meridian green – in the heart of this town
Grounded in a sense of place, time spent, and matters of the heart, this album was recorded with amazing support from family, friends, and fellow musicians. Once I committed to ‘building community through music’ “all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance” came my way including founding the Caspar Community. From the unexpected participation of Grammy-winning producer Bill Bottrell, to the generosity of engineer Jim Lamb, who brought his home studio into my space, making this album was sustained by a series of miraculous gifts. The surprise ending was reuniting the adopted daughter of my friend, Kate Power, with her father, John Wozniak, who built the studio and then my home!
ALBUM CREDITS
Executive Producers: Jim Lamb and Holly Tannen
Producers: Meridian Green, Gene Parsons, Bill Bottrell
Musicians: Meridian Green, Gene Parsons, Lily Parsons, Gib Guilbeau, Bill Bottrell, Dan Schwartz, Michael Hubbert, Alex de Grassi, Marcy Brown
Engineers: Jim Lamb, Spenser Brewer, Dan Schwartz
Mixing Engineers: Jim Lamb, Gene Parsons, Bill Bottrell
Studios: JimCo Audio, William’s Place
Cover Art: Zida Borcich
Cover Photo: Greg Gorman
Mastering: Tardon Feathered at Mr. Toad’s
Gene Parsons & Meridian Green – Live from Caspar
Their distinctive vocal harmony blend and unique instrumental approach gave rise to a diverse repertoire rooted in folk, country and bluegrass. In October of 1999, they played a live show at William’s Place, Bill Bottrell’s studio in Caspar, California. The world-class recording studio sound quality delivers an intimate sonic experience.
Originals include “Coast Hotel”, an up-tempo Tex-Mex tale of true love and a lonesome jukebox, “Chief Seattle”, a haunting remembrance of lost tribes and the sacredness of the earth. “Get Up Blues” rises and shines with a singing horn section, while “Life Carries On” is a modal waltz for dancing at a wake. Other songs include Gram Parsons’ “Sin City”, the Stanley Brothers’ “Drunkard’s Dream”, “Cowboy Girl”, “Just Away”, “California Blues”, “Sweet Desert Childhood”, “Banjo Dog”, and “Lookin’ For Trouble”.
ALBUM CREDITS
Produced by Bill Bottrell and Paul Stubblebine
Engineer: Roxanne Weber
Mixing and Mastering: Paul Stubblebine
Recorded at William’s Place in Caspar, California
October 14th & 15th, 1999
Cover Photo: Karl Marie Hofer
Cover design: Mark Frischman
Mastering: Tardon Feathered at Mr. Toad’s
Parsons Green – Birds of a Feather
Meridian Green and Gene Parsons joined forces in 1986. On Birds Of A Feather they meld their distinct musical identities and emerge a dynamic duet. The album opens with “In the beginning, you really loved me” in a cooking country rock version of “Don’t Miss Your Water”. On Michael Smith’s “Spoon River” intimately entwined voices journey through history, haunted by a timeless sounding banjo and an antique echo harmonica. A plaintive country lament, Parsons and Gib Guilbeau’s “Wind & Rain”, evokes the lonely, longing to be home from the road. Parsons Green’s folk rock arrangement of Donovan’s “Catch The Wind” features a sparkling high-strung guitar and symphonic harmonies. The album closes with “Quiet Joys of Brotherhood” Richard Farina’s lyrics set to a primordial Celtic melody sung a capella with dense modal harmonies.
ALBUM CREDITS
Producer: Gene Parsons
Recording Engineer: Lewis Demetri
Musicians: Gene Parsons (vocals, guitar, banjo, bas, drums, pedal steel, harmonica), Meridian Green (vocals, guitar),
Guest players: Richie Rosenbaum (drums), Peter Oliva (bass) on Tracks 1 & 4
Studio: Philo Haywards’s Studio, Comptche, CA
Cover design: Ginger Cat Graphics
Photo: Laura Julienne
Hand-painted Eggs: Sandra Lindstrom
Mastering: Tardon Feathered at Mr. Toad’s
Walking to Washington – Meridian Green
“Walking To Washington” started with a poem by my son, Terra Gibson, when the US invaded Iraq. “When the carpenter lays down his hammer and the gangsta lays down his gun…” He read it to me and then lost the rest of the words but this much stuck like a burr.
Making peace and sustaining life on the planet are tasks that are way too wide and deep for a mere political parties. This an ongoing event, a way of life, a work-in-progress, every day, for all the days of our lives. “Walking To Washington” is a metaphor. Every step we take makes a difference, so walk until peace has come, walk until justice is done, walk until freedom is won.
ALBUM CREDITS
Produced by Lewis Demetri
Engineered by Lewis Demetri
Musicians: Meridian Green, Lewis Demetri, Louis Callas
Recorded on the 4th of July, 2004 at The Embassy, Moline, Illinois.
Cover Art: Rick Grumbecker
Photo: Pompeo Posar
Song by Meridian Green, Terra Gibson, Antonia Lamb
Alf Storrud – FAME
They don’t make records like this anymore – or rather, the big companies don’t make them anymore. If anyone needs proof that the best roots music in America is currently being produced by small independent companies, they should listen to this record by folksinger Meridian Green. With help from husband and ex-Byrd Gene Parsons on a variety of stringed instruments, and with added support from friends like Alex deGrassi, Paul McCandless and Gib Guilbeau she has produced a true gem. A record in the classsic California folk rock tradition, but with uilleann pipes, cello, English horn and clarinet adding extra texture to Green’s self-penned songs.
The lyrics reflect on the conflict between wanderlust and the urge to settle down, on growing old and on the necessity of belonging somewhere. Sometimes, like in Song for Siennashe describes religious longing. These are themes that could have become pretentious in less skilled hand. But Green has a sure way with words. Avoiding the “poetic language” that would have brought these songs down, she lets the images speak for themselves:
“It’s quicksilver, time is,
A swift moving river.
It slips through my fingers,
And goes…”
Musically the songs range from jazzy melodies like Where Does Time Go? to country-rockers like Come On Wind and Listen To The Thunder. All done with feeling and style. The listener constantly discovers nice musical touches like the gently rocking guitar intro to Just Away or the bluesy clarinet on Bob Gibson’s Abilene. Greens melodies are catchy and strong, and with Gene Parsons’ guitars, mandolin and pedal steel creating a shimmering backdrop to the vocals, songs like Birds Fly South and Sarah Lou becomes incredibly beautiful. A gentle, classy album full of musical and lyrical wonders… Strongly recommended!
Chris Spector – Midwest Record
MERIDIAN GREEN/In the Heart of this Town:
The lovely Ms. Green must hate Internet journalists that are chasing search engine hits and have to start every review of her album with a cornucopia by reeling off the bounty of riches she offers up to wit: she’s the daughter of folk legend Bob Gibson, the wife of Byrds’ Gene Parsons, pals with the guy that made the good Sheryl Crow album, some Burrito Brothers, members of Oregon, Alex deGrassi, some Narada cats, and other folkies like Holly Tannen. The only thing that could have blown out Google’s servers faster than that sentence would be just blurting out ‘Miley Cyrus naked pictures’. (Did that just happen?) But as to the music itself, Green has it in her genes to serve up lovely adult pop with a decided folk-country/rock flavor although I have to wonder what her “Uncle” Shel thought about her spending so much time working over a work by Dr. Seuss. A delightfully off the beaten path set for anyone that remembers what music that made a mark sounded like.
CHRIS SPECTOR, Editor and Publisher
©2008 Midwest Record
in the heart of this town
Volume 31/Number 178
April 26, 2008
MIDWEST RECORD- Chris Spector
www.midwestrecord.com
www.myspace.com/midwestrecord
in the heart of this town
“…each song on the album is dripping with heartfelt emotion and blessed with polished eloquent lyrics.”
-John McClure VICTORY REVIEW
“…[Her] first solo album, is a wonderfully diverse collection….a lovingly crafted, warm disc worth seeking out.”
-Mike Parrish DIRTY LINEN
“It’s a sweet, folksy, rootsy romp, weathered like pebbles on a beach.”
-Steve Jackson EVENING TELEGRAPH
” It’d be more surprising if Meridian Green weren’t an angelic-voiced singer.. she more than lives up to her heritage and makes a fine, sweet-natured album.”
-John Foyston OREGONIAN
“…a delightful, if somewhat understated, country-rock album. Green stands high on her own merits.”
-RELIX #52
“Meridian Green skilfully rides that fine line between folk and country, rendering it invisible. What appeals instantly is Green’s voice, a very American voice, like Emmy-Lou without the twang… One is drawn into the music itself, not so much folk as a refined blend of country, pop, and jazz with a solid folk centre. … Green is also a fine lyricist. Her interpretation of “Abilene” …is about as beautiful as a song can get. The final song, “Hometown” … carries with it all the edginess and genre-tension which seems so much a hallmark of this release. … the listener wants to come back for more.”
-Bob MacKenzie SOUND BYTE
Performing
Solo
with Fare-Thee-Wells
Press
Oregonian
Mojo
SingOut!
FAME