“Reckonings“ is an album written almost entirely during the Covid pandemic, and to a
certain extent, the songs reflect what was going on inside my head and in response to the
larger world outside. The album was recorded largely at home, and the parts of the
accompanying musicians were mostly tracked in their homes and sent to me. It was a slightly
weird and unprecedented way to make an album, but nobody got sick while we made it.
1. She Do – an upbeat, humorous look at Mars/Venus nature of modern relationships, in a
Country Blues/Cajun-style arrangement.
2. Nobody Told Me - I lost 3 friends during the pandemic, and this song looks at the stages of
grief and ultimate redemption in the passing of lives of those we love.
3. Lucky - an ironic, intense look at white privilege, inspired in part by the actions of a certain
Florida governor who has tried to forbid teaching about racial justice in schools. As a White
person, I feel that we have to understand what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes.
4. You Just Know - a bouncy, Old Time/Country Blues tune talking about life’s epiphanies.
“Sometimes the truth will git ya; sometimes you don’t know what hit ya”.
5. The Wheel Meets the Road - my church in Concord, MA has a connection to the story of John
Brown, and this song tells of his visit to Concord in 1857 in the larger context of his struggle for
abolition.
6. When I was a young guitar player/wannabe rock star, I had a dream of playing a Gibson Les
Paul guitar, and this song tells the story of how it came true.
7. Over Myself - over the years I’ve had a chance to meet any number of self-loving, self-
centered people, including the one in the mirror, and this song takes a humorous look at this
personality type.
8. The Choice - the story of Peter Norman, the silver medalist in the 200 yard dash in the 1968
Olympics. Norman had about 20 minutes to decide whether to support the US sprinters
Tommie Smith and John Carlos, and the impact it had on the rest of his life was monumental. I
sent this to Olympic Gold Medalist Tommie Smith, who later called me up to say how much the
song moved him.
9. Making A Living - I wrote this song after working on a John Prine tribute album, so if the style
is somewhat “Prine-esque”, please forgive me! This song is an ironic, humorous , first -
predator perspective from the eyes of some of earth’s most feared animals. “I’m just doing my
best, doing my beast”.
10. Smarter - I’m married to a woman who dumped me 3 times over a 13 year period, and this is
the story of our romance. I was a long-distance runner in high school, and I sometimes joke
that it prepared me for relationships. I’m not sure if I’m really “smarter than I look”... I’ll let my
wife answer that one.
11. Wonderful Life - is a song from a dog’s perspective, who is visiting the vet for the last time.
Not to be listened to by dog-lovers who are driving or operating heavy machinery!
12. Long Road - the saga of Emmett Till, whose tragic death helped ignite the civil rights
movement. My parents tried hard to help their children understand racial justice issues at an
early age, and the story of Emmett Till was a hard but necessary story to hear.
13. Waiting At Your Door - written for a dear friend who was battling a severe form of long -
Covid. It’s amazing how just allowing someone to feel safe and close to another person can
have healing qualities.
14. Let Evening Come - inspired by a a poem of the same name by New Hampshire poet Jane
Kenyon, this song is a lullaby inviting the listener to slow down and rest deeply. With Kevin
Barry playing a dreamy lap steel guitar.