Title: Would You Please Welcome Joe Rathburn Live at Dark
Artist: Rathburn, Joe
Label: CD Baby
Product Type: COMPACT DISCS
UPC: 637053100526
Genre: Folk

Joe Rathburn is: thoughtful, uplifting, contagious, folk/rock, through great acoustic guitar, quirky vocals, and wry humor. His song The Dad I Had was picked from 140,000 entries to win first place in the 2004 Just Plain Folks Music Awards, Traditional Folk Song category. He also won nominations in the San Diego Music Award's 'Best Acoustic Artist' category twice and 'Best Adult Contemporary Recording' as well. On 12/05/2004 Joe and his band recorded what is to become a classic live CD featuring 9 songs from his previous two studio efforts, and 11 previously unrecorded songs. It was an intimate, yet high energy evening, bristling with tension, emotion, positive vibes, and love. This superbly engineered double CD set captured all of the nuance, and power, that two acoustic guitars, bass, and drums can muster. The meaning of Joe's uplifting lyrics comes shining through over the bands grooves and textures. Joe's writing, singing, and intricate guitar arrangements, plus ripping solos by Dave Beldock on guitar, explosive yet subtly expressive drumming by Roger Friend, and rock solid bottom end by Paul Beach on bass, add up to make this one fine evenings listen. Here's the story of how it came about in Joe's own words: When Jimmy Duke offered me yet another coveted slot in his legendary house concert series I was, of course, thrilled. I was due for a new CD and had a lot of new, unrecorded songs. So, I decided to record the show. Then I got to thinking, 'Jimmy wants me on December 5th, 2004, and I turn fifty on the 26th. Thirty-three of those fifty years I've spent as a performing musician. Why not combine the live CD with the milestone birthday and make this real special? The wheels were set in motion. I realized they could either take me to somewhere great, or roll all over me. Most folks who do live recordings do one of two things to assure their success. They either A: record several dates in a row to be able to pick and choose the best parts of all of them, or they B: record with a band that they perform regularly with so the songs have a chance to breathe, take on a life of their own, and settle in. I knew I would not have the luxury of the former, and as for the latter, I'd be lucky to get in a couple of rehearsals with whichever musicians I chose. I took a leap of faith that it would all work out somehow. After a lot of thought I chose the band. I told Dave, Paul, and Roger what they were in for: Learning 22 songs in two, possibly three rehearsals, and having to nail 'em all cuz we'd only get one shot. Dave and Paul had played some of my stuff before, though it had been many years for Paul. Roger, on the other hand, had never so much as even heard my songs. I knew though that they were the right players for the job. I prepared the charts and recordings and rushed the materials to them. I knew full well that with their busy schedules they'd have little time to work on the stuff, but they'd do the best they could. Again, faith sustained me. Obviously, things turned out fine. Here's the CD. Though the weather tried to chill, drown, and blow us away that day, one hundred-some folks crowded into Jimmy Duke's house. Some had to sit outside on his covered deck (blankets, speakers, and heaters provided). He intoned his famous 'Would you please welcome...' and the show began. The audience sang Happy Birthday to me, then we burned down two sets of music that I'll not soon forget. A great time was had by all. As you listen to this recording think about the beautiful energy that crowd of good people was sending our way, and how it came back to them though our perfomance. That, my friends, is the true meaning of the term 'in concert'. We were all one, for a couple hours. That's why I do what I do. Joe Rathburn 2/9/2005 Recorded live, at Jimmy Duke's Dark Thirty Productions House Concerts, Lakeside, CA, USA on December 5th 2004, before a great, live audience. Paul Beach: 5 string bass guitar David Beldock: Taylor 514ce acoustic guitar, keyboards, vocals Roger Friend: Drums and percussion Joe Rathburn: Vocals, Taylor 814ce, and Taylor K14ce acoustic guitars (the K14ce being the Dark Thirty house guitar. Thanks, Jimmy) Recorded by: Dan Connor; House Sound: David Henk; Mixed by: Dave Blackburn at Beat N Track Recording Studio, Fallbrook, CA; Mastered by: Dave Blackburn at Beat N Track Recording Studio, Fallbrook, CA; Graphic Design by: Lori Palmer; Photographs by: Lori Palmer and Jan Wang with the exception of cover photo by David Sobel, DavidSobel.com; Manufactured and printed by: CMS Duplication, San Diego, CA Paul Beach uses John Pearse Strings; Roger Friend plays Taye Drums.

Tracks:
1.1 Jimmy Duke's Intro (First Set)
1.2 Sunshine Through the Rain
1.3 Spaceship
1.4 Ume
1.5 To You Tonight Story
1.6 To You Tonight
1.7 Stumbling Blocks
1.8 What Don't Kill Ya
1.9 (Never Will) Kill This Thing
1.10 Poor, Poor You
1.11 Windows
1.12 Together
1.13 Little Suns
1.14 Jimmy Duke's Intro (Second Set)
1.15 Once Upon a Dream
1.16 Imaginary Sailor
1.17 Anything
1.18 Don't Let It Slip Away
1.19 Sombody Else's Blues
1.20 The Dad I Had
1.21 True Love
1.22 Above the Grass
1.23 The Way of the World
1.24 Feel the Wind (Intro)
1.25 Feel the Wind
1.26 The Last of Me