few years back I had resigned myself should make new music. I opened the door to to the fact that my days as a recording whatever might come through it. Little did I Aartist were probably over. I didn’t feel there know the song stampede that was waiting just was the internal drive or external demand to outside. maintain a recording career in this frenzied, Immediately songs poured in and out of me. internet-driven music world. I was happy to It was as if I weren’t even writing them, like keep doing Farmer Jason shows, hold down the sequoias themselves were singing them a job, and maintain my farming operation. to me. All I had to do was jot them down or Then completely out of the blue, Dawn Ryan, a hum them into my phone recorder. One day at ranger at Sequoia National Park, contacted me the Charles Young Tree, and then at Crescent about doing their artist-in-residency program. Meadow, I wrote the basics of three songs. As she explained, I would spend a month in a Nothing like that had ever happened to me mountain cabin, explore the park trails and in my life. The songs weren’t all about the sequoia groves, and do concerts at the park. sequoias; in fact, most were not. But they all I would also write songs about anything I shared an originality that I didn’t think I had in wanted. Hmmm, what’s the catch? It turns me anymore. Later in the residency my family out there was no catch! That’s a good thing, – Suzy, Addie, and Camille – joined me. It was a because I said yes before she even finished perfect experience, one that I will never forget. the third sentence of her pitch. Then the question became what to do with all So I went to Sequoia National Park in June 2017. those songs and ideas? Ultimately I decided I stayed at a cabin in the Mineral King area. to do a Jason Ringenberg record, my first in I could walk out of my cabin and be hiking 14 years. While I love Nashville and the music in the Sierra Nevada in a matter of minutes. community here, I felt driven to do something The first day I was there it snowed six inches. out of the box. I started my music career The hikes were beautiful beyond description. while attending Southern Illinois University in I often didn’t see another human all day. At Carbondale. (Believe it or not, I am a college night I read Peter Cooper’s book Johnny’s Cash graduate.) It was there that I first learned the and Charley’s Pride by candlelight, since the basics of music creation and live performance. cabin had no night power. As Dylan said in It has also been an ongoing relationship. Tangled Up in Blue, “Every one of those words Thanks to a kindred spirit, Stace England, I rang true and glowed like burning coal.” I maintained friendships and contact with the began to own within myself that I could and music community in Southern Illinois. I am a huge fan of their most famous music export, the Woodbox Gang, whose records were engineered by studio owner/producer Mike Lescelius. So I decided to record the album at Misunderstudio, Mike’s place. I called up old buddies Tom Miller (drums) and Gary Gibula (bass, guitar) from my first college bands to be the rhythm section. This was a good choice. We had a ball hanging out, and the tracks hit a definite chemistry. Musicians from all over Southern Illinois joined in. Later I brought in some Nashville ringers to round out the sound and then cut a few more tracks in Music City. The end result is an album that I am very proud of, and one that has changed me. Enjoy and God Bless, Stand Tall Lookin’ Back Blues (Jason Ringenberg) (Arty Hill-Jason Ringenberg) This song was written right after the Sequoia I wrote the chorus of this song the day it residency, while the buzz was still buzzing. It snowed six inches in the Sierra Mountains. is meant to convey the grand drama of that Going up a trail, I saw bear tracks. Coming wondrous place. We worked harder on this back down, I noticed bear tracks had been track, and spent more time on it, than any following me! Later I asked Arty Hill to co-write recording of my career. the verses. His opening lines to those verses are genius. “I’m flying down the highway of my Gary Gibula - bass, music transcription mind” – indeed. Tom Miller - drums, percussion, Old Testament wisdom I’m flying down the highway of my mind Robbie Stokes - electric guitars I see you in the rear view I wish Andrew Staff - acoustic guitar, electric guitars I’d never left you behind Robert Bowlin - fiddles I always thought the past was past Richard Bennett - Danelectro 6 string bass, But I finally learned the truth at last acoustic guitar, Mandolin-Guitarophone There ain’t no such thing to (circa 1900) the lookin’ back kind Steve Fishell - pedal steel guitar Chorus: Kyle Tripplett - banjo I got the lookin’ back blues and Mike Lescelius - bells, keyboards I don’t mean Luckenbach Texas Nick Rhode - opera vocal Every blast from the past is a punch Joe Walczk - trumpet to my solar plexus Stace England - vocal effects Every time I drive down memory lane George Bradfute - vocal effects All I find is a pile of pain Jason Ringenberg - vocal effects I got the lookin’ back blues and I don’t mean Luckenbach Texas Getting sentimental over you Only makes me mental distractified and blue The view over my shoulder Just makes it that much colder I just can’t seem to turn away from you This mind I’m driving ain’t got no kind of brakes John the Baptist was a real humdinger I’m on a non-stop trip from the day we met He would scream the truth ‘til I made my big mistakes like a drunk folk singer I’ve passed us by a thousand times Wandering the hills of Galilee But you’re always waiting down the line Whipping up crowds to a wild frenzy How much more looking back Standing tall like an old gunslinger can a poor boy take John the Baptist was a real humdinger Gary Gibula - bass, music transcription John the Baptist heard one voice Tom Miller - drums That guided him through every choice Robbie Stokes - lead and He’d yell at all the priests and frauds rhythm electric guitars “Abstain from sin and turn to God!” Andrew Staff - electric guitar While down the road his cousin dear Steve Fishell - pedal steel guitar Was sowing hope and killing fear Arty Hill - harmony vocals John the Baptist was a real humdinger Jason Ringenberg - lead vocals Touching souls like an old blues singer Wandering the hills of Galilee Living on the edge wild and free The go to guy the perfect ringer John the Baptist Was a Real Humdinger John the Baptist was a real humdinger (Jason Ringenberg) Herod King he ruled the land I think I wrote a cool song here, and we nailed With Roman spears and bloody hands a smokin’ track on it, but it is hard to miss with But John was not afraid to say a character as compelling and interesting as The truth to him come what may John the Baptist. All I had to do was tell the No Herod couldn’t break his mind story. With briberies or prison time Crazy John from early on John the Baptist was a real humdinger Knew he was singing in a different song He could work a crowd like a rock star singer Knew he was walking to a different beat Wandering the hills of Galilee Like his quiet cousin from down the street Living on bugs and raw honey Then one day he finally knew An angry wasp with a lethal stringer His path in life and what to do John the Baptist was a real humdinger In the end John held his ground Sequoia during the critical early years of the Though he could have brought park. But this song is not about him. It’s about an empire down the Ramones and my experiences with Jason & But he stood up for the truth The Scorchers opening for them in 1982 across And gave away his fame and youth Texas. Dig Steve Fishell’s lap steel guitar on Simply to prepare the way this. I don’t think I have ever heard a lap steel For all the souls his cousin saved played with such aggression and spirit. John the Baptist was a real humdinger In the spring of ’82 I got a call Spitting words like a punk rock singer from this New York dude Wandering the hills of Galilee He had heard of The Nashville Scorchers Whipping up crowds to a wild frenzy Busting doors and lighting torches Standing tall like an old gunslinger This guy offered us a Texas tour John the Baptist was a real humdinger Guaranteed to make us less obscure It was opening for the Ramones you see George Bradfute - electric guitars, bass In the Texas state of misery Steve Ebe - drums And though we had no master plan Richard Bennett - Danelectro 6 string bass, No amps that worked or a running van acoustic guitar, Mandolin-Guitarophone We said yes and away we went (circa 1900) With fifty dollars past due rent Gary Gibula - music transcription We drove to Beaumont Texas first Jason Ringenberg - lead vocals, Where college punks would quench their thirst acoustic guitar On bands like Killing Joke and Black Flag And bartenders all in drag God Bless the Ramones Chorus: (Jason Ringenberg) God bless the Ramones To my knowledge, this is the only song in they never made much money the world that uses the words “God” and Most folks either hated them “Ramones” in the main title! It was written at or thought that they were funny the base of the Colonel Charles Young tree, God bless the Ramones they never named for the first African-American soldier sold their souls to become a colonel in the U.S.