Leap Day 2016
I always "Relish"ed this song the most from Joan Osborne's breakthrough album. It's the music that pulled me in since I can't resist a waltz tempo, especially in a minor key. The lyrics, just vague and mysterious enough to be out of easy reach, were secondary to my enjoyment. I picked up on obvious drug references, but I needed to create a different back story in order to cover the song with any personal meaning. And while most of the lyrical content describes a shabby urban backdrop, the music itself suggested to me a rural Appalachian setting, so that's where my mind goes when singing the piece. I'm pretty certain what I see in my head when singing "way down in the hollow" is not what Joan had in mind which is, perhaps, more closely suggested in the accompanying track art.
I recorded first an open minor-chord drone strummed on my JT-made "kat330" cigar-box guitar for the length of the piece. Then, for accent strings, I added some Finnish harp (kantele), which JT commissioned to be handmade for me several years ago. So this track's sound (and visual) is truly courtesy of and owes much to my wonderful husband *—kiitos, Sweetos! The tambourine and a few Epiphone bottom sliding bits are the only other handheld instruments I played. The drumbeat, organ, bass and mandolin tracks are played on a Yamaha synth keyboard. Arranged, performed, recorded and produced by Kathleen Martin.
* Please, spare a minute to read this new interview with JT (hard to believe English is his 2nd language! :)
http://badcitizencorporation.com/2016/02/29/interrogation-j-t-lindroos
