The third member of ESoED actually showed up for this gig. :D Yep, electric Josephine, plugged into a practice amp. At the very beginning of the session, notice Kevin asking her if she’s ready. (“Wah-wah,” she replies. Kevin translates it as “Yes, sir,” I’m sure.) Notice he doesn’t ask me if I’m ready. :D

Between my squeaky desk chair, the amplified guitar and the mic being stationed behind me, I got a little drowned out at times. Kevin says that makes it sound like a real concert. . . I don’t know about that (especially the chair), but it’s definitely a wake-up call to rearrange our setup here.

I’ve been putting the recorder on my antique vanity over by the wall, mostly because I’d rather plug it in than use up tons of batteries, and the cords get dangerous with the kids running around. But we sit at the table in the center of the room, and I’m usually facing away from the recorder because I’m on the laptop and/or writing the whole time. I’d put it on the table on the other wall, which is sort of in front of us, but there’s only one outlet in the whole room. (That’s one bad thing about old houses. Ours is a 1934 farmhouse.)

So, anyway, we recorded this session with the H2, as usual. :)

The whole session in one file: [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-07-07/esoed-7-7-10-full.mp3″]

1. Josephine → Working Man Blues → Josephine*: Last July, we saw Pat Martino play at the Iridium in Times Square, NYC, and it blew us away. The next day, following advice from the locals sitting next to us at that show, we went to Rudy’s Music, where Kevin fell in love with Josephine. I actually picked her out. :P Back at the Wellington, Kevin was inspired to write this instrumental. She’s been a member of ESoED ever since! “Working Man Blues” is a Merle Haggard tune, and Kevin says he first heard it when he was 3 or 4 years old and his dad was singing it. He’s singing lead. (See legal.)[audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-07-07/01-josephine-working-man-blues-2010-07-07-esoed.mp3″]
2. You’ve Got a Friend: One of my favorite Carole King songs, covered fabulously by James Taylor. It’s very hard to do justice to those two. ;) Oh, and I really wish I’d been able to see the two of them in concert this year. Their “Live at the Troubadour” CD/DVD is in my Amazon cart. ;) I’m singing lead on this one. [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-07-07/02-youve-got-a-friend-2010-07-07-esoed.mp3″]
3. Lawdy Miss Clawdy: Kevin first starting playing this song when he was about 12 or 13 because he loved Elvis’ version of it, but it was written by Lloyd Price. You can hear Price’s version of it here and Elvis’ version here. Kevin’s singing lead, and I’m singing along some. [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-07-07/03-lawdy-miss-clawdy-2010-07-07-esoed.mp3″]
4. That’s All Right → Going Down the Road Feeling Bad: Another Elvis song, “That’s All Right” was written by Arthur Crudup. You can hear Elvis doing it here. “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad” is one of our favorites to cover. Read more about it here. Kevin’s singing lead, and I’m singing some harmony. [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-07-07/04-thats-all-right-going-down-the-road-feeling-bad-2010-07-07-esoed.mp3″]
5. Sitting on Top of the World: Kevin says he did this well-covered song bluegrass-style for years before he heard Cream’s blues-rock version (which we found out was a cover of Howling Wolf’s earlier version). You can tell which style Kevin must’ve liked best. He’s singing lead, and I’m singing some harmony.[audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-07-07/05-sitting-on-top-of-the-world-2010-07-07-esoed.mp3″]
6. Rollin’ In My Sweet Baby’s Arms: This is one of the first bluegrass songs I can ever remember hearing, when I was about ten and singing with a local band called Westfork in Cascade, Virginia. It was apparently written by Lester Flatt and has been covered by practically everyone else in bluegrass. Kevin’s singing lead, and I’m singing something.[audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-07-07/06-roll-in-my-sweet-babys-arms-2010-07-07-esoed.mp3″]
7. Summertime: Written by George Gershwin for the 1935 musical Porgy and Bess, “Summertime” was first a hit for the great Billie Holiday. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong also do a version we love! But the first version of this I ever heard was Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company. I played her “Greatest Hits” album (literally!) so many times in my late-teens/early-20s I could sing every guitar solo, even. :P Kevin sings the first verse, then I come in for the rest.[audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-07-07/07-summertime-2010-07-07-esoed.mp3″]
8. The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise: “The first time I heard it,” Kevin says, “was my dad playing it on banjo, and I never heard it again until I heard Les Paul playing it.” The song, written by Eugene Lockheart and Ernest Seitz, was recorded by a ton of musicians, including gypsy-jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Les Paul’s version has a myriad of Mary Fords singing harmony and his own distinctive guitar sound. (Watch them in action here.) Kevin does it as an instrumental. [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-07-07/08-the-world-is-waiting-for-the-sunrise-2010-07-07-esoed.mp3″]
9. Me and Johnny: This one’s by Rick Springfield. Yes, that Rick Springfield. “Jesse’s Girl.” I had his poster on my wall in middle school. Kevin saw him at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach in ’04 and says he rocked like crazy: “He did Hendrix’s ‘Red House,’ and it was awesome.” Sometimes Kevin sings this one with his original, “Johnny LV,” about a friend of his from way back. He’s on lead, and I’m backing. [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-07-07/09-me-and-johnny-2010-07-07-esoed.mp3″]
10. He Stopped Loving Her Today: Kevin sings this George Jones classic. [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-07-07/10-he-stopped-loving-her-today-2010-07-07-esoed.mp3″]
11. Little Maggie: An old Ralph Stanley. You can watch him play and teach it here. Kevin sings lead. [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-07-07/11-little-maggie-2010-07-07-esoed.mp3″]
12. Georgia On My Mind: We love to play this song, partially because we love Ray Charles and partially because Savannah, Georgia, is one of my favorite places. Read more here. I’m singing lead. [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-07-07/12-georgia-2010-07-07-esoed.mp3″]
13. Born on the Bayou: A short version of the Creedence Clearwater Revival song. I’m singing lead. [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-07-07/13-born-on-the-bayou-short-2010-07-07-esoed.mp3″]
14. Stormy Monday mix instrumental: I’m not really sure why I never sang this T-Bone Walker tune because I usually do. You can hear me talking in the background. :P Kevin says he was just letting Josephine stretch a little bit. [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-07-07/14-stormy-monday-mix-instrumental-2010-07-07-esoed.mp3″]

This session was recorded Independence Day night. The kids were running around, as usual, and there’s a lot of chatter here and there. You can hear Atticus bringing his laptop over and Lucas asking about pictures on the screensaver. :P Even though I edited out as much as possible, you can still tell it’s a for-real live ‘show.’

July 4th fell on a Sunday this year; not the best situation for us, since Kevin had to be at work before six AM the next day.

I really love going out and watching the fireworks, but since they didn’t even begin until half-past-ten this year, I’m glad we didn’t brave it. Plus, as Kevin reminded me, the tens of thousands of dollars the City spent on fireworks could’ve fed and clothed a whole lot of people around here. :(

Once again, we recorded straight into our Zoom H2 recorder without separate mics, and Kevin was playing his acoustic.

You can click on the song title or the arrow to listen, or feel free to right-click on the title to download.

All originals are starred, and we try our best to properly credit the covers. :)

Full show: All files below merged into one. :)
[audio-clammr mp3=”jo&kevin-2010-07-04/esoed-7-4-10-full.mp3″]

1. Every Picture*: Kevin says, “I wrote this song in the early ’90s, along with a bunch of other songs over the course of a few days’ insomnia.” Most of his songs, he says, are him putting himself in someone else’s position, rather than autobiographical. This one is an example. (See legal.)
   [audio-clammr mp3=”jo&kevin-2010-07-04/01-every-picture-2010-07-04-esoed.mp3″]
2. There’s No Way*: Kevin wrote this song the same weekend as “Every Picture.” (See legal.)
   [audio-clammr mp3=”jo&kevin-2010-07-04/02-theres-no-way-2010-07-04-esoed.mp3″]
3. Lonesome Reuben: Kevin says he’s been playing this instrumental written by Earl Scruggs since he’s been playing . . .about 25 years!!
   [audio-clammr mp3=”jo&kevin-2010-07-04/03-lonesome-reuben-2010-07-04-esoed.mp3″]
4. Why You Been Gone So Long: One of the coolest things about starting to post all these songs on this website is finding out so much new information about the songs and who wrote and performed them. This one, we discovered, was written by Mickey Newbury, whom Ralph Emery dubbed “the first hippie cowboy.” He also wrote that old Kenny Rogers (before he became Kenny Rogers and was doing the hippie thing) song, “Just Dropped In (to See What Condition My Condition Was In).” Kevin heard the song through Tony Rice.
   [audio-clammr mp3=”jo&kevin-2010-07-04/04-why-you-been-gone-so-long-2010-07-04-esoed.mp3″]
5. What Else Can I Say*: Kevin wrote this song at home during the weeks he was recording “Johnny LV” and “200 Days” in a local studio. (See legal.)
   [audio-clammr mp3=”jo&kevin-2010-07-04/05-what-else-can-i-say-2010-07-04-esoed.mp3″]
6. Franklin’s Tower: This tune by Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter has always been one of my favorite Grateful Dead songs, though I’m not so good at remembering all those crazy lyrics. (Nothing new. ;)
   [audio-clammr mp3=”jo&kevin-2010-07-04/06-franklins-tower-2010-07-04-esoed.mp3″]
7. I, John: The first time Kevin heard this song was from the video footage of Elvis in his hotel room right after one of his concerts. He would sing gospel songs to try to calm himself down. The song was written by gospel great, Bill Gaither.
   [audio-clammr mp3=”jo&kevin-2010-07-04/07-i-john-2010-07-04-esoed.mp3″]
8. A Beautiful Life: Kevin says he always called this one “The Hawker Song” because it’s one his dad’s family is known for singing together. It’s special to him because it reminds him of his now-deceased grandmother and grandfather. I’d only sung this song once before, several years ago with Kevin and his dad, Ryland Hawker, at my parents’ church. It was the morning of Kevin’s first (and only) sermon, and the video recorder was full, so we filled time while the recorder was emptied. :P So, needless to say, I wasn’t prepared. There was a take before this one where I didn’t even remember it was a call-and-response. Kevin mentions in a break between verses that we really need a couple more voices. . .
   [audio-clammr mp3=”jo&kevin-2010-07-04/10-a-beautiful-life-whole-2010-07-04-esoed.mp3″]
9. Highgate Shuffle: This was on Rod Stewart’s live “unplugged” CD. Strangely, his official Warner Bros. Records website is pretty much down, but we found out something interesting from his Wikipedia page: The area of North London where Rod grew up is called Highgate, which apparently lends its name to this song.
   [audio-clammr mp3=”jo&kevin-2010-07-04/11-highgate-shuffle-2010-07-04-esoed.mp3″]
10. Nine-two-nine Means Bedtime!: Kevin and Atticus :love:
    [audio-clammr mp3=”jo&kevin-2010-07-04/atticus-kevin-bedtime-2010-07-04.mp3″]

Since we’ve been together, Kevin and I have always ended up playing music somewhere near the food. People ask us if we still play music, and we say, “Yeah, at the kitchen table!” :P So, while the table might not always exactly be in the kitchen, it’s “purt near,” as Kevin would say.

This is our first posting of one of these informal musical adventures, and we don’t really remember this show of sorts from February, but from listening to the audio, we can tell that our three-year-old Atticus was running around. (Five-year-old Lucas must not have been here, or we’d surely hear him, as well. ;) Also, about halfway through, it seems from outtake conversation about canned food dates and foil sounds, that I went to “rustle up some grub.”

Kevin refuses to have set lists for these sessions or for any other shows we do, though we do have a “song list” of the songs we at least sort of know and/or want to learn. He just goes with the flow. And, since I almost always don’t want to decide what song’s next, I just go with his flow. . .

We recorded this with our trusty little Zoom H2 recorder. No mics. Kevin was playing his acoustic. All originals are starred, and we try our best to properly credit the covers. :)

You can click on the song title or the little Flash player’s arrow to listen, or you can right-click on the title to download.

So enough introduction. Here goes:

Full show: All songs below, together in one compact file. :) (Let me know if you have trouble with this one. It’s kinda big for this player, and my first test loaded only half the file. It should be about 46 minutes total.
[audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-02-05/esoed-2-5-10-full.mp3″]

1. Music Man*: This is one of Kevin’s most popular original songs. He wrote it around 2003, and most people who hear it think it’s autobiographical, but he actually wrote it in honor of his uncle, local musician Roy Norton. Kevin’s singing lead, and I’m singing harmony. (See our other versions of this song.)
   [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-02-05/01-music-man-2010-02-05.mp3″]
2. Georgia on My Mind: Though Ray Charles made this tune famous (and Willie Nelson had a great turn at it, as well), the state song of Georgia was actually written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell in 1930, according to Wikipedia. I’m singing lead.
   [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-02-05/02-georgia-2010-02-05.mp3″]
3. Sally Goodin’: Kevin’s been playing this classic for years and years but only tonight did he discover that it was written by Woody Guthrie. Instrumental.
   [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-02-05/03-sally-goodin-2010-02-05.mp3″]
4. I Am a Pilgrim: This one was written by early country artist, Merle Travis. Instrumental.
   [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-02-05/04-i-am-a-pilgrim-2010-02-05.mp3″]
5. Jo Song #2 (a.k.a. ‘Cause I Love You)*: This is the second song Kevin wrote for me, “amidst a bunch of other poems and such” also written for me. :) Kevin’s singing lead, and I’m doing something that’s trying to be harmony. :( (See our other versions of this song.)
   [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-02-05/05-jo-song-no-2-aka-cause-i-love-you-2010-02-05.mp3″]
6. All Around the World*: Kevin came up with the music for this one and played it for a while before I just had to come up with some lyrics. I’m singing lead. (See our other versions of this song.)
   [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-02-05/06-all-around-the-world-2010-02-05.mp3″]
7. Long Journey Home (short): This is a traditional bluegrass song. Kevin’s singing lead, and I’m singing along.
   [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-02-05/07-long-journey-home-short-2010-02-05.mp3″]
8. Nine-Pound Hammer: Kevin says this is a song he has always loved, and his favorite version of it is by Tony Rice. It was also written by Merle Travis. Kevin’s singing lead.
   [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-02-05/08-nine-pound-hammer-2010-02-05.mp3″]
9. Salt Creek (short): This traditional fiddle tune was recorded by Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys. Instrumental.
   [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-02-05/09-salt-creek-short-2010-02-05.mp3″]
10. Going Down the Road Feeling Bad: We both knew this song from years and bands past. Kevin heard his dad, banjo player Ryland Hawker, playing what he called “Lonesome Road Blues” for years and later was surprised to hear his uncle, Roy Norton, putting lyrics with it. I heard it first from the Grateful Dead (yep! reformed hippie :P). But we were both surprised to find out tonight that it, too, was written by Woody Guthrie. Kevin’s singing lead, and I’m singing harmony.
    [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-02-05/10-going-down-the-road-feeling-bad-2010-02-05.mp3″]
11. Baby What Do You Want Me to Do: One of my favorite songs to sing harmony with Kevin on, this song was written and originally performed by Blues legend, Jimmy Reed, but Kevin first heard it on Elvis’ ’68 Comeback Special. Kevin’s singing lead.
    [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-02-05/11-baby-what-do-you-want-me-to-do-2010-02-05.mp3″]
12. When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again: This is on Elvis’ ’68 Comeback Special, too. (Wouldn’t we all like to see a video of Kevin doing his little Elvis impression all those years ago? ;) Kevin’s singing lead.
    [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-02-05/12-when-my-blue-moon-turns-to-gold-again-2010-02-05.mp3″]
13. Something About You: A beautiful ballad by Bad Company, during the “Brian Howe era,” it was on the ’88 Dangerous Age album. I was a big fan of the “old” B.C. and never even knew this song until Kevin played it. Kevin’s singing lead.
    [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-02-05/13-something-about-you-2010-02-05.mp3″]
14. Are the Good Times Really Over for Good: Merle Haggard’s nostalgic (pessimistic? realistic?) tune. Kevin’s singing lead, and I’m singing harmony.
    [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-02-05/14-are-the-good-times-really-over-2010-02-05.mp3″]
15. Working Man Blues: Another Merle Haggard song. I love the way Kevin changes the lyrics however he likes (“three kids and a wife” . . . “gotta buy my wife a brand-new pair of shoes” — this one’s the best ;) Kevin’s singing lead.
    [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-02-05/15-working-man-blues-2010-02-05.mp3″]
16. Monroe’s Hornpipe: A Bill Monroe instrumental.
    [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-02-05/16-monroes-hornpipe-2010-02-05.mp3″]
17. Song for the Life: Written by Rodney Crowell and most famously performed by John Denver, Tony Rice’s version of this song was the one Kevin first heard. Love this one!! Kevin’s singing lead.
    [audio-clammr mp3=”http://everysecondofeveryday.com/audio/jo&kevin-2010-02-05/17-song-for-the-life-2010-02-05.mp3″]

Well, that’s it for this one. Let us know what you think by commenting below. Or send us an email at joandkevinhawke (at) gmail.com. :)

Update:

I had to change the file for #11 (“Baby What Do You Want Me to Do”). It was playing “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad.” If you listened before and this file isn’t working for you, clear your browser’s cache. I had to.