JACK PEARSON: Fax Yourself to Jesus

Jack Pearson

Fax Yourself to Jesus

© 1995 Jack Pearson (783078013324) (format: CD-R)

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Jack Pearson's ace songwriting and musicianship breathes vibrant new life into traditional songs and unleashes some memorable new ones to a joyful torrent of banjo, guitar, fiddle, mando and harmonica.

notes

JACK PEARSON - FAX YOURSELF TO JESUS

JACK'S NOTES ON THE SONGS

1)Fax Yourself to Jesus - As a long-time fan of vintage techno-Gospel music (e.g., Turn Your Radio On, The Royal Telephone), I felt the genre needed an update in these cyber savvy times, so here it is. There are yet more computerish terms that could be injected here, I suppose, but I've already fallen behind the times a little. My partial redemption is a song called "The Cyberspace Roadkill Cafe" available on my new compilation, "Back With Jack." It's here on CDBaby somewhere if you'd like to check it out.

2)Go Tell John - I'm aware of at least one other song by this title. It's a very nice church choral piece which I've heard. My song here is quite different,however. And much better, I must say. Well, I guess I wouldn't really have to say that. It would become clear when you hear it. One little effort to recapture some of the energy and joy of Jesus' early ministry and message.

3)To all Purple Tree Trunks - Completed at a motel in Two Harbors, MN when Scott's alternator blew up. I happened to be driving his car. It left me stranded but with enough time to finish this song. I originally thought of it as a song for adults, but I soon found that kids related to it. As a result it became the title song of my (award-winning) kids' CD. We can never learn too well just how important it is to be ourselves. Provided it's appropriate and doesn't hurt people, I mean.

4)Build A Bridge - Inspired by a story called "Old Joe and the Carpenter," the signature tale of a storyteller named Pleasant DeSpain.

5)Lumphrey’s General Store - A true story about a week I spend in Beardsley,MN. Lumphrey's General Store was run by Pite and Norma Lumphrey and was a place straight out of the history books. It was heated with a potbellied wood stove and had a pay-what-you-owe-if-we're-not-here policy. Pite's brother, Art, lived upstairs and was summoned down when something exciting was happening by tapping on an exposed water pipe on the wall with a little hammer that hung there expressly for that purpose. Pite and Norma are both gone now, but it was an honor to get a tail end glimpse of what their life had been for all those years.

6)A Sweet Hour With my Mary of the Curling Prayer (“My Mary of the Curling Hair” trad’l, “Sweet Hour of Prayer” by Wm. Bradbury) - "My Mary..." I learned from El McMeen and arranged it in his wonderful CGDGAD tuning. It's quite similar to "Sweet Hour of Prayer" which I've known all my life from church singing.

7)Haste to the Wedding - A traditional tune I've loved since I stumbled across it in a wonderful version by Guy Van Deuser and Billy Novick. They played it kinda slow and sweet, which is how I like it, though my version here is a little more up tempo than I often do it. Musta had too much coffee that morning!

8)I Wanna Be Real - This song could really serve quite well as a manifesto for my life, really. If someone decides to play it at my funeral, I won't object. Well ... of course not. But I'd also like them to play a newer one, "Trust Now in Love."

9)Keep on the Sunny Side of Life - I'm told that this song served as the theme song for a radio show the Carter Family hosted for a number of years way back when. I do it a little differently now, though. I stay on the five chord throughout measure five of the verse then back to the tonic at the beginning of measure six. This is the more traditional way, I think. However you do it, it's a great old Gospel song I'll always love.

10)Ezekiel Saw the Wheel - Me on the jawharp! And ol' Bruce "the Creeper" Kurnow on harmonica.

11)Thank-you for Loving Me - I wrote this at a little B & B in Winona, MN one time when I was missing my sweet Nancy wife. This is about as close as I've ever come to writing a true country song, I'll bet.

12)Ragtime Annie - I played this rollicking old fiddle tune on guitar at the National Guitar Flatpicking Championship in Winfield, Kansas back in 1975 or so. I've still got the shirt somewhere. Come to think of it, I'm using it as a guitar rag. Mark O'Connor backed me up. I didn't win, but it was a pleasure playing with Mark and made for some memories I'll carry with me always.


FAX YOURSELF TO JESUS

Jack Pearson - Six and high-string guitars, 5-string banjo, mandolin, vocals, amplified toybox lid, spoons, jawharp
Scott “Mr. Music” Malchow - Bass, percussion, synth & piano, dobro, electric guitar
Bruce “The Creeper” Kurnow - harmonica
Brian Wicklund - Fiddle (on Fax Yourself to Jesus, Lumphrey's General Store, Keep on the Sunny Side, Ragtime Annie)

Recorded and produced January-June 1995 by Jack and Scott at Scott Malchow Productions, Minneapolis, MN. Mixed by Scott, Jack and Dave Schmidt. All songs ©Jack Pearson, OtterTunity, Inc. - BMI except “Sweet Hour of Prayer” by Wm Bradbury, music by W.W. Walford, and “Keep on the Sunny Side of Life” by J. Howard Entwisle, music by Ada Blenkhorn, used by permission. All rights reserved.

About Jack:
Jack is known across the country as “Mr. Song-Strummin’ Storyman!sm”. His songs are frequently heard on Gospel and family-oriented radio stations, and his tales and tunes have been widely hosted by family and adult groups nationwide. He also plays a lot for kids. Check out some of his award-winning kids' music right here on CDBaby! Jack lives in Minneapolis, MN with his wife, Nancy. Artistic and booking information is available at www.jackpearson.org. For questions, call Jack at 800/576-8869. He's got plenty of 'em!

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