FOUNDLINGS 02- When It Snows
An unreleased holiday song! Plus, Rebekah Kuzma celebration gig recap!
An incomplete version of this post went out yesterday by mistake, complete with typos and spelling mistakes. Today, I share the full post. (Hopefully, free of typos this time.)
Skip down to Part Two if you read the first bit yesterday.
PART ONE
Welcome to the second installment of Foundlings, where I share bits and bobs unearthed from the Puzzle Tree archives.
In this post from December 12, 2023, I shared my song “On Christmas Day” and told the story of its inclusion on a star-studded compilation album. (Said album sold 700,000 copies!) The next year, Elaine Summers and I took a crack at writing another holiday song, hoping we could catch lightning in a bottle again.
We pitched “When it Snows” to the same folks who curated the previous collection, but for whatever reason, this time, it did not stick. I can’t recall if the follow-up record just didn’t happen at all or if they simply passed on our song. In any event, our song ended up getting shelved.
Until now. Here it is!
Paid subscribers can download a copy of the song by visiting my rarities page.
This track was recorded and mixed here at Puzzle Tree Studio and features a killer rhythm section. The groove is anchored by Sinners drummer Rob Brill. Rob joined the fold in 1996 with the Find a Door tour. He then lent his considerable talents to the Spacey and Shakin’ and Skywatching albums. In recent years, he and his son Jonathan have been making super groovy music under the name Stedapol C.C. Watt.
PART TWO
While I’m not 100% certain, I am pretty sure the bass player is Andy Stoller. I sent the track to Andy and asked if he recognized it. He replied, “This does sound familiar, and it feels like me to me (if that makes sense).” It made perfect sense. I thought it sounded like his style and vibe, too. It’s way too skillful to be me, that’s for sure.
Andy’s talents are in high demand. Lately, he has been laying down the low notes for Star Anna. He is a current member of a little rock and roll band from Seattle you might be familiar with… Heart. He has also been part of many an all-star backing band for special gigs around town. In fact, tonight—Tuesday, 12/10/24—he is in the house band for Jeff Fielder’s 50th Birthday Celebration at The Royal Room in Seattle. The show starts at 6:30 pm and will feature a cornucopia of Seattle music luminaries.
Here is a picture of Andy and I sharing the stage at the birthday gig for Ian Moore at The Triple Door some years ago.
Hearing “When It Snows” for the first time after all these years hits me pretty well. Feels like a reasonably well-written song. I like that bridge a lot. And I dig the vibe and feel of the track. In addition to that solid rhythm section, I’m quite fond of my twangy Telecaster guitar bits. If I were to give this an official release, I would probably go back and give it a proper mix. This rough mix feels a little too crunchy. It's not terrible, but it could be smoother in the upper mids and top end. And I want those hot Telecaster licks to jump out front more. Who knows? Maybe I’ll remix it next year and release it in time for the holidays.
REBEKAH KUZMA CELEBRATION OF LIFE
On Sunday, December 1, 2024 our Vashon Island community gathered in the hall at Vashon Center for the Arts to mourn together and celebrate the life of Rebekah Kuzma on what would have been her 52nd birthday.
I performed “Rebekah’s Smile,” a song Elaine Summers and I wrote after attending her memorial service in November. You can hear the song in this post from November 29, 2024. The news of Rebekah’s suicide tore through our tight-knit community. It was healing for those left behind to be together to honor her memory with music, poetry and stories.
Below is a photo taken during my performance.
Peace & Love Songs,
Pete
I think I was lucky enough to see you perform with Starr Anna on YouTube for a Townes Van Zant tribute? Don’t quote me on that tribute part but I did enjoy your performances at that event.