News Archives

Fall 2002

I don't know much about newsletters, but I know one thing. If you're going to write them you need to do it a lot more often than I do! That being said, here's the news: I've completed another album, and this one is very dear to my heart.

At any given time I've got 2 or 3 projects planned, and one of the projects on my list for the past couple of years has been to record an album of spirituals. I imagined I'd get to it later rather than sooner, but last fall I was awarded a fellowship at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts in Sweet Briar, Virginia, which means I was given some time, space and support to do a stretch of work without interruption.

The VCCA is a great place to work I'd been there once and the atmosphere is ideal for writing. At any given time, there are poets and painters and sculptors and composers there, all with their hearts in their work, which makes for a special kind of synergy.

Having a opportunity to return to the VCCA, I knew I wanted to use the time for something special, and that is what I did. I packed up my little studio, carted it to Virginia, and I managed to record most of my parts for the album. Back home in Nashville, my producer Cliff Goldmacher and I took my tracks to his studio and added sparse accompaniment, built mostly around the remarkable voice and violin of Andrea Zonn, a very talented artist who has worked with Lyle Lovett, Allison Krauss, Vince Gill and many others.

So Shallow Water, the completed album, is essentially a collection of songs that have greatly inspired me. I've never before recorded songs I didn't write, but most of these songs simply brought me to my knees and asked to be invited in. Three of the songs, "One Heart" (written with Michael Lille), "See Myself In You" (written with Tom Prasada-Rao), and the title song are my own compositions, but the other slots are filled by a variety of songs including hymns, a traditional gospel song, songs by my friends Pierce Pettis, Jonell Mosser and Sally Barris, and even an instrumental. It's a fresh and different chapter of music for me, and it was a great joy to make it.

In other news, well, I got my annual whitewater adventure in, and this one was spectacular. In May I kayaked the Grand Canyon with my good friend, Michael Lille. We were guests of our pal, Nick Williams, the esteemed gentleman adventure travel guide, and his remarkable partner and wife, Maria Noakes. For 18 days and 226 miles, we paddled through some of the most intense big volume rapids I've run. Needless to say it was a challenging and unforgettable experience, and I'm grateful that I was invited along.

That's about it for now. Oh yeah, I'm on the road a lot at present. Check out my tour dates at my updated web site and sign my online guest book if you'd like to know when I'm touring in your area. I'm also excited to finally be recording a Sherpas album. The Sherpas are Tom Prasada-Rao, Michael Lille and me. We hope to have the album available early next year.

Best wishes to you all,

Tom