Category: Songs From The Garden

When Russ Ellis told me his concept for this album late last year, I loved the notion of recording songs in various genres he’s known and loved throughout his life. This one is Blues with a big B. Arranged by the amazing Tammy Hall, who also rocks the piano to bits on this track, “Night Driver” features the mighty Dave Ellis on Sax and the marvelous Rhonda Benin in a duet vocal with Russ. Have a listen and read Mr. Ellis’ liner notes below, and share it up any ol’ which way ya please! Thank you.

-Dinsky

Liner notes from Russ:

We had increasingly attractive record playing outfits in our small new home in George Washington Carver Manor Annex in southeast LA. The 78’s and 33’s were neatly stacked but not in any discernible order. Count Basie (my father’s) might be close to Debussy or The Sons of the Pioneers (my stepmother’s), but black music dominated.

Jimmy Witherspoon (“Ain’t Nobody’s Business”) was fine, but I seem to have learned that T-Bone Walker was not. My dad was more inclined to Basie than to Ellington, although he bought everything Ellington recorded. Drink bent my father toward the blues. The more drink, the nastier the blues.

I learned that the blues were important and, during the folk music explosion, I purchased and wore out my copy of Robert Johnson’s “King of the Delta Blues”.

But I would never dare to sing the blues. I was not up to the subtleties. Although I could hear them, I did not trust myself to reproduce them. Also, I was a balladeer, after the fashion of Eliza on this album. But since I’d done a Bossa nova, a country and western, a love song and a folk-like tune, it seemed fitting that I try the blues. My son enthusiastically supported the idea. As ever, my daughter, Zoe, was the enabler.

I mined David’s and Zoe’s connections to assemble the players on this tune, surrounding myself with fail-safe music no matter how well I rendered my song. I call them “The Magic Carpet Blues Ensemble”

The lyrics came easy. I have been astonished at how long my sputtering equipment lasted. But, in no way commensurate with my fantasies. So, I wrote from the standpoint of the perennially bragging black man at the end of his powers. Still pretending. But it’s about loss, as most of the blues is. 

Credits:

Russ Ellis – Vocals
Rhonda Benin – Vocals
The Magic Carpet Blues Ensemble
Tammy Hall – Piano and arrangement
Cedricke Dennis – Guitar
Darryl Anders – Bass
Deszon Claiborne – Drums
Dave Ellis – Sax

Recorded at Bird and Egg Studios by Cam Perridge
Mixed by Cam Perridge

Mastered by – Dave Ellis for ZADELL Productions

© 2020 Russ Ellis
Zadell Music, ASCAP

This song also just showed up. It describes my daily life with my wife and how I feel about it and her.

-Russ

Click to view score and lyrics

Vocals – Russ Ellis
Piano – Jason Martineau

© 2020 Russ Ellis
Zadell Music / ASCAP

Happy Valentines from Berkeley Cat Records! This is a new song I co-wrote with Russ Ellis. Russ handed me the lyric sheet in December, when we had lunch to discuss his album-in-progress. I loved the words, but didn’t have a musical notion until he sang the melody into a voicemail and boom, I sat down and made the chord progression around his “I Got You” theme. Russ asked for a ska rhythm for this one. I was kid-in-candy-store level happy with this assignment, and had the song structure and guitar tracks done the next morning. Another very fun aspect of this collaboration was getting my UpTones bandmate Paul Jackson involved. I sent him the tracks, and a week later he sent me Organ, Synth, Bari Sax, Piano, Cowbell and the kitchen sink, all created on his digital keyboarding gizmo! Russ sang it at Jeremy Goody’s studio, and Jeremy mixed it there. Without further ado, please have a listen and send it to yer sweethearts!

-Eric Din

Liner notes from Russ:

My son, David, joined the Ska band, The Uptones, when he was in high school. The band made some serious spare change gigging around the Bay Area.

Recently, David asked Eric Din, The Uptones leader back then, to play guitar on the tune “Last Glass of Wine.” One thing led to another. Now all the existing and forthcoming songs from my recent songwriting enthusiasm appear on Eric’s label, Berkeley Cat Records.

In our various discussions, I was surprised to learn that Eric was familiar with silly music from the 1950’s, like ”Mairzy Doats” and Spike Jones’ rendition of “Cocktails for Two.” So, when the lyrics for “I Got You” showed up all at once, I knew they would get a sympathetic ear from Eric.

I proposed that he join me in a collaboration that included his making it a Ska tune. In truth, I had no idea that Ska originated in Jamaica. When they were teenagers, I enjoyed the Uptones’ music for its danceability. Listening to original Ska singers, I quickly gave up on the notion of trying to duplicate their delivery. I just tried to wrap my voice and words around the music and beat that Eric provided.

Lyrics

I got this floor under my feet
Got the good food I like to eat
I got this roof over my head
And Rang Dang Cuddle Tang, I got you

I got these strong shoes protecting my feet
I got this big hat covering my head
I got this great coat, so I don’t freeze
And, Rang Dang Cuddle Tang, I got you

This could all come down in a minute
Everybody knows that’s true
But I’m going to love it while I’m in it
‘Specially knowing I have you

I got a new song sneaking into my ear
Got this very short list of things that I fear
I got some big hugs from folks that I love
But, most of all, I got you

Cop car, ambulance or widget
All that other jive boogaloo
Ain’t going to fuss, fight or fidget
Cause I’m going through it with you

Ragtime, buttercups and golly
Pocono, apostrophe too
I’m going to love it while I’m in it
Just because I’m in it with you
Because I’m in it with you

Credits

Russ Ellis – Vocals
Eric Din – Guitars, Bass, Drum Wrangling
Paul Jackson – Keyboards and Percussion

Recorded at Din’s house, Paul’s house, and Jeremy Goody’s Megasonic Sound Recording Studio

Produced by Russ Ellis and Eric Din
Mixed by Jeremy Goody at Megasonic

© Russ Ellis, Eric Dinwiddie, and Paul Jackson
Zadell Music, ASCAP / King Roy Music, BMI

Berkeley Cat Records is very proud to release this new song from Russ Ellis, and this one happens to be the first song he ever wrote! A year ago. Eliza is a Bossa Nova, and if you’ve been following this adventure, you’ll notice that each of the songs in this garden has its own style and genre. I invite you to have a listen, read Russ’s thoughts below, and share as you like. Thank you.

-Eric Din

Liner notes from Russ:

My wife and I are in our eighties. We live in, for us, a large house that we keep in cleanly order with the help of a Brazilian couple with whom we are uncommonly close. After the husband of the couple was injured, his wife arrived one day with an assistant, a young Brazilian woman who did not speak English.

I had no emotional space to include the assistant and effectively rendered her invisible. Soon thereafter, I read a newspaper article by a woman writer, down on her luck, who turned to cleaning peoples’ houses to make ends meet. Upon completing the article, I reminded myself that my father’s mother was born a slave, and that I had the right to invisibilize no one.

The next time she came, I asked her name and vowed to remember it by singing, each time she came, the three notes that wound up at the beginning the song. From the moment I sang those notes, a song crowded itself into existence behind them. This was a new experience for me. Not only did “Eliza” volunteer itself into existence, it opened me up to singing again, and — newly—to song writing. I have thanked Eliza for the gift.

Credits:

Lyrics by Russ Ellis
Music by Russ Ellis/Jason Martineau/Dave Ellis
Performed by Russ Ellis and Jason Martineau; Jay Lane – Drums
Produced by Russ Ellis/Jason Martineau/Dave Ellis
© 2019 Zadell Music, ASCAP

Berkeley Cat Records is so pleased to announce the release of the latest Russ Ellis single, Everything Changed. It’s his third in as many weeks, and I love this approach of building an album publicly a song at a time. I love this song, and I love how it follows Oom Chugga. We invite you to give it a spin, download, and please feel free share it up any which way! Thank you.
-Eric Din

Liner notes from Russ:

I worked closely with Jason Martineau on “Eliza.” Since he is deep into music, both as a performer and scholar, I thought it would fun to try a collaboration with him. I proposed that I sing a line and have him respond on the piano, then I respond vocally, etc. Stumbling toward an understanding, this song was the outcome.

Oddly, this love song was not (consciously) inspired by or directed to anyone. It Just arrived.

Lyrics:

Once you came to me, whispered my name
And everything changed.
I never thought that you would see me, notice me.
Who was I to hope?

Now I hold your hand, look into your eyes,
And everything’s all rearranged.
While I was loving you, you saw me too.
And you knew my name.

Now I hold your hand, look into your eyes,
And everything’s all rearranged.
While I am loving you, you love me too.
And we know our name.

_____

Russ Ellis: Vocal
Jason Martineau: Piano

© 2020 Russ Ellis and Jason Martineau
Zadell Music, ASCAP