ordinary suit, with no
hat on, no guitar, just singing his message of bitter love to the
lonesome moon up above. And so he does as he takes a sip from the glass and
goes on singing another of his beautiful songs - “I’m so lonesome I could
cry”.
Dear Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers, we still have your music, but we miss
your smiles.
Although my songs, here presented by Blue Standard Music, are made in our
times, and some may sound like that, they are all created by love of the
past - born by my emotions and empathy for these great composers and singers.
Jimmie Rodgers' and Hank Williams' active period of performing lasted only
for a few years, before they left way too soon. They left their legacy of
music for us to care for and admire.
I derive my inspiration as composer and singer from these men and some of
the greatest achievements made in country music in the past.
Thank you
Michael
The songs of Blue Standard Music are written and composed in the tradition of the early days of country music, from the 1920’s to the early 1950’s. Many names come to ones mind, like the Carter Family, Ray Price, Lefty Frizzell - all big stars. But only two country music songwriters have been able to really reach my soul, by the excellent songs they wrote and the way they performed them. I am talking about Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams - men who wove some kind of indescribable sincerity into the songs they made.
Jimmie Rodgers (1897-1933), was one of the first prof-essional performers of country music, known to all as “the singing brakeman” and “the father of country music”. His songs range from the saddest of blues, to songs of happiness and humor - all decorated by his special silvery tone yodels. Through the window of my mind I can see a steam driven train passing by, with a lonesome brakeman at his wheel, on top of the last boxcar – yodeling as the train cries. With his prairie high crystal clear voice he still makes us wonder how, why and when this music was made. There is so much beauty in his chest, which he still lets us enjoy. I am grateful for having met him.
Hank Williams (1923-1953) – too famous to describe, too natural and too complex to
understand, but so easy to love. By songs as “Jambalaya”, “Settin’ the Woods
on fire” and “I’ll never get out of this World alive”, he shows the happy
humorous Hank Williams, the country singer that makes the audience roar, with
that special glint in the eye. The whole room smiles as the sun shines in and
agrees that - This is it, Hank!
In songs like “My Sweet Love ain’t around”, Hank delivers that special other
feeling that only he can convey. Words that come to my mind, to describe this
feeling are - “locomotive and train”, “a machine that struggles”, “stormy
night”, “all alone”, “no help in sight”. His weary words cry out his
loneliness, and you can almost see Hank pulling the broken train up against
the wind and rain in the darkest of nights - by a cold steel wire held between
his teeth, bleeding sorrow as he moans.
In the song “I can’t escape from you” he cries beauty. His words and the chords are slowly dancing together with eyes closed in this purple night song. Hank sings from another corner of his chamber of blues in my heart. He is sitting there in a white