Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)

Subject: SANDS OF ABERDEEN
From: JedMarum
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 11:03 AM

It's been heads down preparation for me these last few weeks - getting ready to record a new album - and today the work begins. This afternoon my music partners begin arriving - tomorrow Paul Mills comes to town - Saturday, Sunday and Monday will be 8 hours each at Crystal Clear Studios in Dallas to track the band parts - then Paul and I return to Toronto to finish recording, mix and master.

This is a Celtic Folk/Roots album, a few originals, a few old favorites. Button Accordion, guitar, mando and octave mando, banjo, viola de gamba, whistle/flute, bodhran and upright bass ... I am ready and really looking forwarding to working on this project.

I'll come back to this thread with updates in a couple of weeks - and maybe sneak previews.

Subject: RE: SANDS OF ABERDEEN
From: JedMarum
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 11:04 AM

oh, SANDS OF ABERDEEN is the title of the album

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: JedMarum
Date: 02 Aug 08 - 08:34 AM

We had a long day of it on Friday ... charts, arrangements, final plans. We're rested and ready ... the work begins ....

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: Peace
Date: 02 Aug 08 - 08:36 AM

I wish you great success with it, Jed. Say hello to Paul from me. Thanks.

Bruce

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 02 Aug 08 - 10:14 AM

Hard work, but sounds like fun also. Hope it all goes well.
- Phil

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: Marion
Date: 02 Aug 08 - 01:15 PM

Good luck, Jed. It's always great to hear that you've got another album coming out.

How long will you be in Toronto? Paul has probably mentioned to you that you are invited to my place Thursday to meet some visiting English Mudcatters (Dave Hunt and his partner).

Looking forward to it, Marion

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: Stewart
Date: 02 Aug 08 - 01:45 PM

Jed, it sounds like a great project.
After you finish it, you'll have to
come out to Seattle again
for another house concert.

If it's anything like your previous work
it's bound to be good.

Cheers, S. in Seattle
p.s. I think you need a fiddle in the mix.

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Aug 08 - 04:38 PM

Can't wait to hear it!

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: SouthernCelt
Date: 02 Aug 08 - 08:59 PM

Glad to hear that we'll be getting more music, Jed. Keep us posted on progress. Best of luck with it.

SC

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: Peter T.
Date: 03 Aug 08 - 01:04 PM

Yeah, when are you in Tranna?

yours,

Peter T.

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: JedMarum
Date: 04 Aug 08 - 09:12 AM

Well - we've finished two days of recording and have one more today with the band - today is overdubs, and possibly one new track - then Paul and I head to TO tomorrow to finish the project.

We've really done well with the schedule - and I love the sounds! We have a strong variety of sounds and styles. It has been a real pleasure working with these guys, even though we've worked our as*ses off.

Yes Marion. I am looking forward to Thursday! In fact I am looking forward to visiting the city again. We've been baking in the Texas summer sun these last few weeks.

Anyway - more soon ...

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: GUEST,Jed on a borrowed PC
Date: 08 Aug 08 - 06:44 PM

Three more mixes to go. We should be done by lunch tomorrow. We've worked very hard and with great focus - but it's been wonderful fun. I love the music and I love working with Paul ....

We had a nice visit with Marion and folks last night ... more music to come over the weekend ... we have time (and hopefuly budget) to get a few of the extras done, I was hopng for ... and I have enjoyed this thoroughly decent Toronto weather!

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: Beer
Date: 08 Aug 08 - 09:16 PM

Great news Jed.
Beer (adrien)

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: Effsee
Date: 08 Aug 08 - 10:51 PM

Just wondering...what's the connection with Aberdeen?

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Aug 08 - 09:06 AM

There is a song on the album called Sands of Aberdeen ...

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 30 Aug 08 - 04:43 PM

The song Sands of Aberdeen and a couple other new recordings are playing, along with some other favorites, on the juke box on Jed's MySpace page if you'd like to have a listen.
- Phil

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 08:48 AM

Even more tracks here and here

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: JedMarum
Date: 03 Oct 08 - 08:16 PM

OK - the album will out Oct 20. It'll be available at CDBaby at I-Tunes and all of the MP3 Services.

But I am doing a direct sale for my email and newsletter lists and for Mudcat folks. I am not pushing this too far, since I am not set up to do mass shipping - BUT I figure the few folks who stumble onto my website won't increase the numbers by much.

Take a look at the info here. I've described the album, posted links to samples and more info and I've described the direct sale offer that I'll work through December.

I stated on the page that I can can't do overseas shipping, but I can sort that out if you like. It just costs a couple dollars more. Send me a note through the CONTACT page.

Anyway - let me know what ya think. I do hope ya'll listen to the album. MP3s or CDs or whatever ...

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: Jeri
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 10:52 AM

I've had an opportunity to hear this CD. For those of us who have wanted more traditional songs from Jed, this has got them. It has both established trad songs and those gradually become traditional.

There are fiddle tune sets. These aren't my favorites to listen to because I play diddly music and hear them a lot. They did their jobs though. I thought, 'Oh...tunes,' but then noticed my feet were tapping (I had the cruise control on) and I was happy, and that's the whole point of fiddle tunes, isn't it?

There are a couple of Brian McNeill's masterful songs, both done quite well. There are a few of Jed's songs, which are always my favorite part of his CDs. The one that has the 'wow' factor for me is 'The Way Your Earth Moves'. It has to be the most gentle and loving prayer of a song I've ever heard. I think it will be an instant classic, and will fit with any voice, any genre.

May your new CD find its way into many music collections, my friend!

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: JedMarum
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 03:39 PM

Thanks for you kind comments. I hope to get the album out this week.

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: SouthernCelt
Date: 20 Oct 08 - 02:35 PM

Ok...all you friends and fans of Jed and his music, you need to get this new album.

Excellent!!! But with Jed, Hugh Morrison and Mason Brown how could it be anything but great?

I'm listeng to it again for the umpteenth time. I've got to play some of these songs!

SC

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: Big Mick
Date: 20 Oct 08 - 02:58 PM

OK, I have spent the entire weekend listening to this one. My buddy, and fellow Beef Brother, tells me he thinks this is his finest work. I don't think I agree with him on that. But that is because everytime he gets in the studio with the other Beef Brother, Mr. Paul Mills, the product is excellent. One only has to listen to the musicianship, the vocal excellence, the wonderfully crafted lyrics and the way Jed turns a phrase, to know he is an artist par excellence, and that the work is going to be to a very high standard. So it is with this one. Sands of Aberdeen just slides right in with his other works as fitting into the "must have" category. Every single time he heads to the studio, the product marks another step along the path to legacy. Each one of these CD's shows Jed at another waypoint along the path to greatness as an artist, songwriter, and musician. In this chapter of the legacy he is joined (as is noted above), by Hugh Morrison and Mason Brown. The result is a wonderful collection of songs, interpreted to a tee, and produced with the stunning results that one gets working with Paul Mills. This entourage of performers led by our Jed, and produced by Paul, have created a touchstone recording. One of my favorites (although not sung by Jed) is their take on Lily of the West. The opening track, which is the Title Track, grabs you by the heart and works you over. Take the time to listen to it several times over, in order to get the emotion it brings. The Low D whistle track, Willie Coleman's, will eat you alive. I love their take on Star of the County Down, and was very happy to see it included, as well as Down by the Glenside. He also does the Broon o' Cowdenknowes, and does it great honor by the rendition. I also liked the tip of the hat he gave with the Belles of Ontario.

Just a first rate piece of work, in my opinion. The trouble that Jed will have is that he continually sets the bar so high that one expects him eventually to have a letdown. Based on this work, I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Get this one, folks. You won't be sorry.

All the best,

Big Mick Lane
Conklin Ceili Band

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 12:09 PM

Wow, I think Mick liked it. And no wonder. I was blown away by the tracks posted on myspace and can't wait to hear the whole CD.

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (coming Jed Marum CD)
From: JedMarum
Date: 22 Oct 08 - 10:30 AM

Thanks folks. I appreciate your kind thoughts very much.

The album is finally out. It should be hitting the airwaves soon and it is at CDBaby already. I know it's been sent to the iTunes and the other Mo3 Services, but I don't know how soon it'll appear in their inventory - probably a week or so.

It's a lotta business work, for folk music! Getting all this stuff done, but most of those details are taken care of.

Please contact your favorite Folk or Celtic radio shows and request they play some of it. It is probably already at the stations, and if not PLEASE let me know so I can send them a copy.

And by the way; we based all of our cover art for the album on photos from Mudcatter, Ythanside. He sent us a number of great photos from Aberdeen area beaches.

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: bfdk
Date: 22 Oct 08 - 03:28 PM

Jed, NO it's not - or it wasn't yesterday :-( I ordered from there just yesterday, and I wanted yours, too. But it wasn't there, sadly. Don't tell me I missed it by one day?

Best wishes,

Bente

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: JedMarum
Date: 22 Oct 08 - 04:48 PM

It came on-line yesterday afternoon (US time).

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: bfdk
Date: 22 Oct 08 - 05:03 PM

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

I must have looked for it minutes before that.

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: GUEST,TI
Date: 22 Oct 08 - 06:37 PM

CDBaby worked fine for me today. I'm looking forward to hearing the new CD.

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: SINSULL
Date: 23 Oct 08 - 01:45 PM

I will be ordering mine after the holidays. The cupboard is a bit bare these days. It will make for a nice quiet winter evening at home.

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: JedMarum
Date: 04 Nov 08 - 05:33 PM

It's been off to a very slow start!

Hopefully it's just US election jitters.

;-)

I have actually not manage to get more then half the discs out to radio yet, though. Been too broke! I gotta go and earn the postage! F*ck the mortgage!

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: Art Thieme
Date: 06 Nov 08 - 11:53 PM

WELL---This CD has been playing here since it arrived about a week ago. It's a great blend of superlative musicians and arrangements along with the mellow vocals of Mr. Marum himself. And Curly Boy Stubbs' thoroughly right-on and tasteful guitar picking is on several tracks.cuts. You just can't go wrong.

Art

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Nov 08 - 10:57 AM

You all might enjoy 1) a really extensive review of Jed's new CD by Mike Milner in this month's Ceili magazine of the Southwest Celtic Music Association. On page 5 HERE.

2) Also, there is a really neat article written by Jed, on page 18, about his new song included on the CD, called "Uncle Joe." Very kewl, Jed, can't wait to hear it!!

Thanks, folks,

kat

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 10 Nov 08 - 09:35 AM

The Sands of Aberdeen as been getting a real workout at our house since it arrived too. Jed's originals are the highlights. I would have bought the CD just to get "Uncle Joe" even if there were nothing else on it. The good news is that the rest of the CD is just as good.
- Phil

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: artbrooks
Date: 10 Nov 08 - 09:42 AM

CD Baby says "be patient - we can't do a tracer or replacement until 14 days after it's been sent".

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: JedMarum
Date: 10 Nov 08 - 04:34 PM

Thanks folks. I appreciate your comments very much.

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: artbrooks
Date: 11 Nov 08 - 02:44 PM

Got it!! And it is as good as I expected.

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Nov 08 - 11:48 AM

Jed, I have been listening to your CDs for the past two days since I received them. Wow!! I love Sands of Aberdeen. I thought the eponymous song was trad until I looked at the credits and saw you wrote it! Congratulations!! The songs themselves, the arrangements, and the playing - excellent, exceptional and really beautiful. Love Uncle Joe knowing the story behind it, esp.

The sneak peek at your Americana CD has me humming ear worms all day! Excellent songs that just won't get out of my head, which is great! Thanks (I think!) No, seriously, just teasing; thanks for sending it along. I have to confess it is my favourite, at the moment, maybe because it is all Jed Marum originals except for Lilly of the West.:-)

Thanks, again, Jed, really wonderful music,

kat

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: GUEST,TI
Date: 13 Nov 08 - 06:14 PM

Great songs and the tune sets are as every bit as good. I really like this CD.

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: JedMarum
Date: 13 Nov 08 - 11:00 PM

Thanks all. I am glad to see SANDS at least is hitting the playlists, a bit. I still haven't gotten the UK, Europe and OZ discs out, yet, but I'm working on it.

The Americana disc was going to a much smaller radio market and I only made a small number to sell, hoping instead to sell MP3s. It has my Christmas song on it - so it may still get some airplay. Fingers crossed.

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: katlaughing
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 12:14 AM

Folks, Jed sent me his Americana EP, "Ain't No Going Back." It is a sleeper that, I predict, is going to sweep the charts when it gets out there. Go have a listen to his Christmas song, Banjos We Have Heard On High." It will get stuck in your head as it has mine and you'll see what I mean. But, it isn't just that one song, it's also the eponymous song, Ain't No Going Back and Yankee in Texas as well as his instrumental of his own song Sands of Aberdeen and Lilly of the West. I LOVE the arrangement of the latter, esp. Just go listen to the samples at CDBaby and then call your local radio station. BTW, Jed, have sent both of these to Hober radio and Pandora?

Thanks, again, Jed!

kat

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 12:48 AM

I finally got around to reading Jed's liner notes this evening. I was surprised to learn that "Down by the Glenside" isn't a traditional song, but was written by Peadar Kearney who also wrote Amhrán na bhFiann, the Irish national anthem.

"Down by the Glenside" is in the Richard Dyer-Bennet Folk Song Book as "Bold Fenian Men". He calls it an Irish street ballad and writes about how he learned it from other people's singing without knowing anything about the song. I guess I had assumed from his description that it was a trad song.

Related trivia – "Down by the Glenside" was performed in the John Ford western Rio Grande by Ken Curtis, who later played Festus Hagen on Gunsmoke for many years.
- Phil

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: JedMarum
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 08:41 AM

I don't know Hober radio and Pandora, Kat. What/Who are they? I would send it wider to radio, but I just don't know which stations. Most of the collection is Texas focused, so I hit the Texas Americana stations that I found and few of the Folk-DJ hosts who expressed an interest.

I learned "Down by the Glenside" as "Bold Fenian Men" and it is in the DT with "Bold Fenian Men" as a subtitle. But most every I looked I saw it titled "Down by the Glenside." An Irish singer friend told me the Fenian word in the title put people off, so the other title is used. I don;t know if there's any truth to that. It wouldn't turn off the American audience in any case - so I just went with what the song seems to be more commonly called.

It is a beautiful song and I've been pleased to see it make a few of the playlists.

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: artbrooks
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 08:47 AM

Hober is a folk internet stream, Jed. Personally, I spend more time at Folk Alley, which would also be a good place for more airtime.

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: Big Mick
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 12:03 PM

"Bold Fenian Men" is another song entirely. I have not spent the time as yet to figure out which predates the other. But the title to the song in question has always been "Down By The Glenside". I suspect that folks just used the Fenian referent because it is the closing line of the chorus.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: JedMarum
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 12:27 PM

ah - that makes sense Mick.

I'll look into both Folk Alley and Hober, but my primary interest to-date has still been broadcast media. There're so many internet streaming sites and there's little or no tracking and no way f knowing who is really worthwhile, and will still be around for a while. I have worked with the few that I know.

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: Big Mick
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 12:37 PM

I just did a little quick checking. It seems that the author of Down By The Glenside, Peadar Kearney, was born in 1883 and died in 1942. Fr. Michael Scanlan, author of Bold Fenian Men, was born in 1931. It seems a fair deduction that Down By The Glenside (Bold Fenian Men) predates the song The Bold Fenian Men. Nonetheless, in the singing in the emigrant community I was around growing up, Down By the Glenside was the way it was referred to, with the other being The Bold Fenian Men. I have been doing them both for years.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 07:28 PM

The other one being the song that goes "...Out and make way for the Bold Fenian Men"?
- Phil

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Nov 08 - 05:22 PM

I just saw these guys at the World United Music Festival south of Austin Texas. What a great band and a great show. I came back to the hotel and looked them up!

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Nov 08 - 05:48 PM

Jed, Pandora is the music genome project and I listen to it all the time. The user created playlist is up all of the time with clickable links to purchase the CDs of what is played. I have several "radio stations" which I have created there and it is all free to listener. Check it out at Pandora. They've recently added the ability to listening on mobiles and such, plus videos, and have been around since 2000.

Hober has been around since 1998 and also offers playlists with links to purchase CD. I have heard a lot of Mudcatters on there including Kendall Morse, Rick Fielding, and Art Thieme.

You might think it is all Texas oriented, but the music carries over regardless of where one lives, imo!:-)

Subject: RE: Sands of Aberdeen (New Jed Marum CD)
From: JedMarum
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 06:40 PM

Thanks for the link, Kat. I'll look into it.

Guest you must have been that one in the audience! I am amazed anyone saw us there. The place blew down in the South Texas winter wind - and they canceled the rest of the festival right after we played!