Open Spaces is the debut CD from Rick Jamison, featuring nine of Rick's original musical compositions plus three bluegrass favorites.
The CD showcases outstanding performances from Rick on guitar/vocals, mandolin player/vocalist Phil Cornish, fiddle player Megan Lynch and three members of the musical Ickes family: Elida Ickes on Bass, Pat Ickes on banjo and Rob Ickes on dobro.
The Open Spaces CD includes four vocal tracks and eight instrumentals that range from traditional bluegrass to acoustic melodies influenced by the jazz and folk genres.
1.
Wind River Breakdown
(Written and arranged by Rick Jamison)
The Wind River Mountains of Wyoming is where this CD project began. I was up at Big Sandy painting with Scott Christensen and a group of artists when Scott asked if I'd ever considered recording some of my music. That simple question got the wheels turning, and here is the result. I wrote this song the week I returned home in honor of my artist friends who offered me so much encouragement during that special time together.
2.
Where Peaceful Waters Flow
(Written and arranged by Rick Jamison)
I have always stood in awe of the enormous power of the ocean. When I read the book A Perfect Storm, I was deeply moved by the tragedy of the Andrea Gail and her crew, too far at sea and too far from home under the worst of circumstances. The title of this song stands in stark contrast to those storm-ravaged waters, yet I imagine the bottom of the ocean as a place of eternal peace.
3.
Hilltop Rambler
(Written and arranged by Rick Jamison)
Tina and I live on Hilltop Circle, so it was just a matter of time before "Hilltop" found its way into the title of one of my songs. I was working out the nuances of this tune on the front porch at my in-laws house when I heard Tina's Dad say, "Wow man, I really dig that tune" from the hot tub where he was relaxing. I guess this was just the right melody to send wafting across the yard that afternoon.
4.
Morning in Marin
(Written and arranged by Rick Jamison)
This is a tune I wrote many years ago when I first moved to Northern California. Imagine a crisp, fresh morning with a panoramic view of Richardson Bay, a hot cup of coffee and the time to soak it all in. A peaceful moment to inspire a simple melody. Forever more when I play this tune, I'll think of my good friends Dave and Tina and Dil and Jina, and remember the things that matter the most.
5.
Time Again to Go
(Written and arranged by Rick Jamison)
I've always loved a road trip. Pack a few things, saddle up and go. I wrote this song while on a long distance motorcycle ride in my twenties, but I dedicate it to every kindred spirit who has savored the freedom of the open highway, explored the far reaches of our country just for the heck of it or indulged the insatiable curiosity to go and see what's over that next hill.
6.
Copper Moon
(Written and arranged by Rick Jamison)
Traveling to bluegrass festivals with our Airstream is a big part of every summer for us. Throughout the winter, we look forward to kicking off the "bluegrass season" with Fred and Melinda who bring a bunch of our favorite musicians together each spring for a week-long pickin' party. I wrote this tune during one such gathering while watching the moonrise over their homestead in Copperopolis.
7.
A New Path
(Written and arranged by Rick Jamison)
This melody is about newfound freedom, about making choices that honor one's spirit and about, well, having the courage to set off on a new path when the old path keeps leading to dead ends. That's what I had in mind the day these notes first poured out of my guitar, and I offer it here to anyone contemplating a new path of his or her own.
8.
Cattle in the Cane
(Traditional, arranged by Rick Jamison)
I think of traditional music as a massive quilt that weaves together the lives of musicians and listeners alike. Age-old melodies like this one seem to always be in the air, drifting on the breeze like the aroma of home cookin'. Finding a unique expression of a familiar melody while preserving the integrity of the original composition is a fun way to keep the music fresh and new.
9.
Freight Train Boogie
(Traditional, arranged by Rick Jamison)
Although I started playing the guitar when I was 9 years old, I didn't discover acoustic music until a friend turned me on to a Doc Watson record during my college years. I had a chance to sit with Doc himself in a motel room in Alexandria, VA during that era. He showed me how he liked to play the bass line in the chorus of this traditional favorite, and I've been trying to pick it "Doc-style" ever since.
10.
Old Joe Clark
(Traditional, arranged by Rick Jamison)
This is the kind of traditional fiddle tune that every bluegrass player loves to "take a ride" on—the faster, the better. This performance is dedicated to all of my bluegrass friends, wherever you are. Here's to late nights, great jams and the special camaraderie that comes with tuning up, settling in and finding the groove.
11.
Higher Ground
(Written and arranged by Rick Jamison)
When people ask, "How do you like living out in the middle of nowhere?" this song sums up the answer rather well. Although I continue to make my living in Silicon Valley and I love my job, there's nothing like leaving those bumper-to-bumper diamond lanes behind to savor home sweet home in the mountains.
12.
Sonora Pass
(Written and arranged by Rick Jamison)
Our favorite route through the Sierras is the Sonora Pass. We enjoy traveling this narrow, winding alpine road to visit with our country neighbors Peter and Sandy in Markleeville. The road dips and rises and twists its way through some beautiful country, and I wrote this tune to try to capture the feeling I get while ambling along this lightly traveled byway.