Tetsuya Nakamura & James Waldman
Down By The Riverside Blues To Grow On, Songs To Live By
© 2002 T's music co (724101824227)
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Acoustic blues carrying the message of peace and living up to the song titles, "Down by the Riverside," "Blues to Grow On," and "Songs to Live By."
tracks
- 1 Down by the Riverside
- 2 Delta Memories
- 3 The Livin' End
- 4 I Think it's Going to Work Out Fine
- 5 Troublin' Mind
- 6 Heart of lead
- 7 Big Road Blues
- 8 Walk On
- 9 That'll Never Happen No More
- 10 Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand
- 11 Lemon Mann
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Tetsuya Nakamura and James Waldman
Down by the Riverside
Blues to Grow On, Songs to Live By
Two devoted blues men happened to meet in Hollywood at the 1999 Harp Attack, a harmonica players' showcase. Tetsuya Nakamura, harmonica player, and James Waldman, singer and fingerstyle blues guitarist, heard each other play in different acts.
Later, they met outside to express appreciation for each other's performances. It was an immediate clicking of talents and personalities.
Tetsuya (pronounced Tet-seeya-h) and James talked about their deep appreciation of the old blues. Both men want to keep the old-style acoustic blues alive. At that first meeting, they discovered each was enthusiastic about the country folk blues, which originated in the Mississippi Delta, Piedmont areas of the Carolinas, the East Texas Deep Ellum sound of Blind Lemon Jefferson, as well as other rural songsters. Tetsuya and James are both committed to proving that all blues are not the same. There is a special purity in the early, pre-electric blues that is far too precious to be lost by time or modern tastes. They agreed to meet again to share their love the early blues.
The two musicians met at James' house near Hollywood, and learned more than 30 tunes over the summer. Although both men have played their share of electrified music in full bands, they wanted an outlet for this pure folk style, which is near and dear to their hearts. Tetsuya and James made a commitment to keeping true to the down-home style of country blues; they agreed to focus on performing with only an acoustic guitar, harmonica, and vocals. Then the duo started gigging around town, at Hollywood's famous Canter's Deli, open 24-hours a day since 1948, and other venues all over Southern California. Finally, they were ready to produce their own CD.
They had several originals to draw from, many classic blues numbers to be re-introduced, and even a few modern songs that lent themselves to an acoustic harp/guitar interpretation. But after the tragedy of September 11, 2001, the subsequent bombing in Afghanistan, and continual conflict in the Mid-East, James and Tetsuya felt strongly about bringing the message of peace and harmony to the world.
Humankind was in need of hope and good news after 9/11, and what better way to express the message of peace than through the universal language of music. Specifically, they chose to perform the folk spiritual, Down by the Riverside. A whole generation of young people has never heard this classic song. It is important for children of all ages and all nations to hear the powerful message it conveys, "Lay down the sword and shield and study war no more."
Among the many other artists who have recorded this tune are Odetta and Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. As old as "Down by the Riverside" is, and as many people who have sung it over the decades, many wars have still taken place since the song was first conceived. Because music is the thread that binds the universe, Tetsuya and James hope their version of the song will help move the world towards a peaceful co-existence. Simply put, war is not healthy for children and other living things.
Once Tetsuya and James made the decision to record "Down by the Riverside," they felt compelled to record their CD in a hurry. With the help of producer Adam Steinberg's digital audio gear, the duo was able to record, mix, and master eleven tunes in only six hours. Speeding up the audio production process was a priority in hopes of getting the product out and into the hands of people everywhere.