americana music ” by Dallas Dobro the dean of Americana DJs, Butterill writes close to the heart and this is reflected in the new offering. TROUBADOUR TALES also offers a retrospective of Butterill’s past, present and future observations on world events and the human state. Filled with inviting melodies, masterful songwriting and engaging, earthy vocals, the self-produced TROUBADOUR TALES album is Kenny Butterill personified: compassionate, sensitive and diverse, yet singularly individualistic.
OFFICIAL SITE
