Lord Baldwin or the musical interlude

It was a cool and cloudy day, a rather pleasant relief from some of the unusually warm days we have already had recently. My husband took the opportunity to fix the carburetor on his old rototiller, and I decided to work on my exotic butterfly embroidery at the kitchen table overlooking the patio and deck where my husband was tinkering with his tools. It was very quiet in the back yard and in our street, as it was Memorial Day weekend, and most families were at gatherings in or out of town. It was my birthday a couple days ago, and the husband of a very dear friend of mine had dropped off a recent CD of his music. I decided this was a great chance to listen to his songs, as no one was around and it would keep my husband and I company in our tasks. The artist in question is self taught, and lives here in Olympia with his wife Diane, and their children and grandchildren. Diane was an important friend when my son Nicholas was small, and he spent many happy hours at her house with her many children and their friends. An amazing woman because of her humility and heart, she gave me many a happy afternoon as our children played together. Her husband is an artist who taught himself piano, harmonica, guitar, and who writes soulful ballads where he accompanies himself on all these instruments. His music is good. He has a strong and convincing voice, that is not afraid to add a touch of humour to his troubadour songs. The CD I received  is called "World on Fire", and I was really impressed with the instrumentation. I felt like I was listening to a very skilled disciple of Tom Waits, Neil Young and Bob Dylan all in one. The acoustic guitar had the power of a Neil Young, the mouth harmonica too, and the voice carried the melancholy of Bob Dylan, and the bluesy, wry humour was all Tom Waits. I was impressed. And everything was done by Chester himself, because that is the name of this talented man, Chester Baldwin, or Lord Baldwin as he cheekily calls himself. There is so much cynicism these days, and as the music filled our backyard, I felt myself relax, and really enjoy this Americana musical interlude. Chester's music proves the American soul is still alive, is still worth saving and believing in. The 20 songs on the CD are varied and deal with the challenges of daily life as someone who as an artist still has to provide for his family. Chester's music is real, heartfelt, and deeply moving in its honesty. The song "Is anybody there?" deals with a frustration I can relate to all too well, as a writer trying to break out of invisibility and anonymity, the sadness at wondering if any one will ever hear or read your words and songs. "I don't remember" deals very poignantly with the reality of memory loss, and is very poetic in its emotions. "It looks like a long road ahead" deals with the daily frustrations of the working class, trying to get ahead, only to realize you are not. There are humorous songs, like "My engine stalled", and "No patience". One of my favorite songs is the song that refers to the title of the CD, "World on Fire", that deals with the very troubled times we live in, both politically and morally. It is a great CD, and Chester has many more. He has his own website, www.Lord Baldwin.com. Check out this Olympia artist. You will feel better. Better about your own place in the scheme of things, and better about the world around you, far and near.