David Dunham

Collaborations with Special Friends

CHILLOUT SONGS

Such an honor to be invited again to collaborate with Seagull, a wonderful musician and creator who challenges me to reach beyond my usual genre of music to add to his.  This time it is to join him in a place of rest for the heart away from the turmoil that fills the headlines.  We ask you to join us too for a few brief minutes.
More of Seagull's lovely music can be heard @farout-music-studio

Rest My Heart (Seagull--Synths, Electric Guitar, Bass; David Dunham--Classical Guitar)

One of Nature's sweetest fragrances, rain-washed air.  What a delight and honor to join Dan-DT, Clara, and Seagull in making this fragrant aural experience, and my maiden voyage into Dan's lovely genre of French Fantasy more of which can be heard @dan-t-3.  Seagull's lovely music can be heard here @farout-music-studio.

After The Rain  (Dan-DT, Clara, David, and Seagull)

How wonderful it is to work with skilled guitarist and synth artist Seagull and ace guitarist Ed Cunningham on our tribute to the night sky; a favorite pastime of mine in years gone by. I was once an avid amateur astronomer (still have my telescope), until I got caught up in the guitar universe and this wonderful place called Soundcloud.  I still manage to get out now and then to capture a little starlight.  Hear more of Seagull's fine productions @farout-music-studio and Ed's beautiful guitar music @westtracksmusic

Starlight(Seagull; guitars and synths, Ed Cunningham; electric guitar, David Dunham; acoustic guitar

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)

What began as a prosaic comment evolved into an enriching collaboration.  Our friend and Soundcloud poet laurate Peter joins us on a fishing voyage.  Seagull, not content to do a simple voice over, remixes the track and places us on a fishing boat, the sea a bit rough, the gulls impatient for part of the catch, and Peter not just reading but dynamically narrating what he is experiencing on the deck of the ship.  What an honor to work with these artists enlarging on our previous collaboration.  Please check out more of Seagull's music @farout-music-studio, and Peter's poignant songs and poetry @user-264930040

My sanctuary from archive gleans
The gentle times, wherein my mind
Recalls a childhood spent in dreams
Of bobbing boats on ocean spied.

Here, the call of a benevolent sea
The briny, perfumed honesty
Of adolescent memories.

But whence this salty desert sea
Where once the skinny trawler plied?
Plastic water ocean streams
Where finny, swimmy fish should lie.

Silenced of the chuggy motors
Decimated by their quotas
Where the haddock, cod and herring bloaters?

The factory ships that hoovered clean
Of scaly friends the sea main wide.
Its cheaply speckled high protein
Squandered as the herring gull cried.

Where the fishers, where the boats?
Where the nets, and yellow rubber coats?
Where the pots, and lines and corky floats?

...wherein my mind
Recalls a childhood spent in dreams
Of bobbing boats on ocean spied.
Why, they set sail for the past it seems,
Upon tomorrow's ebbing tide.

Childhood Memory--Updated (Seagull, David, and featuring Peter)

Winter's chill has given way to warmer days.  It's time to go for a morning ride whether on a bike or a balloon.  If you have to be inside, let us take you along.  Curtis' playing (left-center) is unerring and superb in this revisited improv session we had a few years back.

Morning Ride (Curtis Gremmel, guest guitarist)

This is a song about the color Purple which has a fascinating history from ancient times.  It was the color of kings and royal pageantry.  In its purest form it was the rare dye extracted from a particular type of snail, requiring thousands to produce enough dye to color a handkerchief.  It is remembered that Jesus, during his passion, was draped in a purple robe as a means of mockery.
Purple was also the favorite color of Athena Alexandria Brownfield (9/6/2018-12/25/2022) a little girl who tragically died on Christmas day, the victim of extreme neglect. The details are too painful to relate here, but felt compelled to write this song and make a video--my first--to memorialize her life; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z7GZF2BO90
A very special thank you to Debbie Buesking for sharing my vision of the song and for adding some very delicate and poignant phrases.  More of her beautiful composing and playing can be heard @debra_buesking.

Purple Was Her Favorite Color with Debbie Buesking, piano (In Memory of Athena)

The track picture is a common sight in the canyons of Colorado, and probably all of the Rocky Mountain states.  The sun can be shining while driving in the canyon, but miles ahead there could have been a torrential rainstorm that triggered a flash flood and it is coming...quickly.  You literally have to abandon your vehicle and climb the canyon wall or get washed away.  
The sign and song are metaphorical as well.  When flash floods of circumstance happen in our lives, we must seek higher ground so as not to be washed away in the emotional maelstrom.  Such was the case with Pat and his cancer diagnosis twenty months ago, and with my good friend and collaborator Elmer Stone who unexpectedly lost his beloved wife Bonnie a few days ago.  They are seeking and finding higher ground in their faith, families, and friends.  
A big thank you to Pat for sending me the "ditty" a while back but recently rediscovered that serves as the "higher ground" in the song.

Climb To Higher Ground with Pat Howell, Mandolin (In honor of Pat Howell and Elmer Stone)

Thank you Seagull and Peter for letting me accompany you on this journey, both in this song and in the Compendium. Your insights, creativity, and production skill has made this series something very personal and special.
Spoken words:
Spark,
Pulse,
Swirl,
Light,
Grow,
Evolve,
Shine,
Slow,
Decay,
Dark.

Time Wears Down (Seagull, Peter, and David)

Renaissance is a wonderful composition by my good friend Elmer Stone who is playing lead rhythm guitar. I assisted Elmer in producing the track and adding some tonal color in the live performance as well as dubbing in some nice licks by Mike McAdoo a mutual friend and professional guitarist from Branson, Mo.  It has a big sound and I hope you like it as well as I liked producing it.

Renaissance (Elmer Stone, David Dunham)

This tune came out of a wonderful convergence (happy accident); my collaboration with @devin-locke on "Theme and Variations" and a renewed interest in the painting of Bob Ross. One of the variations I became so taken with, I wanted to develop it into a full track using the original steel string voice of the collaboration then adding nylon string to enlarge the melody line.  "Happy Accidents" was a favorite saying of Bob Ross as he would go about his painting on Public Television.  I saw how it applied to me in how I have composed guitar music over the years;  the unexpected note or chord I first thought a mistake became a turning point for a phrase or melody line.  Some would call it "serendipity", for Bob Ross it was a "happy accident".  If you listen closely toward the beginning, you can hear my granddaughter Lily in the background, a bit of a cameo and very much a happy accident:)

Happy Accidents (For Bob Ross)

A while back fine guitarist @devin-locke inspired me to revisit some of the early Miles Davis' recordings which are brilliant jazz masterpieces.  I wanted to try my hand at the style and have Devin join me if he felt so inclined.  He hasn't yet, but may do so in the future:) Anyway, a little tribute to a master...

Miles And Miles To Go

Written for my 2nd granddaughter who turned 20 last November, she is pictured here as a three year old about the time the song was first written.  It was a stylistic breakthrough for me finding its birth on a Mexican classical guitar I found at a pawn shop and bought at a bargain because it needed repair.  Shortly after the glue dried, I started playing it and the opening phrases of the song just poured out and I thought "that sounds like my Grace".  So here it is on the Godin, a song for Grace and a prayer for you.

Grace To You

Angels play a huge role throughout the Biblical narrative.  They also play a role in our lives as well, probably much more than we realize...May Lemke is one such angel. I read about her years ago and her rescuing of a hopelessly disabled, premature baby she would adopt and name Leslie in an article titled "The Miracle of May Lemke's Love".  Here is a brief video of that angel telling her story.  www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWtZA-ZmOAM&list=PLKj3m-0NiJ6VpEOx8YE1dhsRg0umHaQ8N&index=1  Debra Buesking gives the song yet another dimension of ambience and power in our collaboration: soundcloud.com/david-dunhamuser589535203/on-the-wings-of-angels-second-flight-with-debra-buesking-piano

On Angels' Wings (In Memory of May Lemke)

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.