Marking my third collaboration with gifted pianist Debra Buesking, what an honor and treat to have her add her piano magic to a tune I wrote some 25 years ago on a warm summer evening in Colorado.  The Godin guitar seemed the perfect voice to express the warmth and intimacy of a summer evening reverie, and Debra's piano the perfect accompaniment, like two friends enjoying a glass of wine.  Hear more of Debra's fine compositions and arrangements @debra_buesking.

One Summer Night, A Reverie, with Debra Buesking, piano

It was a year ago I originally released "Angels", a most unlikely event given that it was a mouse click away from ever seeing the light of day.  I didn't like how it was progressing and wanted to scrap the whole thing.  That's the time you walk away and let it steep, let the idea mature and if it is a good one, let it fly.  Your response showed it was good beyond my hopes, and now made even better with Debra's wonderful playing on this second flight.  I hope you think so too.  Hear more of Debra's wonderful music @debra_buesking.

On Angels' Wings--Second Flight (with Debra Buesking, piano)

"Aisling", besides being a popular girl's name in Ireland, also means a Celtic dream or vision.  It was Pat's hope I would catch the vision from a recording he made of his Octave mandolin which I finally did adding a guitar part and a middle section with the Requinto guitar that sounds remarkably like a Celtic harp.  It's a vision we want to share with you:)

An Aisling (A Dream or Vision) with Pat Howell; Mandolin

Quietude in the midst of chaos, confusion, uncertainty, and restlessness; Seagull captures an Eden-like vision of tranquility and reflection.  It also came with a surprise he kept securely under his hat; I would be joined in the collaboration with him by two of my favorite SC artists, Ed Cunningham and Dan-t, masters of their genre. I didn't know until he unveiled the finished product.  My approach turned out to be "less is more" so I show up to the party fashionably late at just past the 2:00 mark, but what a lovely party...and vision.  I hope you think so too. Seagull also gave sight to the sound which can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxFYED8OEeQ Hear more fine music from these maestros:
Seagull @farout-music-studio
Ed @westtracksmusic
Dan-t @dan-t-3
Photo credit; Dan-t

The Quietude (Seagull, Ed Cunningham, Dan-t, David Dunham)

The presents are opened and the children are playing with boundless energy.  This is the image I wanted to capture with the solo Requinto guitar.  I thought about putting an adult in the room (bigger guitar) but decided no, let the children play:) There is also a wee little story line; there is playing and playing, trying out a different toy, playing some more, then the fatigue sets in and they start to wind down for a nap only to dream of playing some more...

Child's Play

This is what happens when you let an ace producer get hold of a track; he transforms it:)  The song was originally dedicated to my son-in-law Marshall who is a law and order type of guy.  Special thanks to Seagull @farout-music-studio for taking what started as a jam session with superb guitarist Curtis Gremmel and elevated to celestial heights with a little help from Clara.  
An additional note: we just come to learn that "Space Marshals" was a popular video game eight years ago and apparently still is given the large number of listens.  I'm not a "gamer" but appreciate all who are who have given this music a listen:)

Space Marshal (Curtis, David, and Seagull)

It always amazes me how the simple sharing of a guitar idea can become a full-fledged song in the hands of master-producer Seagull @farout-music-studio.  He enlisted the help of Madame Snowflake for the vocal and lyric theme of the song "Don't Be Afraid" adding his own special touches to the mix.  But it first started out as a love song from Godin, a guitar with a unique and beautiful nylon-string voice.
"Don't Be Afraid" (for Lauren)
by Snowflake
2014 - Licensed under
Creative Commons
Attribution Noncommercial (3.0)

Standing close to your bedside
Hoping, watching your breath rise
Stay here hold to your
Faith dear
Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid
Your room flooded with white light
You’ve one foot in and one taking flight
Stay here hold to your
Faith dear
Don’t be afraid dear
Don’t be afraid
Don’t be afraid
Strong yet fragile
Like an angel
Waiting gracefully
For her wings
Now, ah
Holding your hand, praying to understand
A higher plan
Stay here hold to your
Faith dear
Don’t be afraid dear
Don’t be afraid
Don’t be afraid

Love From Godin, Don't Be Afraid (Seagull, David, and featuring Snowflake)

Seasons change; as in weather, even more so in life, and if we're fortunate, we get one spin of the cycle.  Here is a little tune to celebrate those changes.

Change Of Season

Pulled from the archives, Julie Evans brings the Blues to her exquisite violin playing in this cover of the famous Arthur Hamilton song.  I had the privilege of backing her up with acoustic guitar and bass.  Remastered from a cassette tape recorded in 1997.  Thanks to Harvey Twyman for bringing our cover to mind with his own recent and very fine cover @harvey-twyman.

Cry Me A River (Arthur Hamilton) Julie Evans; violin, David; Guitar, Bass

Celtic music is a paradox; in a minor key such as this piece, it tends to be melancholy, yet in its melancholia it can lift the spirit to heavenly realms where noble and reflective thoughts reside.  It is Debbie's and mine fondest hope this Lament lifts your spirits:) A huge thank you to Debbie for gracing this piece with her playing. Hear more of her beautiful music @debra_buesking.

Celtic Lament (Debra Buesking; Piano and Synths, David; Guitar)

Some people touch your life in unexpected and unprecedented ways.  Such was the case with a little red-headed girl, maybe seven years old, but in every way a ministering and guardian angel to her daddy who was going through a very rough patch in his life and never wavered in her devotion to him.  Maddie, this one's for you. You blessed my heart beyond words. 
A very special thank you to Axel Menningen for loving this song and lavishing his musical gifts on the arrangements.  He offered me two versions and loving them both, I asked him to publish the other mix on his profile. This is a kind of "Irish Pub" version of the song, smaller and more intimate.  The bigger, symphonic version is on his profile.  I encourage you to give it a listen as well as his other fine compositions @axel-m-501052973
Axel also produced a beautiful and touching tribute to Maddie on his Youtube channel; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGuDhSgMauo
Thank you my friend, words fail me.

Ginger Angel (with a lovely arrangement by Axel Menningen)

What a delightful surprise to be invited to collaborate with fine Italian composer and producer Michele Ansani.  His work is both penetrating and reflective as he provides a musical canvas for spoken verse. 
The words recited by me are verses from one of the most famous poems by one of the greatest Italian poets of the 20th century, Eugenio Montale. They are taken from the collection entitled ‘Ossi di seppia’ ('The Bones of Cuttlefish'), published in Italy in 1925, and several times translated into English (alone or together with other works by Montale).
One is first struck by the movements between minor and major keys.  It mirrors the soul caught between hope and despair sometimes in the same moment.  The conflict is not new being as old as mankind, but with the prevalence of social media, it gains a spotlight as never before.
Lyrics by Eugenio Montale
Music, piano, and electronic strings by Michele Ansani
Voice and acoustic guitar: David Dunham
Photo by Peter Zajfrid, "Moody Morning"
Please visit Michele's excellent profile; @soundcloud.com/michele-ansani

Lyrics (ENGLISH / ORIGINAL ITALIAN)
Perhaps one morning going alone in the air of glass,
Arid, looking back, I shall see, with the terror
Of a drunken man, the making of a miracle:
Nothingness at my shoulders, the void behind me.

Then as on a screen, suddenly, trees, houses, hills
Will assemble themselves for the usual deception.
But it will be too late; and I shall go on, quiet,
With my secret, among the men who do not turn.

Forse un mattino andando in un’aria di vetro,
arida, rivolgendomi, vedrò compirsi il miracolo:
il nulla alle mie spalle, il vuoto dietro
di me, con un terrore di ubriaco.

Poi come s’uno schermo, s’accamperanno di gitto
alberi case colli per l’inganno consueto.
Ma sarà troppo tardi; ed io me ne andrò zitto
tra gli uomini che non si voltano, col mio segreto.

Perhaps One Morning (M. Ansani, D. Dunham)

The first cold winds of Autumn arrived last evening and with them a time of reflection. If Spring is the season of "Hello", surely Autumn is the season of "Goodbye".  The farewells can be bittersweet, whether to a fragrant garden or fragrant friendship, but the bitter lasts only a moment but the sweet remains in our remembering.
A special thank you to Debbie for gracing my efforts with her playing--she makes all things beautiful:) Hear more of her lovely music @debra_buesking.

Bittersweet Goodbye (Debra Buesking; Piano, David; Godin Guitar)

I wrote this forty years ago as part of the "Scenes of St. Francis" small-town song anthology and thought it might be fun to post as fall is winding down but before the Christmas season gets into full swing.  St. Francis, Kansas is a little prairie town nestled in a shallow river valley and has an abundance of trees, mostly cottonwoods, but a few hardwoods that stand out especially in the fall. And with the trees was an abundance of squirrels always playing chase or hide and seek when they weren't getting into mischief.  They needed a song, and with my daughters being so young, I wanted to make it in the form of a children's song that they could sing along to.  As adult women, they still like to sing along when they hear it which is a good thing since my own singing voice has largely depleted with age.  But it is a nice reminder that once upon a time I could sing:) Rescued and remixed from an old but faithful cassette tape.

Squirrel Song lyrics:
Hop, skip, and jump, and away they go,
Haven't got a care in the world.
Playing hide and seek 'round an old tree trunk,
I'm talking 'bout my friend the squirrel.

Gathering nuts is a way of life,
But even they know when to play,
And though winter's coming before too long,
They still live life day by day.
Chorus:
Just let their antics entertain you,
From a high-wire act to a tree-top stunt or two,
There's not a dull moment when you see them around,
There's fun wherever they're found.

Instrumental hums then repeat chorus

Hop, skip, and jump, and away they go,
They have something we need to learn;
That a happy life is made of work and play
When each one gets a turn.

Squirrel Song (from Scenes of St. Francis)

A diminutive woman in her 7th decade, Laurie is a dynamo of personality and energy living an outsized life as she still works, loves to travel, and when home, playing in our church band as a guitarist and sharing music as a multi-instrumentalist.  She is also a personal hero in how she powered through chemo, invasive surgery, then radiation to arrest the progress of a rare cancer.  She would tell you it was by the Grace of God, but I would quickly add He worked in concert with her faith and "joie de vivre" of which she has an abundance.  Not knowing what to give her for her birthday and Christmas (a month apart), I gave her a song with her band nickname as the title.  For you, "Laurie Lou" my dear friend, guitar sister, and bandmate:)

Laurie Lou

With the fall of the Assad regime, Syria is once again thrust into the international spotlight as new leadership takes hold promising much while its citizens took to the streets celebrating the ousting of Assad and now wait hopefully for positive change.  The country has been in a civil war of unspeakable cruelty since 2011. The swift changes have been on Peter's heart through the holiday season. It is a country, a land, and a culture that is deeply rooted in history going back over 10 millennia.  In many ways it is a cradle of Western civilization but its people are at a contemporary crossroads wanting what we have; peace, prosperity, civility, and freedom to determine their destiny as a nation.  This song addresses that hope, the first release of the year for our little international ensemble.  
Lyric, narration/singing - Peter the poet - @soundcloud.com/user-264930040/tracks
Lovely left & right guitar - David D - @david-dunhamuser589535203
Music, guitar, mix & production - Seagull - @farout-music-studio

Mother Syria

Hold my hand up to the sun to reach this smouldered rubble
Lift my eyes again with little patience left in trust
Assad years, father and son, each the devil’s double
Gassed and burned my cradle nation to blood-soaked mental dust

With his face alight the new guy’s mission, pure, sent from heaven
Promises truth, gold, light and god in his virgin presidential pledge
In the dead of night autocracy voted AK47
New boots crush freedom’s fingertips, as they’re clinging to the ledge

Mother Syria at the crossroads, will your ancient beauty shine,
That cradled understanding of things earthly and divine?

Mother Syria at the crossroads, will your ancient beauty shine,
Or should we prepare the palliatives for your sectarian decline?

Mother Syria at the crossroads, will your ancient beauty shine,
On the path of sane humanity or on diabolos’ design?

Mother Syria will you renounce the suicide bomber’s blast?
Maybe seek out peace at last?

Mother Syria (Seagull, Peter, David)

Between writing sermons as a small-town pastor, I was also engaged in writing songs, some you have heard in my "Scenes of St. Francis". This particular song came to me after reading an article about love and marriage--ministers do a lot of reading for sermon preparation--but this one knocked me a bit sideways.  Turns out men on average will fall in love between five and seven times before meeting their wife, and then 1-1/2 times afterward!  This song is about the 1-1/2 times afterward, a little different kind of love song for Valentine's Day. 
I have sat on the text and melody for over forty years but thought I better do something before time overtook it as it had overtaken my singing voice.  I heard Axel sing in his magnificent song with Sarah Paradise-Brown "What We Still Feel" and felt he could give the song the vocal it needed, an international voice of "everyman".  When he received the guitar parts he set to work on it and gave the song a stunningly beautiful orchestral setting as well.  Thank you dear Axel for lavishing your vocal and orchestral skills on a song that needed both. I am deeply honored and indebted.  Hear more of Axel's beautiful music @axel-m-501052973.
"Faithful and True" lyrics:

I recall the day I said "I do",
I never thought that I could love anyone
Like I love you,
But of late I'm really not so sure
That the promises we made can hold
Us together as we both grow older
With each day.
Is it possible for love to endure?
Chorus:
But I've made up my mind.
I've made my choice,
This feeling will pass but never the voice,
That tells me I must remain,
Faithful and true.

Bridge:
It doesn't stop the pain of admitting what can never be,
But if love has any meaning it is found in trust,
And not in what we feel.

Instrumental break...

Repeat bridge:

There's a sadness as I say farewell
To a love that promised more than I could ever tell,
Or at least that is the way it seemed
To a man who found himself in love
With another 'till he counted the cost of fantasy.
It was more than he ever dreamed.

Repeat chorus and end.

Faithful And True (David Dunham with Axel Menningen)

Rain...too little of it and there is drought, too much of it and there are deadly, destructive floods, just the right amount and the earth flourishes; crops grow, gardens bloom, our spirits are refreshed and encouraged.  This song begs the questions; are mankind's plans, philosophies, charitable endeavors, or selfish goals like the rain that can benefit mankind or destroy it?  Do novel ideas work for the moral structure of humanity or is the ancient wisdom better? There are no easy answers to the questions Peter asks in the lyrics, but they are questions we should consider as we see the world aflame--which is another blessing of rain, it can put out fires.
Lyric/poem, singing and narration - Peter The Poet: @ soundcloud.com/user-264930040/tracks
Beautiful guitars left/right - David: @david-dunhamuser589535203
Music, e-guitar, mix, and masterful production - Seagull: @farout-music-studio
The gorgeous female voice: Clara Sorace.

Rain
And so it rains
Will it wash away tomorrow’s hopes,
Leave us stranded in our yesterdays
Clinging to the fraying ropes
Swinging helplessly in vain

And yet it rains
Both the means to life or drowning death
Spilling ‘cross the flooding plains
Sucking out the terminal breath
Forever and again

I stand here naked, cold and blue
Stripped of pride and freedom too
Aspirations drained, subdued
As heaven’s cloudbursts purge me through

And still it rains
Will it cleanse, refresh, renew the truth
Sanitise and ease the pain
Or launder filthy failure’s proof
To try and hide the liar’s stain

And it will rain
While lunatics still yield the whip
Indoctrination’s game remains
The crass politico’s iron grip
Will euthanise our children’s brains

……and so it rains

Rain (with Conny, Peter And David)

Now into my seventh decade of living, and celebrating my fiftieth anniversary this month as a guitar player (I should play better than do;), I wanted to drop this "little ditty" as my attempt to keep up with the likes of Bill Liggett (@soundcloud.com/greenfleamusic/tracks) and other notable players on this fine platform.  Actually it's an attempt to keep up with myself, seeing if I can still play what I learned 40-plus years ago, in the case of this song, the introductory licks I learned from a very fine Kansas City lounge musician, Mark Bell in 1979.  For those keeping score, you may remember it from the song "This Motel Room" by Jimmy Buffet--a fun and clever song that details the many nights touring musicians have to endure staying in motel rooms.  I took the initial licks heard throughout the song and built an independent melody line around it, half blues ditty, half musical joke, with a serious moment (you know I have to have one of those:), all with the hope of bringing a smile.  I'm proud to say I can still play it, and maybe, just maybe a little better now than then:)  Bill, just don't ask me to play it live;)

A Little Ditty (David, solo guitar)

March is such a "two-faced" month in the northern latitudes, it can caress with a kiss of sunlit warmth, or slap the face with high winds and freezing temperatures--maybe in the same day!  It is so fickle these "ides of March" which Shakespeare told us to beware of.  The mood and playing of this song came upon me like one of those Ides, riffing on something much more mellow, when I randomly strummed an E major chord, then again with more force, then faster, stronger...I had to capture the moment, but like March weather, you can't be angry all the time, and so the caress of the Cordoba nylon. You might ask what the mellow riffing sounded like I was first practicing on--wait for it:)

Two-Faced (An Ode to March)  David Dunham, Acoustic Guitars

It seems that each season has its own "perfume of mystery".  In a typical Texas panhandle spring, it is Lilac and Russian Olive that perfume the air.  In the deep South, Magnolias are hypnotically fragrant.  In summer it is the fresh, petrichor air after a rainstorm, or a newly-mown field of hay.  In the fall there is a pungency of fallen leaves as they are raked into piles, and as the days grow cooler, smoke from a fireplace during an evening walk. It is an odor that grows stronger and crisper as winter sets in and the sweet scent of pine with the setting up of Christmas trees.  Dan wanted to capture this "perfume of mystery" with his unique composing and keyboard skills and invited me to come along. Thank you my friend for inviting me.  Hear more of Dan's beautiful and unique "French Fantasy" music @dan-t-3.

Like A Perfume Of Mystery (DAN-DT; composer, keyboards, David; guitars)

I wrote this song 15 years ago for close friend and guitarist Elmer Stone. Elmer and I have collaborated on three songs on Soundcloud but this one is purely a tribute to him and the friendship we have shared for the past thirty-plus years.  It is also a memorial for his wife Bonnie who he lost two years ago. She was a core contributor to his music, life partner, and his best friend.
I am indebted to Mike Fox and Axel Meningen for taking my rough demo of the song and making it a broadcast quality production.  Thank you gentlemen for your time, talents, and belief that the song could be more than I could ever make it on my own.  Hear more of their amazing music @michael-fox-925325997 and @axel-m-501052973  
Good Ol' Boy
Lyrics:
He's a good ol' boy with his good ol' toys,
He likes a beer now and then.
He picks a guitar and dreams of going far,
Don't know the how, or the where, or the when.
The boys in the band play as hard as they can.
And they hitch their wagon to the star,
Of this good ol' boy, this good ol' boy.

He keeps house with his wife, the love of his life,
The kids are all grown and gone.
By the gray in his hair you can tell he still cares
'bout the things that are right and wrong.
And the question comes does it get better than this,
A hard days work and a goodnight kiss,
For this good ol' boy, this good ol' boy.

Bridge:
Well it hasn't been easy, no it's never been easy
But he keeps on keepin' on.
And what hasn't killed him he finds a way
To put into a song, 'bout this good ol' boy
This good ol' boy.

Instrumental break, repeat bridge.

He's a good ol' boy with his share of joys,
And his share of the cares of this world.
When it's all said and done, and his race has been run,
And he rests in the arms of the Lord
Of this good ol' boy, this good ol' boy.
Instrumental to the end.

Good Ol' Boy (Mike, Axel, David)

The long anticipated;) follow up has arrived.  I begin the song with a brief reprise of "Two Faced" to set the stage.  After the cold and bluster of March, the gentleness of spring and early summer is felt with a walk in the park.
Thank you all for the overwhelming response to my ode to March and especially the interest shown in the little teaser, epilogue now a more complete thought.  As they say, "take time to smell the flowers":)

A Walk In The Park (David, acoustic guitars)

What happens if "Dust In the Wind" meets "Classical Gas"?  I sought to answer that profound question one morning when I was riffing on an A-minor chord and couldn't think of another way to describe this acoustic concoction. I couldn't think of a better name for it either, but seemed to have a "ballad" feel to it, either about a hero or villain, I'll let you decide, and maybe catch a "catnap" thinking about it:)

Ballad For Acoustic Guitar

I think of some of the "old timers" that have influenced my life especially when I was a younger man, the stories they shared, the wisdom in those stories if I listened closely, and most sobering, that I'm an old timer myself now.  This song is a bit of a musical portrait of encountering an old timer at a small-town diner and enjoying a bit of food and conversation.  Joining me in this visit is ace pianist and valued collaborator Debra Buesking.  As always, her playing enriches and informs my playing and is totally sympathetic to the theme.  Thank you dear friend for sharing this special musical moment.  Hear more of Debbie's superb composing and playing @debra_buesking. Thanks to George Motz Photography for the track picture.

On a personal note, I appreciate all of you that reached out to me upon hearing about the devastating flood in central Texas that swept away many lives and much property.  It was a worst case scenario happening on one of the busiest weekends of the year.  Amarillo stayed high and dry during the event, but all of us were touched, as was the whole world, upon hearing of the tragedy.  Please continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Old Timer at the Diner (Debbie Buesking; piano, David; acoustic guitar)

Proud to announce my first collaboration with folk string artist extraordinaire Don Jennings.  Don establishes the feel of the song with his strong rhythm strumming--almost the feel of a Celtic stomp, trying to get the mud off one's boots, but allows me plenty of space for my Requinto guitar that sounds a little like a mandolin in the center-left channel.  It is fun music, at least until you have to get the mud off your own boots;)  Hear more of Don's truly fine acoustic artistry @https://soundcloud.com/user-399104119

The Muddy March (Don Jennings; acoustic guitar, David; Requinto guitar)

She is an icon of folk music, she played her guitar upside down and backwards, and she served Don a fried chicken dinner when he got an opportunity to meet her in her home in Alexandria, Va.  In return he tried to teach her the Gary Davis tune "Candyman".  Don's roots run deep in folk music, not in just his knowledge of the genre, not just in the vintage instruments he owns and plays with deft skill, but in having encountered the artists themselves in live and personal settings.  His Cloud is full of his wonderful melodies and fine performances @https://soundcloud.com/user-399104119
We continue our "front porch jam" by covering "Libba" Cotten's cherished tune; I play the main melody on an Ibenez OM guitar, Don joins in with his Washburn parlor, Gibson mandolin, and a dulcimer tuned to C--a string band to be sure;)
Thanks also to Debra Buesking for her personal request that I attempt a cover of the song that got the ball rolling.

Freight Train (Elizabeth Cotten cover) Don Jennings, David Dunham

My good friend and church band mate, mandolinist Pat Howell, was messing around with a couple of chord sequences in the key of C. I asked him to play them again, then again. I capoed my guitar to the 3rd fret and played A shapes to what he was doing. His face lit up and said, "I like that"!  It's amazing sometimes how a mere musical suggestion of a melody can blossom. I plan to add his mandolin part when he composes it, but for now I hope you can say with him "I like it".  This all happened just prior to time change so the picture seemed "Springy" and appropriate to the song, and a breath of optimism and hope in the face of the pandemic.

Spring Forward (Inspired by Pat Howell)

With all that's going on, sometimes the heart just wants to flee to a place of innocence. Maybe we could meet there...

Return To Innocence

I am a finger-style guitarist living on the Texas high plains.  At the core of my music is melody that is inspired and informed by my Christian faith, family, friends, and countless influences through the years from the great composers, to jazz, folk, rock, Latin, Celtic, and the many fine musicians I have come to love on the Cloud, some I have been privileged to collaborate with.  Thanks for stopping by to have a listen. Comments are always welcome. Feel free to click on the picture of any track to learn more about it.

David Dunham

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