I’m continually moved by what people do when faced with difficulty. High Tea for Poets is a record about the beauty and new life that can emerge from hard times. Some of these songs are earnest, some comical; I hope all are restorative.
The title "High Tea for Poets" comes from a line in my song "Love at the Funeral":
It's high tea for second-line poets and takers
Love be a safe house tonight
Love make these dark hearts right
They could feel beautiful
And find love at the funeral
You can click the site player below to hear the songs from "High Tea for Poets":
"Big Switch," about the drive for "one more day" when facing an ending; "Pareidolia," about finding forgiveness after a loss; "How I Became a Ghost," a lighter romp about being devastated by deception; "Remembrance Day," about our need to periodically take time to remember after a loss; "Indiana," about the drive toward a better life; "Love at the Funeral," about the regenerative side of death and its relationship to love; "I'm So Anxious," a bluegrass reworking of the angst-ridden classic by Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes; "Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us," about the muses upon whose shoulders we stand; and "Something New," an embrace of the inevitability and gravitational pull of wanderlust.
The all-acoustic-instrument "High Tea for Poets" features 10 songs accompanied by The Virtual Strangers, a collection of stellar string band players from across the US: In addition to my usual contributions on vocals and acoustic guitars, there's David Dick on banjo, Sean Staples on mandolin, and Roger WIlliams on dobro, all from New England; from New York Alex Weiss Hills on accordion and piano; from North Carolina Susan Anderson on fiddle; and Hoosiers Ron Kadish and Jamey Reid anchor on upright bass and hand percussion.
