Willamette River
We are on the road. This week Teresa and I have embarked on a journey to Portland, Oregon for the summer. No fear, the weekly Loose Cannon Boost will continue, but for much of the summer it will issue from a house boat on the Willamette River rather than from our desert home in Virgin, Utah. Teresa is furthering her chaplaincy training at Legacy Emanuel Hospital, and I’m taking instruments and recording gear, trying out a portable work life.
This summer will be a watershed season of music for me. I’ve been working on a solo music project for the past four years in collaboration with fabulous musicians including the other two hats of the 3hattrio. Lately, the collaborations have broadened to work with Edward Bateman on the album cover and with a couple of wonderful video artists who are making music videos for a few of the songs on the album. Those songs will be released as singles this summer in preparation for the full album release in October.
Music Videos
Having produced both film and radio, I love the that visual imagery can take music to a new level. As the album release draws nearer, my hope is to tell some stories and give you a first chance to hear the songs and see the music videos in advance.
Today I’d like to give you a sample of the video artistry of Dan Whitaker who will be making two of the videos for Nothin’ Lastin’. 3hattrio has worked with Dan for several years. Today, I share his music video, “Skeleton Tree” for 3hattrio’s “Lord of the Desert.” Hope you enjoy it.
“Skeleton Tree” was inspired by a big, dead, cottonwood tree less than a mile from our home. Over the years the bark fell away and the wood underneath became smooth and bleached by the sun. I walked by this tree for years, always stopping to see how light played off this eerie testament to what happens in the desert when you divert the natural flow of water for development. I wrote the song to pay tribute to the tree. Shortly after we shot this video, the owner of the development had the Skeleton Tree removed.
What a great adventure your life is! It's nice to learn that this cycle in a tree's life has a name. The video portrays so much of the sequence and lore of life's cycles.
Hi, Hal and Theresa. Love the song and collaboration on it. The diversion of water has resulted in the perishing of many, many cottonwoods in our part of the country, too. I miss them.