Songs From The Garden

Songs From The Garden, limited edition CD, available now!

It’s Catursunday. And the Russ Ellis CD album is now available for sale thru our wonderful Bandcamp, campers. It’s the whole “Songs From The Garden” LP plus the Oom Chugga Challenge remixes, in a fab “eco-pack” designed by Katie Hawkinson with cover art by young Dex Ellis. A heartfelt Berkeley Cat thanks to all the marvelous musicians and singers who created this unique record album, and everyone who picked it up and gave ‘er a spin online. Did I say “record album?” I did. It’s all online for listening, and you can still download it for free, and now if ya like, you may procure one of the 300 physical units (did I say “units?” I did) in all of existence, in time for the holidays! That is all 😽

Origins of This Album:

Beginnings

When I first held my newborn son in my arms, I had the sort of palpable image-experience that causes people to join sects of believers-in-weird-things.

I was seeing, thinking, occupying an image of the pulse of his birth pushing up a gigantic plume of water representing new life. This pulse, in the center of the vast ocean of life, pushed all adjacent water toward the shores where the last waves broke and sunk into the sand, returning the water to the cyclical life-and- death process. Indescribable sounds accompanied the image. It was daytime and I was fully awake. I felt pushed a little closer to shore.

I made sure that my new playmate-in-sound got to hear everything I heard and liked. His sister heard everything while in the womb and was happy to tail along as his mother and I delighted in David’s blossoming into a fine musician.

Then, one day, Zoe started to sing. Now, music permeates Ellis family culture. I’m happy to include something from everyone on this album.

The album itself is a happenstance. When I had my granddaughter, Bella, put the song “Eliza” up on YouTube, David added the note “From the album Songs From My Garden, coming Fall 2019.” I thought, “there’s an idea.” Why not? It’s Summer of 2021, but here’s the album.

-Russ Ellis

<a href="https://russellis.bandcamp.com/album/songs-from-the-garden">Songs From The Garden by Russ Ellis</a>

LAMENT – Audio by Russ Ellis and Jay Lane, Video by Jason Martineau

We have a very special treat for you today on Russ Ellis’ BIRTHDAY!!
A brand new amazing video set to the Russ Ellis track, LAMENT.

Here’s video producer Jason Martineau’s notes:

When Russ first approached me with the idea of creating a video of fractals and computer-generated visuals to accompany his audio track, I eagerly seized upon the opportunity. Using his iconic image by photographer Judy Dater, I built a visual narrative of mathematically generated clips utilizing 10+ different applications, then composited and animated them to follow the music. Russ provided invaluable creative input along the way. I’m very happy with the result, and indeed honored to have been asked to contribute in this way. In a sense, it’s not much different than if he had sent me an original melody and asked me to come up with a chord progression for it. So, this is my “visual harmonization” for Russ’s “Lament”

Here’s Russ’s notes:

Fans of the audio version of “Lament” will be aware of its origins from its liner notes on Songs From The Garden. As soon as it was completed, I imagined it with images. Several years ago, Jason Martineau introduced me to fractals, The Mandelbrot Set, etc., so, last year, I asked him to entertain the prospect of adding fractals to Lament. He agreed. I am very happy with the results. Hang with it a couple of times. There’s stuff to get into.

You can also view this directly on YouTube if you like, and you may share it to your heart’s content. We suggest you view it full-screen, at high-res.

Enjoy! And please join me and all the Berkeley Cats in wishing Russ Ellis a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! And many more. Much love,

Eric Din

Video for Chika Ding

Berkeley Cat Records is proud to announce this video of Russ Ellis’ latest single, “Chika Ding,” produced by Alcide Marshall. In Al’s own words:

“A collaborative effort with myself and multiple generations of the Ellis Family. Hoping to galvanize the youth for the upcoming election.”

RUSS ELLIS
CHIKA DING
Marshall Entertainment Group 2020
Voice: Russ Ellis
Music: Alcide Marshall
Vocals: Zoe Ellis
Vocals: Lily Ellis
Mixed by Dave Ellis @ Ellis Island Studio
Avatar creations: Dave Ellis, Bella Ellis
Video Production: Alcide Marshall
Portrait of Russ Ellis by Judy Dater

(Catitor’s note: This was originally posted May 9, 2020)

Long Time by Russ Ellis

Ladies and gents, the 11th track on the Russ Ellis album-in-progress, “Songs From The Garden,” is here! Long Time is a collaboration involving Russ Ellis, Dave Shul, Zoe and Dave Ellis, and Al Marshall. It’s a classic love song, though brand new. Please have a read and a listen and a share. Russ’s notes and the lyric sheet you’ll find below. With Russ’s vocals recorded by Jeremy Goody at Megasonic Sound, the Daves recorded in their home studios, and everything mixed together by Mr. Shul, I’m delighted and honored to host this, and without further ado, here’s Long Time.

-Dinsky

Liner notes from Russ:

My son said last month, “Dad, you gotta have Dave Shul on this album.”

I knew he was right, but was a bit intimidated by the prospect. This was partly so because I did not have anything working in my head that seemed worthy of Shul’s talents and status in the Bay Area music scene. It was also true because of the place Dave Shul occupied in my memory.

It was at Cazadero Music Camp during the period of The Fuzzy Lefties’ management of the camp. I think Dave Shul was about twelve or thirteen. I remember being impressed with how much beer he could drink, but when I first witnessed him playing the guitar, he seemed like the instrument’s avatar. I was genuinely astonished that that small person could play like that. There was too much wisdom in his playing. I had him pegged as a kid.

I did work up the courage to send Shul a Voice Memo of a lurking tune. I sent him the line beginning “You been with me a long time….” Later I sent him what I thought might have the makings of a chorus, beginning “Still can’t figure why you stayed with me.”

He immediately wrote back. “Reverse them.” The next day he sent me the basics of what the song became. I am extremely happy with the outcome, just as my voice seems to be fading into the sunset. It’s my last recording.

Thank you, Dave Ellis, for the suggestion.
Thank you, Dave Shul, for bringing the song into existence.

Credits:

Words: Russ Ellis, Zoe Ellis
Music: Russ Ellis, Dave Shul
Arrangement: Dave Shul
Guitars, Dave Shul
Drums, Al Marshall
Horns, Dave Ellis

Recorded at the various homes and studios of the cats listed above
Russ’s vocals recorded by Jeremy Goody at Megasonic Sound

Russ and Bella Ellis – Apollo 11

How much am I freaking out? Oh a lot. This glowing meteor just landed in my backyard, the latest from Russ Ellis, this one featuring his granddaughter Bella. Climb aboard, strap in and put on your space helmets, kitties, cos we are blasting off to EDM pop heaven. For track 10 on this album, I am proud to present, Apollo 11! I’m over here discoing down in my Spaceman Spiff pajamas, people. I invite you to have a listen, download if you like, read Russ’s liner notes and share it to the moon!

-Dinsky

Liner notes from Russ:

Dave Ellis and Lauren Rivera blessed my wife and me with our first grandchild in the year 2000.

And what a blessing. Bodacious. Dancie. Verbal. Tuneful starting at around three.

So, in thinking about collaborations for this album, I thought of her. Bella and her father had come up with some playful collaborations over the years. I was certain she would be up for it.

When I asked her, she readily agreed. Bella suggested some possibilities from a menu of compositions she was creating in her dorm room at San Francisco State University, where she is a student in the Theater Arts Program.

We settled on Apollo 11, largely because I had just watched a PBS documentary on the mission called “Eight Days to the Moon and Back”. I reviewed the documentary for the astronauts comments that I found interesting.

Bella made a few adjustments, and her Daddy Dave mixed it. Here it is.

Lyrics:

Fly so high, up above.
Fly so high, soaring through the sky.

Apollo 11, I hear the rocket taking off.
Soaring through the sky.

Fly so high, soaring through the sky.

Apollo 11
Apollo 11
Apollo 11
Fly so high, soaring through the sky.

Apollo 11, I hear the rocket taking off.
Soaring through the sky.
Fly so high, up above.
Apollo 11

Credits:

Music: Bella Ellis
Voice: Russ Ellis & Bella Ellis

Produced by Bella Ellis and Dave Ellis at Ellis Island Studios

Chicka Ding by Russ Ellis

I’m excited to announce the release of this new song from Russ Ellis. Russ told me a few weeks ago he wanted this to come out on May 1, International Workers’ Day, to which I said, “right on, let’s do it.” It’s May 1, here it is! Please share this far and wide. This is track 9 (wow!) for Russ’s album-in-progress live, Songs From The Garden. I also thought this was a good moment to share the lovely portrait of Russ by the great Judy Dater, which will be part of the CD package, fairly soon, I think! Without further ado, I invite you to have a read and a listen, to “Chicka Ding.” Thank you.

-Eric Din

UPDATE: Check out the video for this song, here!

Liner notes from Russ:

Al Marshall was another of those Bay Area kids that went to Berkeley’s Cazadero Music Camp. He and his talented family came to family camp, kids’ camp, jazz camp. As he dove into his teen years, he spent a lot of time up in Dave’s room “crankin’ jams.” So I was told.

His musicality was beyond doubt. Thinking about collaborations for this album, he was yet another of Dave’s friends that, early, came to mind. We bounced ideas around online for a while. Highly motivated, I sent Al many, many borderline-absurd Voice Memo’s trying to capture my idea for the piece. (It is only recently that I learned from Al the amount of time he spent cracking-up at these e-sillies, until —he says— he saw how they advanced his understanding of my idea for the enterprise).

Then I spent a couple of long sessions at the big, funky studio in the basement of his Oakland home. I left him with the chicka ding chant, some squawks, burps, shouts, pronouncements and the responsibility of finding a groove that matched my political intentions for the song.

When he successfully put it all together, he handed it off to David for tweaking & mixing. Happily, my daughter Zoe decided she wanted to play and included her daughter, Lily.

If, somehow, one young person is moved to vote in November in the direction this suggests, I will rest in peace.

Chicka Ding.

Lyrics

Rich man with your appetites,
Gonna bite you. Gonna bite
Poor man eatin’ race for lunch
You’re starvin’. You’re wasted.
You need to eat some real food.

Listen fool.
Divide and rule.
That’s what they do.
Let’s change that.

<a href="http://russellis.bandcamp.com/album/songs-from-the-garden">Songs From The Garden by Russ Ellis</a>

Russ Ellis: Voice
Al Marshall: Music
Zoe and Lily Ellis: Voice

Mixed by Dave Ellis @ Ellis Island Studio

References

“Eleven/Twenty Twenty” – The presidential election.
“MacVout” – Slim Gaillard
“Rope-a-dope” – Muhammad Ali
“So, How’s This Set Up?” – Robert Reich
“Alreet” – Cab Calloway (via Geordie slang?).
“Oo, She tee-nincie” – Greta Thunberg.
“Bubba Shoop Shoop” – “Get ready.” Neologism created for this tune.