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Recorded at Audio Dallas Recording Studios and engineered by Paul Osborn and Byron Parks, July of 2014.
Rivers of Life Album Download
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
Psalm 1:1-3
Water! Without it, there is no life. As human beings we are 60% water. Every cell in our body needs water to fulfill its function. That’s why civilization has always formed around major bodies of water, not only for transportation, but also because we need the water to live.
In Psalm 1, the Bible says that someone who meditates on the Word of God, instead of being swayed by the world, is like a tree planted next to a river. That lifestyle will make your fruit ready to harvest in its proper season and keep you well provided for.
The Psalm actually says that one such as this will prosper. If you walk in God’s will instead of following the ways of the world, you will be successful in what you do.
That is the theme behind Rivers of Life. This recording uses a mixture of original compositions, covers, traditional hymns and spontaneous improvisations to tell a story. It’s a story of God’s loving kindness. No preaching. Just a simple message that says, “God loves you.”
Making Music With My Uncle
The pianist on this project is my Uncle Geoff. Although both of us have been professional musicians, the two of us never really got to work with each other. I’ve been in Houston for my entire career and he has lived elsewhere. So it was very nice to connect with him this way.
Uncle Geoff is a retired band director and plays just about every instrument. Long, long ago, when I was still in elementary school, I spent a couple weeks with him and my Aunt in Vermont. He gave me trumpet lessons while we were there, some of the first private lessons I ever had. So our musical connection does go way back, even though we never worked together in a professional setting.
My uncle is also an ordained minister, which is one of the reasons why I chose to make this a religious themed project. There is something Christian to almost every project I do. Even though I make my living as a secular musician, my music has never been entirely secular. But this is the first time that the theme for the project is a Christian theme.
What’s nice is that we did click instantly in the studio. You can’t tell from this recording that we never worked together before. It was one of those “Together Again for the First Time” moments.
