Gregory Byerline Photography is a family-owned, full-service photography studio emphasizing fashion, weddings, family and dog portraits, events, and the world around us.
(Pictured with me above are Meghann, my bride of 11 years, our little Molliepop, and our furry girl Sundae Delaney)
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If you know me even slightly, you'll soon discover that music is a major part of my world. I don't/can't play or sing anymore, but the inner musician still lives. I am sponge, and music is water. It soaks straight to my soul. Regardless of style or content (for the most part....it still has to be MUSIC), music moves me.
Add to that a longing and forelornness of unrequited or unattainable love, and I'm deeply moved. Here's a song that gets me every time. I just listened to two different versions of this song ten times in a row, and I'm sure I'll go back to the well a few more times this afternoon.
And the loneliest sound of all Is the sound of love through a stranger's wall And when their laughter fades And there are no more words The silence breaks me most of all
Also check out the version by Jerry Douglas (dobro) and Maura O'Connell from Lookout For Hope. Have a listen and share your thoughts. Cheers. ~gregory
FOOTSTEPS FALL Written by Boo Hewerdine & Annette Bjergfeldt
I'm in a new place now They don't know me next door But I can hear their footsteps fall And every night around this time Does he take her in his arms They'll be Django-playing as they waltz across the floor
And the loneliest sound of all Is the sound of love through a stranger's wall And when their laughter fades And there are no more words The silence breaks me most of all
And the loneliest sound of all Is the sound of love through a stranger's wall
I'm in a new place now They don't know me next door I wonder where your footsteps fall
Yes folks, over a month later, I have a small break to blog a bit. The last several weeks have been a blissful blur with shoot after shoot after shoot, and, since that's what I love doing most, the blog took a back seat. At the end of a three-day family visit with no computer or camera (llooonnngggg time since that has happened), I thought I'd write a little about the Christmas tunes hit list that has fueled the ears recently.
Here's a personal top-20 from the studio's playlist, our own little Top-20 "Billboard" chart, if you will...(links to Amazon provided for your listening pleasure):
1. "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" ... Beegie Adair Trio ... Christmas Jazz
2. "Winter Wonderland" ... Fleming & John ... unreleased
While I typically write about fun little life experiences or photo shoots that show my "eye" work, I'm pretty jazzed about talking about some recent "ear" work. This evening wrapped two full days in the recording studio as I co-produced a jazz record for a longtime friend and world-class pianist Beegie Adair.
Beegie and I started working together over 12 years ago when I joined her record label as Marketing Manager. The first time we met was at, of all places, a photography studio where I directed the shoot for her first project with that label, The Frank Sinatra Collection, which was only her second recording of her own after a 40+ year music career. She has since recorded nearly 30 records for her labels, and I had the privilege of co-producing this new indie project which is scheduled to release mid-October.
While in junior high and high school, I was a decent trumpet player and piano player, even competed in regional and statewide piano competitions. For three critical years in school, the arts departments were ripped out of my high school, effectively ending my musical performance development and trumpet studies. When I entered college to study business and marketing, I moved away from my piano, and my trumpet playing was several years behind others in the music department so I really haven't played music since then. That makes the piano/trumpet duo with Nashville's own Rod McGaha even more special as I heard it unfold today by these great players.
Complete details about the project ... including the song list of originals and standards, additional guest performers, and audio samples ... will be available in a few weeks, and I'm extremely thrilled to have been a part of this wonderful recording of jazz music from a "country town". Jazz music that rivals what is heard on mainstream jazz radio around the world.
Pop over to www.beegieadair.com to learn more about this fabulous pianist and register for Beegie's newsletter for official announcements about this new project.
It's been fun creating with my ears these two days. Wednesday resumes my eye creativity as I put on my photographer hat again ... while listening to great jazz music. 8)
Since this is music-related, I'll play. This will be an interesting trip through my schizophrenic music library.
How it works: (1) Turn on your iPod, MP3 player, or computer (2) Go to SHUFFLE songs mode. (3) Write down the first 25 songs that come up--song title and artist--NO editing/cheating, please. I added the album too, for those who are interested.
1. Don't Let The Fire Die - Steven Curtis Chapman - The Great Adventure (1992) 2. Nothing But The Water - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - Nothing But The Water (2005) 3. In Christ Alone - Shelley Jennings - Unchangeable (2008) 4. Broken - Scott Stapp - The Great Divide (2005) 5. Nothing Rhymes - Badabing Badaboom - Volume II (1997) 6. I've Forgotten How You Feel - Sonya Isaacs - Sonya Isaacs (2000) 7. Maybe - Alison Krauss - Forget About It (1999) 8. Homeward Bound - Alison Brown featuring The Indigo Girls - Stolen Moments (2005) 9. The Sailing Man - Cherryholmes - Don't Believe (2008) 10. Adiemus - Adiemus - The Journey: Best of Adiemus (1995) 11. Hey Baby - Rosemary Clooney with Duke Ellington Orchestra - Blue Rose (1956) 12. Far From Enough - Viktor Krauss - Far From Enough (2004) 13. Is The Grass Any Bluer - Rhonda Vincent - The Storm Still Rages (2001) 14. Refuge - Kim Hill - Kim Hill (1988) 15. Dream On - Greg X. Volz - Come Out Fighting (1998) 16. In Color - Jamey Johnston - That Lonesome Song (2008) 17. Closer - Old Man Shattered - The Retaliation (2008) 18. The Hatching Season - The Biscuit Burners - A Mountain Apart (2005) 19. The Nearness of You - Chris Botti - When I Fall In Love (2004) 20. When There's No One Around - Garth Brooks - Sevens (1997) 21. Highway of Sorrow - Tim O'Brien - The Legend Lives On: A Tribute to Bill Monroe (2003) 22. I Could Never Touch You Like You Do - Jackyl - Push Comes To Shove (1994) 23. Minute By Minute - The Doobie Brothers - Best of the Doobies, Vol. 2 (1981) 24. Free - Plumb - Beautiful Lumps of Coal (2003) 25. Recipe for Love - Harry Connick, Jr. - We Are In Love (1990)
Surprise Absences (although 25 out of 7500+ is slim pickings): Beegie Adair, Jerry Douglas, Gene Harris, Michael Jackson, Phil Keaggy, Sixpence None The Richer, George Winston, Dwight Yoakam
Would be interesting to see what the next 25 would be, but it's time to work here at the lovely offices of Gregory Byerline Photography. Cheers everyone. ~gregory
... and what we can learn from enjoying his music and watching his career explode.
Hey gang, today marks a sad day in musicland as Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, suffered cardiac arrest in Los Angeles. I've been a fan of his music since the Off The Wall days of the late 1970s. That's 30 years of enjoying his catchy tunes and visual playground of innovative dance moves.
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" remains on my list of all-time favorite recordings, with it's funky, energetic disco beat that makes this average white guy really wish he could dance a mere 1% like Michael Jackson himself. Not gonna happen in my lifetime though. I can feel it; I get it; I just can't do it. Then there's the electric moment during a live performance of "Billie Jean" when MJ debuted the Moonwalk. Then there's the world premier event of "Thriller" video. Then there's "Remember the Time" video that launched Naomi Campbell's career. The highlights go on and on.
Often a lightning rod for tabloid fodder, whether self-inflicted or papparazi-ignited, few people will refute that Michael Jackson, like all of us if we're truly honest, had deep-seated "issues" and emotional wounds/trauma/misgivings or whatever you'd like to call it. I imagine his artistry and Neverland Ranch were products of his longing to express what only he could express.
This struck me just a couple months ago while shooting at the studio and listening to my Michael Jackson playlist in iTunes. In the solitude and concentrated groove of making still-life photographs, I finally had a chance to really listen to a song I had previously skipped. That song is "Childhood" from HIStory and the Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home original motion picture soundtrack.
CHILDHOOD(words and music: Michael Jackson) Have you seen my Childhood? I'm searching for the world that I come from 'Cause I've been looking around In the lost and found of my heart... No one understands me They view it as such strange eccentricities... 'Cause I keep kidding around Like a child, but pardon me...
People say I'm not okay 'Cause I love such elementary things... It's been my fate to compensate, for the Childhood I've never known...
Have you seen my Childhood? I'm searching for that wonder in my youth Like pirates and adventurous dreams, Of conquest and kings on the throne...
Before you judge me, try hard to love me, Look within your heart then ask, Have you seen my Childhood? People say I'm strange that way 'Cause I love such elementary things, It's been my fate to compensate, For the Childhood I've never known...
Have you seen my Childhood? I'm searching for that wonder in my youth Like fantastical stories to share The dreams I would dare, watch me fly...
Before you judge me, try hard to love me. The painful youth I've had
Have you seen my Childhood....
He who entertained the masses practically his entire life ... missing a normal and regular childhood that the rest of us had ... recorded this tender and touching autobiographical song. In his own words, this is his "most personal" song he ever recorded. Creative expression or cry for help? Or both?
He holds the top two slots on the list of best selling albums of all time (Thriller and Dangerous), and it's been years since his latest break-out hit record. Still, at 50 years of age, he was scheduled to perform 50 sold out concerts in London. Fifty. Sold out. That's talent; that's stay-powering in the entertainment world.
Today, among the favorite Michael Jackson songs bouncing around my head, "Childhood" rises to the surface, and I ponder how common this sentiment may be among childhood stars. With our first child on the way, I'll reflect on this a bit more with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight. Just some thoughts.
Farewell to the King of Pop. Thanks for the many years of musical memories. If I only I could have seen you perform live ...
A college friend sent this outstanding YouTube video my way recently, and the hopeful perspective is a refreshing untwist on a social ideology that has become twisted over the years. Here's hoping you find this profound and poignant.
NEW CHRISTMAS MUSIC: “Labor of Love” by Andrew Peterson
With the holiday season officially underway, Christmas music fills the air everywhere …from radio and retail to headphones and performance halls. ‘Tis the season for perennial favorites about chestnuts, sleigh rides, silver bells, bedecked halls, holly, ivy, silent nights, and countless holiday imagery that make the season bright.
The commercialization of Christmas is a significant factor in our society, and I confess to being a sucker for the seasonal sentiment when, for the most part, our society is kind to one another and sincere gift giving deepens relationships and builds bridges. It’s the original significance of Christmas, though, that impacts me most.
In recent years, many new Christmas songs by brilliant songwriters have found a special place in my holiday observances, inspiring (literally, “breathing new life into”) what can easily become rushed and routine. After scouring our music library last month, I created a special iTunes playlist of 50+ new Christmas songs, and I’d like to share a handful of my favorites with you with hopes that these songs become Christmas standards for years to come.
The spotlight shines first on a contemplative piece from Behold the Lamb of God CD. Released by Andrew Peterson in 2003, the recording covers thousands of years of hopeful prophecy that culminated in the promise of Christ’s birth. Best listened from start to finish instead of shuffle, Behold the Lamb of God tells the greatest story ever told in a complete musical saga format.
Over two-thirds through the project, “Labor of Love” featuring Jill Phillips on vocals beautifully recalls the stark and humble scene where the divine and regal King entered time and space to redeem the world.
Song and video are posted here for your enjoyment, enlightenment, and hopeful encouragement. Here’s to a meaningful holiday season to you all.
LYRICS to "Labor of Love" by Andrew Peterson, arranged by Ben Shive:
It was not a silent night There was blood on the ground You could hear a woman cry In the alleyways that night On the streets of David's town
And the stable was not clean And the cobblestones were cold And little Mary full of grace With the tears upon her face Had no mother's hand to hold
It was a labor of pain It was a cold sky above But for the girl on the ground in the dark With every beat of her beautiful heart It was a labor of love
Noble Joseph at her side Callused hands and weary eyes There were no midwives to be found In the streets of David's town In the middle of the night
So he held her and he prayed Shafts of moonlight on his face But the baby in her womb He was the maker of the moon He was the Author of the faith That could make the mountains move
It was a labor of pain It was a cold sky above But for the girl on the ground in the dark With every beat of her beautiful heart It was a labor of love For little Mary full of grace With the tears upon her face It was a labor of love
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If you wish to add this beautiful song to your listening library, click the CD cover to jump to Andrew Peterson’s webstore.
