#1 resource for Cigar Box Guitars, Free Plans, How-To, Parts & More!

Cigar Box Nation is sponsored by C. B. Gitty Crafter Supply, your one-stop-shop for Cigar Box Guitar parts and accessories!

Townes Van Zandt CBG Tribute Album - Your Submissions needed

Hey, y'all!

Townes Van Zandt (1944 - 1997) was a Texas singer-songwriter-poet, whose music has touched a deep chord (pun intended) amongst many of us here at CBN. No, he's not related, except perhaps very distantly, to those other musical Van Zandt boys many of us also love. Townes was hailed, back in 1985 by none other than another gifted songwriter, Steve Earle, as "the greatest songwriter in the world, and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that!" Whether or not you agree with ol' Steve, there is a deep knowledge of the blues, heartache, pain and melancholy in Townes' songs. For those of you unfamiliar with his work, please visit his estate's website to get to know him better (all proceeds go to support his children and his second wife, Jeanene):

https://townesvanzandt.com/

Several of us here at CBN (myself, Uncle John, Turtlehead, and maybe some others I haven't seen or heard - I know the owner of Diamondbackguitarshop and beStillroy are also huge fans) have done videos of us playing our versions of Townes' songs, many of which came out nearly 40 years ago. We realized that the CBG may be the perfect instrument on which to reinterpret and breathe new life into Townes' songs. In fact, we've been kicking the idea around in the Comment section of Uncle John's video rendition of "Flying Shoes" for the last coupla weeks (check it out), and came up with the idea for a tribute album, using only CBGs (I know, I know: Townes never played one, to my knowledge, and I and perhaps many others of you learned "Pancho and Lefty" on a 6-stringer, but still...).

So, if you're still with me, we're looking for MP3 submissions from those who play Townes' songs, wanna try 'em on CBG, may have never heard of him but like what they hear - any and all are welcome. His catalogue is pretty deep, so I'd like to lay claim to "If I Needed You" right here, right now! (hmmm. Jesus Jones...nah) ;-) We're also looking for someone willing to create some original cover art. The idea behind this is not to make money. We wouldn't want to charge for these songs or this album. We just wanna get 'em out to the larger CBN audience. As currently envisioned, it would be of a similar nature to the free download Robert Johnson tribute album, or the various CBN Christmas albums. It is not designed to detract from, or compete with, the Blues Album Dan Sleep is currently putting together for CBN, which many of us here are also contributing to. All we ask, like the judges on American Idol, is that you make your submitted TVZ song your own.

For those who are interested, you can add MP3 files using the Attach Files or Upload Files link at the bottom left to this Discussion. Record 'em however y'all feel comfortable: lo-fi, hi-fi, wi-fi, or in-fi, doesn't matter. You can PM me here at CBN for any offline technical or otherwise discussions. I will, eventually, get back to you.

Tags: CBGs, Townes, Van, Zandt, tribute

6 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on May 13, 2012 at 2:57am

THorsten,

Thanks for the reminder! With over 200 replies and nearly 3000 page views, it's getting harder to keep track. BTW, I will be uploading my Two Hands vocals tonight.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on May 13, 2012 at 2:55am

Here's Russ Carlin's version of "Snake Song," ripped from his video (with his permission) using Audacity, and cleaned up a tad. He may post another version, so let's keep this one as a placeholder until / if he does.

Enjoy!

Attachments:

Snake_Song_Russell_Carlin_TVZ_CBG_Tribute.mp3, 4.6 MB

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Turkeychicken on May 13, 2012 at 3:42am

Just got home from laying down some tracks for Dead Flowers. Still have to go back and do a lead track and a bass line, perhaps some percussion. Just kind of feeling it out as I go and letting it take shape as I go, don't really have a finished sound in my head, just letting it be what it becomes. I should have it finished up well before the deadline.

Now, to go back and listen to some of the other submissions. A wonderful way to end my day.daydreamed

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Thorsten Hinrichsen on May 15, 2012 at 3:50pm

Have found some time to install my condenser microphone again and do some vocal recordings. Here's "Rex's Blues" by SUGIMUGI (my "project" singer songwriter alter ego). I've added a little synth stuff somewhere in the middle for "decoration".

The song's recorded with my 4th build "Gata Blanca" which I'd also used for "Two Hands". Ron, UJ and other CBN members who would like to join "Two Hands" - don't hurry, I'll wait another week, okay?

Attachments:

SUGIMUGI-Rexs_Blues.mp3, 5.2 MB

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Vinylhed on May 15, 2012 at 6:19pm

That's great, Thorsten. You play so well, and your stark arrangement is beautiful. Can I find more of your Sugimugi alter ego anywhere else on the web? I'd love to hear some of your own stuff.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Thorsten Hinrichsen on May 16, 2012 at 11:02am

Thank you Vinylhed. I'm very happy that you all like my slidin'. About five years ago I played some concerts as "Sugimugi" but then stopped because my band "Trickster Flint" ( http://www.members.aon.at/tricksterflint/tricksterflint/TFFrame.htm ) was about to produce a record (which is available and can be listened to at I-Tunes, Amazon and other stores). Now Trickster Flint are recording a new album (which will come out in November) - there will only be little slide action on it because the songs had been written before I discovered CBG-music.

I put out a Christmas charity album for a local school/kindergarden in 2009 which is not available online. The older Sugimugi songs are written in our local language which is only spoken in the west of Austria and Eastern Switzerland (and in some parts of South Germany). It's an oldish German dialect which most people from other Austrian and German regions hardly understand.

I'm not sure if I'll play concerts as Sugimugi again but I've been doing a few recordings for CBN (Christmas album, Motorhead tribute - which is to be released soon) using my "old" alter ego. So if you really want to listen to more, look for Trickster Flint (also on YouTube). Some TF songs have a similar sound like your TVZ tribute-song (folk guitars, voices, computer drums etc.).

Let me know some of your projects, you seem to be a creative head.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Uncle John on May 15, 2012 at 7:11pm

Beautiful. Lovely. Gorgeous. And no exaggeration.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Uncle John on May 15, 2012 at 7:39pm

Thorsten, better leave me out of the Two Hands project. Between my computer (nearly on death's door) and my poor skills, I could not get the mp3 from my files to the project. I look forward to the completed download.