Category Archives: Music

Alaska Polar Bear Video

Hey Folks,

I thought I’d share this video on my site here. I wrote the tune, a number of years ago, and recorded it with some friends in Atlanta, GA, when I lived there. Great musicians all of them, and it was a treat to record with them. I played the guitar parts.

The video and stills I shot in 2013 on my Alaska Polar Bear Photo Tour in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. One or 2 of the clips were shot by clients on the trip, and thanks go to Sue P and Munir K for their permission to use their clips. See my collection of stock polar bear photos here.

Cheers

Carl

A little flute in the mountains

A Hiker playing Native American Indian Flute in springtime in Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Hey Folks,

Well, I was going to try to set this up

So another off-the-wall post here; how would you expect anything other?

Another of my little projects this winter was to learn to play the Native American Indian Flute. I thought it might be nice having an instrument I could backpack and hike with during the summer, and I was also concerned about having a guitar in the cabin this winter, with the crazy low temperatures not being friendly to a delicate and expensive guitar (I ended up bringing my acoustic guitar, a Martin J-18, out to the cabin with me anyway – more on that later).

I bought the flute in late January, a flute handmade out of walnut, in the key of E. It’s awesome. I’ve been playing it nearly every day, often for hours at a time.

Playing a wind instrument is SO different to playing guitar .. I never pay attention to my breathing when playing guitar, and yet it’s almost the ONLY thing to give attention to on a wind instrument – learning the difference between ‘blowing’ and ‘breathing’ makes the world of difference to tone and depth.

Lately I’ve found playing a few notes and riffs is a nice way to say ‘thanks’ to the mountains after I’ve done some photography .. so I usually get to my spot, pick out some compositions I want, play the flute while I wait for the light to really glow, then when I’m done, I play a few simple tunes to thank the landscape.

It’s a treat for me to hear the flute amidst such scenery.

Cheers

Carl

Thanks Jeff – R.I.P., Jeff Healey

Wildflowers, Chugach Mountains, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Hey Folks,

Here’s another post that has little to do with photography. I recorded this little piece tonight, in tribute to one of my favorite guitar players, Jeff Healey, who died recently. Jeff was a bluesman and musician of the highest order. I hadn’t heard the news until a few days a ago, and am deeply saddened to learn of his passing. Jeff was an amazing musician, full of all the fire, passion and soul we all aspire to. I had the great fortune to see Jeff play on a tour to Australia years back, in the late 80’s, at a small venue in Sydney, and he was awesome. Jeff tore it up like few other musicians would, stepping into realms few other players dare venture – it takes an awful lot of courage to play with the kind of passion Jeff did – because there’s nothing left uncovered, nothing that isn’t completely exposed when you bare open your soul like that. It’s an inspiration to witness that level of honesty in a human being. Continue reading

Slow Turning – John Hiatt tune

whitewater kayaking on the Rio Baker, Baker River, Patagonia, Chile.

Hey Folks,

Here’s my first attempt to bring an mp3 (Dad, that’s an audio file) online.

Plugin for the audio broke. I removed the player.

I have no idea if this will work. This is a tune I recorded with a few friends of mine years ago, for an album a group of John Hiatt fans recorded, called We Love The Jerk. The album is named, tongue-in-cheek, after one of his songs called “She Loves the Jerk”. Each person who wanted to recorded a song, and submitted it to the group, where the compilation was put together, including a cool album cover, and CDs shipped out to the John Hiatt fan club. Kind of a fun little project.

This tune is me playing guitars, my good friend Steve F playing bass, Steve Lusk singing his a** off, Chip Lunsford playing drums and Randy Hoexter playing piano. Randy recorded it at his studio. I really need to get in and do some more recording/writing and get some tunes online — maybe that’s another project I should finish. The song, Slow Turning, is the title track on John Hiatt’s “Slow Turning” album .. one of his best efforts, IMO. Definitely check out that album.

The photo is a friend of mine, Nate, way down in Futaleufu, Chile, right now, about to run the 3rd rapid of the Baker River, or Rio Baker – big, big water. Nate got smashed! 🙂

Cheers

Carl

Amazing Concert – Bill Frisell

Alaska Cotton Grass and Chugach Mountains, Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Hey Folks,

I just got home a little while ago from an incredible concert here in Anchorage. I saw Bill Frisell, an AMAZING musician, with Greg Leisz on pedal steel guitar (among other instruments) and Jenny Scheinman on violin. Absolutely amazing. They performed a number of pieces composed and/or arranged to accompany a slide show of photos by Mike Disfarmer. The images themselves are compelling. The music, in Bill’s typical style, is quirky, yet flowing. Together, the performance is beautiful. Continue reading