Doug Gittings
Original Austin Outlaw
© 2007 Douglas J Gittins (634479629273) (format: CD-R)
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One of the first talented songwriter musicians to create Progressive Country Music and now over 30 years later an 'Editors Choice'
tracks
- 1 Special Delight
- 2 Here I Go Again
- 3 Dallas to Denver
- 4 Cross Between a River and a Cross
- 5 Spirit of the Wind
- 6 Circle High Circle Homeward
- 7 Drivin Blind
- 8 Play My Guitar
- 9 Snowbound in Winnipeg
- 10 Foolish Life
- 11 Transcendental Train
- 12 Bound to Bring Us Home
- 13 New Missouri Waltz
- 14 Hotel Street
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AUSTIN - THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD
In the summer ’71, Doug set to traveling the open highway from his native Missouri to Colorado and the resort ski bars and restaurants in pursuit of a career as a singer-songwriter-guitarist. One fortunate evening he was introduced to Texan Stephen Fromholz. Stephen was a wonderful performer with a charming and engaging personality. He had recently performed and toured with fellow Texan Steven Stills after the demise of Crosby Stills, Nash and Young. He was also an outstanding songwriter. He had previously written the song ‘Texas Trilogy’, now regarded as the best song ever written about the state of Texas. Steven was performing in Colorado during the winter and in Texas the following summer in preparation for a recording contract with a major label. Doug was shocked when he was unexpectedly invited and accepted an opportunity to be a member of Steven’s band later that winter.
(Steven Fromholz was recently named the 2007 poet laureate of Texas)
He arrived in Austin in the spring of 1972. The songwriters, musicians and performance venues were ideal for a young aspiring artist like Doug. Most impressive about Austin was that everybody seemed to know everybody else. It wasn’t long before he was performing solo again like many others at the local clubs and small restaurants that provided entertainment almost nightly.
He became a friend and admirer to many of the talented and often successful recording artists and songwriters that he had the pleasure of meeting in Austin.
Jerry Jeff Walker allowed him to perform at the Luckenbach Dance Hall then generously paid his union dues. Townes Van Zandt invited him to travel and then perform with him at the Old Quarter in Houston. Such was the comradery that existed between all the musicians in Austin.
Of particular influence to his artistic development were:
Texas bluesman and the first recording artist ever signed by Arhoolie Records, Mance Lipscomb of Navasota Texas, born in the year 1898. The 74-year-old songster was a supportive friend and adviser to Doug and the most genuine human being he claims to have had the pleasure of meeting. Doug was often criticized for his aggressive and mercurial guitar style to which Mance advised him “Gittings, don’t play music…let music play you!”
The legendary Townes Van Zandt, certainly the greatest songwriter he had ever met.If you've had the pleasure of listening to Willie Nelson’s recording of ‘Poncho and Lefty’ you can certainly understand why.
A much younger (though budding songwriter) Lucinda Williams. Upon her arrival in Austin she would go to clubs and hear Doug perform with Townes Van Zandt and they soon became good friends. On one occasion when driving his ’56 Chevy Nomad back home to Missouri to visit his family for the holidays he invited Lucinda to join him and delivered her to the home of her father in Fayetteville, poet Miller Williams.
Lastly and most importantly, an Atlantic recording artist that was produced by Graham Nash, poet and songwriter Charles John Quarto. Charles John patiently taught Doug that the art of writing poetry was “adding dimensions to a feeling”. He also became co-writer for many a good song and to this day, Charles is the finest performing poet and word craftsman Doug has ever performed with.