more nice comments from Olga

I first met Jim and Mitch on a songwriting course in March 1998 and
look
forward to enjoying any new work they produce (I am sure they would do
the
same for me if I could get my act together! LOL!) Anyway, neither of
them
has asked me to come on here and commend their latest offerings, but
believe
me, you'll be missing something if you don't get these two albums.
Immediately! At once!

I found "Mist" very country flavoured with guitar, steel guitar and
violin,
but also cropping up in some of the songs are the ukelele (befitting a
composer who lives in Hawaii), and cello and sax! (Yes! Safe sax!!). I
find
every song quite delightful in its own right/write and it is very
difficult
to single any one of them out - but maybe, for the moment "First Class"
a
wistfully, pissed-off song about a mega rich girlfriend, "Big Bad
World" a
very 20s type ditty and "Van Gogh Stripes" are my favourites. There's a
lot
of interesting imagery in the songs., and believe me, this album will
make
you feel as good as the Hawaiian sunshine!

Jim's also done all the Van-Goghian artwork for the cover of the cd.

conversations with listeners - end of March

Here's a conversation I had with my Scottish friend Ian:

Hi Ian,

I'm glad Alan got you a CD. I like to think of it being played around Aberdeen Scotland. It's a good feeling.

> Got your CD downloaded from uni and then Alan
> presented me with a physical
> copy. All I can say is FANTASTIC! It's such a cheery
> and breezy sounding
> album it's even changed the weather here in
> Scotland!

I had no idea I had such power. The Norse gods must be jealous of me. I was worried that it was too downbeat. It's good to hear words like "cheery" and "breezy", because I think that's what I am, though I do like dark music and art. Also, there's no question that weather is one of the themes woven into the thing.

>Definitely your best
> work to date, the lyrics have a wry humour esp.
> Uncle Fred, Van Gogh Stripes
> and Big Bad World.

Thanks, I like those too. I think Uncle Fred is funny. You should check out his (Fred Voss) poems - they are amazing. I'll send you one of his books someday.

Van Gogh Stripes was meant to be my mid life crisis song, but it turned out to be a sweet little portrait of a pleasant moment. I think I kept it simple, which worked well. I've had that tune for a long time, and it used to have more parts, more chords, more more more. Now it's nice and listenable, and it symbolizes my new outlook on songwriting.

>My favourite song is definitely
> Big Bad World - I just
> love the breeziness of it contrasted by the serious
> message underneath. A
> father hiding the troubles of the world from his
> daughter. I can relate!

Yes, that's it exactly. I wrote the tune in Europe, and then I just sang it to my daughter every night for a year. The lyrics emerged very slowly, until they were polished like a stone. It's just images from the final nighttime walk I take with her, combined with my fears of what the world will do to her. There's a rather obvious reference to the Big Bad Wolf, of course.

I suspect that you like the bells and xylophones and things. I do too. I got some amateur percussion from my school's music teacher and just fiddled with it. I spent a lot of time removing layers and tracks. What's there is what I liked after many trials and errors.

>The
> artwork tops off the CD and I have to ask - was the
> guitar done with
> photoshop jiggery pokery or is it really painted
> like that? If not, it
> should be!!

It's a real working guitar which I still play. Check out a better picture of it at:

http://homepage.mac.com/jimsmart1/JimSmart/art.jimsmart.html

>
> You've also spurred me on to finally finish my
> "demo" mix of the new CD. Got
> to give it a month or so of space and then come back
> to it for tweaks but
> the response from pre-listeners has been pretty
> favourable. So far anyway!

I'll look forward to it. I like demos. I made MiST have a certain demo quality on purpose. It's much less boring than going for a pro radio sound that I'm never going to achieve at home anyway.
>
> Gotta run, Mia has learnt to roll over this past
> week so I'll have to keep
> an eye on her or she'll be out of the door and down
> the road! There's a song
> in that I'm sure...
>
> All the best
> Ian


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Here's another one. This is my English friend Olga,
who was in the Ray Davies songwriting course with me.

Hi Olga,

I hope all is well with you.
>
> I am really impressed by latest oeuvre. i like
> hearing the different instruments which you have
> used,and which, to me, heighten the listening
> experience. I like the re-working of Big Bad World.
> (Yes, I did realise you had an earlier version of
> it!!)

It used to be a breezy little Austrian instrumental
thing. Oh, and I made an attempt at it with Don't
Panic before I really had it down. It's quite a hard
song to perform, actually.
>
> There's lots of different styles, but there is still
> a sort of clanky Country rock/folky feel in most of
> the songs which unite them all. Is that *wine
> glass* on First Class? What a wistful song that is.
> Reminds me for some reason, of The Kinks Bernadette
> (although that is an angry song) and End of the
> Season.

Wow, I like those comparisons. I worry sometimes that
it's too mean. But I like the weird combination of
cello and steel guitar, along with the bits of
percussion I added from the music teacher's amateur
collection here at school.

And YES, that is a wine glass! Congratulations! You
are the first one to notice that!

Maybe it's more like Fancy than any other Kinks song.
>
> Yes, the album is slightly reminiscent of Muswell
> Hillbillies - although I suppose its because of the
> country/folky feel rather than the songs. hmm, mind
> you the opening for Many Miles Away..........

Yes, that's me learning to play steel guitar. My
friend is an expert, and he played the stuff on One
More, First Class, and This. But Many Miles Away is
all me.
>
> ooh I love that violin, and the piano and cello and
> the SAX! Do I hear mandolin? Vibes? And there's a
> uke. Don't nuke the uke!

Never! There's no mandolin, but I've just acquired
one, so there'll be some in the future. My friends are
great musicians and I'm learning how to use them
effectively on my songs. I also had a rather prolific
burst of songwriting last summer, and who knows when
or if that'll be repeated.
>
> Out Here is a very sing-along song and should be a
> standard for all outdoor gatherings!

Thanks, that's a favorite of some other folks. It's
sort of a rallying piece. It's meant to be called out
loudly over open fields or a barren lake or something.
>
> I think it's a brilliant album and well done for the
> complete conception of it and congrats to all who
> worked on it!
>
> love
> Olga xx

Thanks!

Jim

gig in California

Last night I played my songs for about 35-40 people at Sherwin's Folly in Mammoth Lakes, California. The weather outside was atrocious: blowing wind and ice, white out blizzard conditions, etc. But inside it was cozy and warm. Good beer and food, and all of my friends were there.

I'm very grateful to all the folks who braved the weather to come to the show. I felt it was like a big party with all of my friends hanging out together. The cutest thing was the kids. Lots and lots of young daughters dancing and playing on the stage. Whatever value my music may or may not have, it was the reason for a great get-together.

I missed the musicians I usually play with. I rely on the Don't Panic musicians to fill in the gaps, and had to make do with the harmonica or some fancy guitar finger picking. It was OK, though. I managed.

I played every song from the Mist CD, plus a lot of random covers like a gentle ballad version of American Idiot by Green Day, Monty Python, the Who, and a Pink Floyd medley that had my mother in heaven. I even played the ABC song for my three year old groupies.

In attendance were my mom and step dad, their friends Denise and Jeff, Chris Lizza, The 5 Moyers, the 3 Kanowskys, 3 Coles, Fridge, and a table of 9 that were friends of Colleen's. There were also 5 to 10 strangers hanging around the bar from time to time. It was a warm, friendly fun glowing time, while all the while the angry white storm raged outside the windows.

Jim

conversation with Geoff of Worcester, England

Hi Geoff,

Had a good solo gig here in California tonight. Don't worry about me teasing you about the weather. It's a blizzard out there! I'm in Mammoth Lakes, and the weather has been out of control storms since we got here.

I'm glad you got the CD and gave it a spin. I don't mind the Stones comparison. I was kind of going for that early seventies thing. I think that's the time they were influenced by Graham Parsons and played the kind of soulful country I was after. Other models from that era include Muswell Hillbillies, of course, and the Band, and Neil Young and Bob Dylan. I feel good that I basically got the sound I was after.

Cover Everything in Mist is my favorite track, too. I like the way it feels like it's almost about to go off the rails at any moment. My only regret is that it got so noisy that the words are now hard to understand. I hope to do a much quieter "Don't Panic" mix, without drums, bass, and electric guitar, and the words will emerge.

cheers!

Jim


Geoff Lewis wrote:
Jim

> I'm glad to see that the address is the same, since I
> mailed you my new CD already. Mitch calls it my
> Muswell Hillbillies.

It arrived today. Excellent - definitely your best yet. Love the
instrumentation.

My initial fave is "Civer Everything In Mist" - really bounces along and is
very hooky.

You probably don't want to hear that some of the tracks remind me of the
Rolling Stones in their Exile On Main Street period, but you should take it
as a compliment, coming from me :-)

> Very good, since the spring break starts today. I'm
> off to California with the family to ski and stay with
> my mother.

Have fun.

> Sounds good. Gigs for the Daytrippers have been
> getting rarer, but are still good. Lately we've been
> playing at the yacht club, which is a gorgeous
> setting.

Don't tell me how nice the weather is :-)

All the best

- Geoff

MiST available at Tower Records online

Matt's first impressions

Here's a note from my cousin Matt. He has been a great supporter through the years. The song he refers to is called "Out Here".


Jim,


Listened to the cd again last night. Song 5 is my favorite. It is great. I put a pair of Bose Headphones on last night and curled up for an hour of music. Awesome. I enjoyed it. I think I am going to pull out some of your older albums. I miss some of those songs.


More comments later. I need to gather my thoughts.


Matt

DPmarina

DPmarina
Originally uploaded by jimsmart.

With Don't Panic, by the Hawaii Kai marina.

jimhanks

jimhanks
Originally uploaded by jimsmart.

Promoting the new album at Hanks in Chinatown in March, 2005

mock interview

I caught up with Jim Smart at the top of Mount Everest, where he was reading The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

Mock Interview, part 1

What’s up with the title?

Mist refers to several things. The songs were written near a lake in the Adirondacks where clouds would regularly creep down out of the forest to blanket the lake in a three inch layer of mist. So there's that literal reference. But as the songs developed, I started to think of the mist as the noise in the background of our lives. The static from a radio, the sounds of the city, and anything vague which hides or blurs the details of the world. The noise of the world, in fact.

There's a tension between wanting to sweep the mist aside and have a good clear look, and wanting the mist to blur everything, like a good pint of Guinness will do. I’m interested in the tension between wanting to shroud life in mist the desperate need from time to time to see things absolutely clearly.

This is my “cut the crap” album. I stripped away most of the lush harmonies and wailing guitars and manic drums. I’ve quite pretending it’s a band and just used my own name. When I painted the self portrait, I took a long look at myself in the mirror, which is what I tried to do with these songs.

I love the background instrumentals on this CD. They add a depth and sophistication not there in your earlier work. Did you compose all those parts for each instrument?

No. I recorded very sparse versions of the songs and gave recordings to my talented friends. These are people that I regularly play with around Honolulu, so I know their strengths. They are musicians who easily make stuff up to go with any song. They listened to the songs, jammed along with them in my basement a few weeks later, and I had the task of deciding how to use their raw material. I would cut and manipulate their performances until I was happy with the overall mix. I think they are first rate performances. Martha and Kevin are a real team-style string section; they coach each other and give advice and ideas during recording. The more bottles of red wine I opened, the better they got! Speedy's steel playing is an inspiration to me. The thing with Speedy is that he can play about six instruments better than I can, so I felt I was just using the tip of the iceberg.

I relate to much of the funny lyrics in Cover Everything In Mist, especially the need to spend time collecting myself in the morning before I get bombarded with chatter and need to assume the roles expected of me.

I’m a morning person, of a certain kind. I’m up early doing things, but I don’t want to talk to anyone until I have to.

I'm confused my the ending, starting with the line "it's a beautiful mistake that I'd like to make ..." I'm not sure what "it" is. Are you saying that allowing the mist to cover everything is the mistake... is a safety bubble?

It's a bit of an odd line, that. It's like a pause in the chaos. It could refer to different things for each listener. Perhaps covering the world in mist, let's say by getting drunk, or tuning out the news, or whatever, is a big mistake, but it looks like a beautiful option at times. It's probably my favorite song from the album, just because it all poured out of me one morning when I had a lot on my mind, and it's kind of random. I wrote it without a lot of analysis of the lyrics; they just felt right, and it's good to have some that are hard to pin down.

Tell me about the shift in voice at the end of Many Miles. The narrator begins with "he" and ends with "I", but the I is he.

Really? I think of that as a very "I" song. It mentions other folks, but it's really all about me. It's just a simple reflection of a lonely day, redeemed by the thought that someone out there cares about me.

The lines "vanished in the mist" and "add them to the list" are switched on your printout compared to the order on the CD.

Yes. I did that because I thought of better lyrics later, after it was too late to record them. I'm a terrible tinkerer. I can never leave things alone. If there's a bit of white in the corner, I'm sure to paint something in there, and continue to change it until someone rips the brush out of my hand.

Why all the paintings?

All of the paintings were made at the same time as the recordings, in the fall of 2004. I'd be thinking about a song, and whether it needed more harmonica or whatever, and trying to come up with the right artwork for the project. My two year old daughter was often hanging around, so her brushwork is on the paintings, and her voice is on the recordings. She inspired me, and kept me company, and understood my creative drives.

Van Gogh Stripes seems to be about a specific moment.

Van Gogh Stripes is a song about a specific evening at the end of my time at Camp Treetops. I invited my friend Bob to watch the sun go down over the lake with a few beers. But I’ve always liked how the low sun over the water makes stripes with alternating opposite colors, blue, orange, blue, orange. In my college painting class, I told the teacher that I found that image soothing, and she mocked me in front of the whole class: “Does anyone else find this soothing? No, of course not.” She was the main reason I gave up painting for 15 years. But I’m back now, comfortable with my flaws and idiosyncrasies.

Van Gogh Stripes was the working title of the album for many months. I decided to keep that idea in the artwork, but chose a name that was more vague. I didn’t want people’s first thought to be “this doesn’t look as nice as a real Van Gogh”. It’d be like calling your album “songs like the Beatles used to make” or something. There’s only one Van Gogh.

If you ever have a chance to see Van Gogh’s paintings in a museum, don’t miss it. Much better than prints in books, the originals stand up off the canvas like mountain ranges. I wish I had a couple in my living room. Starry Night would be nice, or that one of the crows in the cornfield. I like that one.

Anything else before we wrap up? I’ve got to go feed the giraffes, and one of the tigers got loose.

Well, getting back to Cover Everything in Mist, I should mention that several of the lyrics come from the places and daily routines of Camp Treetops. Trouble is the name of a very nice rock with a view overlooking the Lake Placid area. So "heading for Trouble" can mean going on a short pleasant hike; in my case, I went up there in the morning to be alone and contemplate the world, which ties in with the song. No one will know this, of course.

We taught the kids to use their pocket knives in their own personal safety bubbles. I thought the phrase applied to the whole camp, living separate from society for seven weeks.

The morning I wrote the song, you wrote an e mail about the value of living in a media blackout every now and then. I was writing down things on my mind and interesting phrases in my journal, and the song just poured out the moment I touched a guitar. I really surrendered to it. I didn't worry about what was a chorus, or whether to repeat a section or not. I just made it up into my little digital recorder, and later I edited that in a very rough way down to the three minute wonder we have on Mist.

to be continued...

Mom's praise

Jacjimbard@aol.com 

Date:
Wed, 16 Mar 2005 23:59:27 EST

You write so well. ..like  a poet, but then I suppose musical lyrics are poems.  I'm sure Fred identifies with your songs.    The two of you are very talented  creatures.  Wish I had some of your talents.

The variety of the musical sounds (slide guitar was a treat and of course I love the touch of Pink) are delightful and a joy to listen to.  Your words are very good and moving.

Hey Bob van gogh stripes on the water tonight.

I'll talk to you later and be who you need me to be.

They're waiting there for me many miles away

out here your Hummer's out of gas, cell phone doesn't work, money is no good.

Uncle Fred is perfect. .I'm sure he's proud to have you pay tribute to him.
Big Bad World. great lyrics, great sound.  And Sierra throughout the music is a perfect touch. .marvelous giggles. .can't wait to see her again.  

This. .waiting for the sunshine is a good thing. .drowning in it is to be alive.  You write so well. like a poet. I'm sure Fred identifies with your songs.  

Needless to say, I'm enchanted with your new CD.  You came from me and grew up so fine and now you continue to create the most beautiful music. .and family. ..G'ma Pat and G'pa Bill would be so proud of you . .especially G'pa cause he was the creative one doing his engineering work and raising a family but always enjoying his music (violin & piano) and his drawing and writing. ..I'm so proud of you and my brother Fred.

See you soon. . my lovely child so long ago has made me proud.

love Mom  ...... Just musings flowing from my brain and sent without editing. ..that's a good thing...

Solo gigs

Today was a good gig at the Common Groundz coffee shop in Hawaii Kai. Well, good and bad. It was intimate. Folks were listening and tipping and occasionally clapping, but not buying the CD.

I played for two hours, and this is the first time I've gone that long doing only my own songs. People seemed to be fine with that. It felt like a bit of a turning point. It's great to do covers and requests, but this felt more real.

But I think the CD is really good. I wish I knew some way to get folks to give it a chance.

Jim

Feedback from a friend

This is from Gini Dodds, whom I met at the Ray Davies songwriting course. She's an amazing artist who gives Lucinda Williams a run for her money.

--- Gini Dodds wrote:
> Hi Jim,
>
> I've been playing your new CD for the past couple of
> days in my car. It's
> quite beautiful. It's been really cold and dreary
> here lately, so your CD
> cheers me up on the way to work. Absolutely love
> your vocals, guitar and
> those lucious strings. Oh, and the little kid's
> (Sierra?) vocals, too.
> Great chord progressions, as usual.
>
> Please stay an optimist forever. Somehow, I equate
> you with the sun.
>
> Your buddy from Minnesnowda,
>
> Gini

Yes, that is my daughter Sierra on the songs. She was my companion throughout the process. If daddy was painting, so was Sierra. If daddy needed to add some harmonica to his song, Sierra was there.

Thanks for the compliments about the strings. My two friends who play the cello and violin are very talented. We had a blast recording their parts, mostly due to my ample supply of red wine.

Jim

Big Bad World

Today I got some feedback on one of my new songs from a songwriter I admire in Scotland. It's interesting that he picked this one out. It's quite a weird little tune, a bit sophisticated for a lullaby. Check out his music at soundclick.com under "Ian Simpson".

Jim

Date:
Thu, 10 Mar 2005 00:27:37 -0800 (PST)

From:
 "Ian Simpson"

Subject:
Re: aloha

To:
"Jim Smart"

Hi Jim,

Had Big Bad World blasting out of the class speakers
last night while I was helping out at the annual show
(it was Grease) - I agree you've stepped up another
level. The recording is even better than last time and
the arrangement - on that song in particular - is
amazing.

CD Baby message

Jim -

This is serious. Very serious.

We are BACKORDERED on your CD, JIM SMART: Mist

People have paid, in advance, for your CD. But it's not here.

We have fans of your album camped out on our lawn, not eating for
days, just waiting for your CD to arrive. We have to walk over their
sleeping bags in the morning, and apologize to them every hour.

The postman came again today. You weren't there. We all had a
terrible cry.

Thanks!

Count Daniel, CD Baby

fighting through the mist

It's a strange, depressing, exciting time, worthy of a
long sentence at the start of a Charles Dickens novel.
The album is done, some people have it, and reactions
are favorable. I am trying to figure out how to get it
out to more folks.

What would Charles Dickens do if he had a new CD in
2005? That's the real question.

He'd send it out one song at a time, that's what he'd
do.

Hmm....not a bad idea. Thanks Chuck!

Jim

__________________________________
Celebrate Yahoo!'s 10th Birthday!
Yahoo! Netrospective: 100 Moments of the Web
http://birthday.yahoo.com/netrospective/

buy CD

JIM SMART: Mist This pop alt-country music is a slightly experimental dose of quirky lyrics that is wood not plastic, paint brushes not computer mice, rough edges not smooth corporate shlock.

Books

Here's what I like:

Cider House Rules

David Copperfield

Jonathan Strange

everything and anything by Douglas Adams

Thursday Next novels

Tolkien

Well Uncle Fred said

Hi Jim,


 


     Got my copy of your CD. It's great, having a fine time listening to it, I like the melodies and the lyrics ( concise and sharp and on the mark). Thanks for the song about me. It's funny and provocative and lively. Now I can say I have a song about me! Thanks. I hope your world tour goes well and I'm sure people will dig it!



    best ,  Uncle Fred

Check out these awesome examples of his poetry at Amazon.com:

First, Goodstone. Stark, hard hitting, brutal truth about life in the factory.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0962750158/qid=1110043101/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-7818158-4166347?v=glance&s=books

Then, my personal fave, Carnegie Hall with Tin Walls:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1852244739/qid=1110043101/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/104-7818158-4166347?v=glance&s=books

And they say Americans don't have irony. Ha!

Feedback from a friend

I got this message from my friend Mitch. He is a songwriter in the New York area who has given me lots of ideas, support, and inspiration over the years. More about his new album later.

Jim,

I got MIST today and got misty listening to it. Really, truly
a tremendous thing you've done here. Your best songwriting,
best production, best performances, best engineering all in
one place at the same time. And I like the paintings too.
You should be highly excited and proud of it. Thanks so
much for sending it this way.

Mitch