The Redbird Session

www.shadric.com

Tunesmith

Shadric Smith

The songs on this CD were recorded between 1976 and 1999 with a number of talented midwestern musicians and singers. From my old pickin' buddy Chuck Henderson playing on Riverboat, Sail Downstream, to Ky Haub and Brad Heck, two members of Junior's Army jamming out with me on Keep Your Kitchen Clean. The songs are mostly country tunes...it was dj Duane Murley from KWMT who kept asking over and over again if I would release Lonesome Fiddle on CD. Bobby Awe played a great steel part on the demo of the song we recorded in 1988, so that became the lead off song on the CD, followed by When You're Down In Iowa with Jan Vroman singing backup harmony. She also harmonizes on Thank You Grandma.

When You're Down In Iowa was chosen as the theme song for the Homecoming '86 Celebration here in Webster County. My pal Denny Osburn in Kansas City helped me out with One Step Ahead Of the Blues and Dark Star Rising. Manson's favorite son Scott Dorman and I wrote Bluer Than the Moon Over You a few years back and recorded this version of it....Scott sings it and does a great job....he is in Nashville now trying to break onto the charts. I wrote Rollin' Down That Lincoln Highway at the request of my friend at Nevada Monument Company, the owner Ken Huffaker. He is active in the Lincoln Highway Association. This song was used as backdrop for a Lincoln Highway video which eventually became part of a National Geographic television segment on TBS. Dan Cassady from Iowa Central Community College used Denny Osburn's arrangement to produce a horn parts for the song in 2004.

Tombstone Cowboy and The Old Iowa Waltz first sprung from the mind and pen of my Frontier Fiddle Band associate Dave Hearn. I helped finish the lyrics and sang both of these versions in a demo session we did at Dave Haldin's Digital Sound Studio. We mixed these two songs at Keith Brown's Crystal Sound Studio in Des Moines.

The Old Iowa Waltz was written for the Iowa Sesquicentennial and was later rearranged by Reggie Schive and performed by the Karl King Band in Washington, D.C. The song has also been arranged for barbershop chorus by Stu Martin and performed by the Harmony Brigade at the Fort Museum here in Fort Dodge.

There are sixteen songs on the Tunesmith CD! Jan Vroman knocked out a fine take of Mixed Up On You one night at Junior's Motel with just the my acoustic guitar as background. Tommy Shadonix played his jumping fiddle on Daddy's Mama's Truck Is Countrified. Nicki Thoma gave a great vocal performance on Lost In A Dream. Dave Steen rocked out on A Penny For Adeline and Jivin' With Ivan.

A special thank you to all of the musicians who performed on the CD.

5 - 18 - 2002 Hi Shadric, Just a quick note to say g'day from the land of Oz and I wanted to let you know that I have received your CD: Tunesmith. Wow, what a difference - what are you - a Dr. Jekyll and a Mister Hyde - this is so great and to country, I just love it - it's like chalk and cheese from your others. When you sing country so good why on earth would you go and do that other stuff - I guess I maybe be sounding a little bit "one-eyed country" here but what can I say, I'm just a country girl at heart - well at least where my music is concerned. Thanks again. Bye for now and have a great weekend.

TRUDY BURKE Make Mine Country radio show. Australia