Dave Tate: Video - Journal

 

Would you like to Help my Release my CD?

I am working on a new solo project.

My newest, and my opinion greatest, work will

hopefully be out this spring.

Anyone who wants to contribute to this cd

being released can donate with the paypal button below.

It is 100% secure. 

Buying my CDs online also helps me to release

new material more quickly. 

I have about 3 cds of material that is recorded

and just waiting for production... so any help is appreciated.

If you do decide to donate here is what I will do for you

 

The Perks : )

$20-40 Donation - I will include your name in the liner notes of my newest CD

$40-60 Donation - I will include your name in the linter notes of my newest CD and send you a free download of my entire previously unreleased"Waking Eyes" CD complete with lyrics and Cover art.

$80-100 Donation - I will include your name in the linter notes of my newest CD and send you a free downloads of my entire previously unreleased"Waking Eyes" CD and "In the Rhythm" CD complete with lyrics and Cover art.

$200 Donation - I will include your name in the linter notes of my newest CD and send you a free downloads of my entire CD catalogue complete with lyrics and Cover art. That's 5 CDS! That's 55 songs. I will also handwrite my lyrics for a CD of your choice in a notebook specially designed with my picture on the front. I will include a personal note of gratitude to you.

$500 Donation - I will include your name in the linter notes of my newest CD and send you a free downloads of my entire CD catalogue complete with lyrics and Cover art. That's 5 CDS! complete with lyrics and Cover art. I will also handwrite my lyrics for a CD of your choice in a notebook specially designed with my picture on the front. I will include a personal note of gratitude to you. I will also Write a Song for YOU! I will write a song about a subject that means something to you. You can send me some ideas of things that are meaningful to you personally and I will make them into a song for you! 

Type in the amount you would like to donate and you will be taken to the securepaypal page. 

 

» Buy The CD NOW!

 

 

 

 

What to do

1. To write a review on Dave’s CD click the link below:

http://cdbaby.com/all/davetatemusic

To write a review on Victoria’s CD click the link below:

http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/VictoriaLagerstrom

2. Choose which album you want to write a review on and click it

3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Log in to write a review”

4. Give CDBaby your info so you can write a review. No credit card info is needed. It's 100% safe I promise. They ask for your info so they will know where to ship your CD if you decide to buy one. 

5. Write away! Your kind words are appreciated. If you have enjoyed my CDs or the Free Downloads, this is a way to help other people enjoy it as well. To those of you who are saying, “ I want to do more than just write a review, how else can I help Dave Tate put out his next CD? I want to be a musical benefactor.” here are a couple options.

Musical Benefactor Options

1. After you’ve written your review just click on the “Buy Now” Button on that same page to purchase one or more copies of the CD ( they make excellent birthday or Christmas presents)

2. Click the "Donate" Button below to donate securely online.

3. Send a donation to Dave Tate P.O. Box 914 Springdale, UT. 84767 

 

<< Back to Previous Page

 

 

I hope you are doing well and enjoying the fall.

As you may know Victoria and I are planning a tour

this coming January to the Netherlands.

 

I've got a couple shows lined up.

I am interested in finding some friends 

in the Netherlands who would like to host a house concert.

 

Do you like entertaining?

Do you like to organize events?

Do you know 30 people or more who would enjoy 

some inspiring, intimate music to brighten up the winter days?

If so you are probably the perfect person to host a house concert 

It doesn't have to cost you anything - your friends 

can pay a fee or donation for the music at the door. 

 

If you are interested please let me know.

Here's what I have so far:

January 4th - OPEN for a House Concert

January 5th - OPEN for a House Concert

January 6th - OPEN for a House Concert 

January 7th - OPEN for a House Concert

 

January 8th - Musikpodium in Baakeveen

 

Jaunaruy 9th - House Concert in The Netherlands

 

Let me know if you'd like to share an evening of great music!

 

Thanks again,

Dave Tate

 

 

Hi friends

I want to say thanks to a few people and

let you know what we're up to.

 

Thank you!

Due to generous contributions from a handful of people

We are going to Sweden!

We'll be doing a tour in the Netherlands

and Sweden while we are in Europe.

To those musical benefactors a HUGE thank you

for your generosity and support!

We're super excited about the shows, house concerts and music venues.

Pics of the Europe Tour will be posted on our site in January.

 

What's Happening

 

"Waking Eyes" 8 song CD now included with

purchase of any other Dave Tate CD. I will send you

a free 8 song download when you purchase a Dave Tate

CD from my website. It's 100% safe.

The retailer I use - CDBaby is the largest 

online independent retialer in the world.

Great customer service too.

Dave Tate CDs make great Christmas Presents!

 

Click here to preview and buy Dave Tate cds.

 

Netherlands Concerts -

We are still booking house concerts in the Netherlands.

The 4th, 5th, and 6th of January are still available. 

We will close booking on Oct 22nd. So write me soon if you'd 

like to host one. 

 

Progress of the New CD

I'm still working on my new release. 

Saving cash to record the string parts at the moment.

It's my best I think. I've been trying out some 

awesome guitar effects, and other atmospheric

things to make this cd flow really well. 

Currently working on the order of the songs - 

a crucial part to a successful album as I see it. 

I love those albums that just flow from 

one song to the next.

I generally tend to think less is more as far 

as number of songs on an album. 

But no less than 10 I think - it's got to be worth the money.

For you to buy it and for me to put it out. 

But since most of my songs are 5-6 minutes,

that would be a good hour of music.

What do you think is a good number of songs?

 

Other Projects

 

In addition to finishing up the details of my new CD, 

I've been recording acoustic guitar for Victoria's

new CD. She'll record vocals this month in a great studio in the area. I'll record bass and electric guitar for it as well.

I'm also doing some studio work for a very talented friend in Park City some nice wet sounding slippery guitar.

I'm also teaching guitar lessons to a handful of students

it's fun to be teaching again. 

That's about it. 

 

 

I think it's all about intuition. When to play it safe and when to take risks. Both I think are necessary for personal and financial growth. I am someone who has taken a great deal of big risks and has just fallen flat on his face. But is the fiscal success at the end of risk the measure by which you judge whether it was worth taking? I know I will never personally take the same risks I just took in the same way, but I would hate to be "scared straight". by some risks that turned out to be failures. I've certainly learned from them, so maybe that's the success. If money is the measure by which one judges all actions worthy or unworthy than he's probably pretty off track.

Music is a risk - it's putting yourself, your real self out there - sharing your love. And we love the big risk takers! Someone like Jeff Buckely experimented all over the place live, in front of his record execs., he took musical risks and did his own thing in spite of everyone and everything that "mattered".

Dylan went electric, what some would consider a huge risk - and many of his previous fans were alienated. But that was what made him Dylan. He dared to be whatever he wanted to be - no matter how big the risk to his stability (in regards to his fan base). It's that lived sense of risk and aliveness in his music that drew those fans to him in the first place I think. I think that you have to stay close to that sense of aliveness in your self.

In Sundance this past weekend I wrote a song and recorded a number of Videos in one of my favorite places on earth. I've been coming here since I was born. I have a few places that, whenever I visit, I always come back with several songs. Some are now gone forever, but this bedroom is one that remains. Here I have written: Left a Mark, I had Only Dreamed, Service of the Song among many others. Here I am writing one of my newest songs Unsung Dreams.

Among the other music projects I have going I am a Music Chair for Z-Arts a non-profit down here in Springdale. I book other artists, and well - basically do all of the things that a presenter/promoter does arranging hotels, flyering, posting events on various sites online.

It's great to get a taste of the other side of things - it gives me a new appreciation for all they go through, AND how busy they are. But long term? I don't want to be a presenter. I'm an artist.

But while we're here it's a good thing to do for the community, plus I booked Victoria and I in November... so that's a perk.
I'm also a bit more plugged in to community arts organizations, where I can get booked.

Things are going well overall, a little overworked and overambitious lately.
I recorded 13 of the 15 acoustic guitar tracks for Victoria's new CD this past week.
And bass for about 13 of my songs the week before.
I was pleasantly surprised at how fast it went.
I love playing bass.
And since I don't play bass in any bands at the moment,
it feels good to pick it up again.
It feels good to have a deadline for yourself.
To really dig in, To overcome the resistance that starting
a big project can bring.

I feel like I've got to keep moving forward.
We hand out demo CDs (4 songs)
to people we meet in Zion who we connect with.
I must have spread about 150 little seeds
all around the world since February.
You never know what will happen,
and it's a gesture of good will too.
It's good to give, it lets you know that you have.
It also makes my meetings at work more meaningful to me.
Maybe to them too.

Today I met some people from the Netherlands,
who will probably come see us
this January when we play there.
All things lead to something
if you pay attention.
Even small things.

This Month...

Well it's been a great month. Victoria and I were happy to make two trips to The Listening Room in Park City. We mutually feel like one of them was the best show we've done together. It was great to meet some new musical friends as well in The Vibrant Sound and Shaun Barrows. I also was extremely honored to play my own guitar rendition of a song from "Les Chansons des Roses" by Morten Lauridsen for my brother Dan's wedding on Aug 3rd. It was an amazing experience. Dan composed the string arrangements for our duo CD "The Same Heart" and is also composing the string arrangements for my newest CD.

 Coming Up...

 

Victoria and I are both continuing to work on our new releases. 

Soon we will be releasing "The Same Heart" for sale online and at our shows. 

We are also working on a tour of the Netherlands and Sweden this winter to support the album. As always click the link below for your free downloads.  Also I want to thank you all for your feedback on everything from the music to the website. Thanks for your support!

-Dave

 

 

News

 I'm turning 28 this month. It's been a challenging year, but ultimately a positive one. A big plus is that my hands are almost 100% now. I'm drawing to the conclusion of my next studio album which I believe to be my best yet. I'm also working on several side projects including playing guitar for Victoria's next CD. We continue to perform in out FREE summer concert series here is Springdale. Come have some fun with us at Sol Foods, a magic outdoor patio by the river, perfect for a summer night of music.

 Help!

I need your help! I need testimonials for my website. Would you mind writing one and sending it to me dave at davetatemusic.com

It would be a great help. Thanks!

D

 

May is turning out to be a great month for Victoria and I. We've seen some good music and are both writing and getting ready to start our

FREE Summer concert series at Sol Foods here in Springdale. The first show is coming up on the 30th so come have some fun with us. 

Hope you are well and happy.

Hi all,

A word about Auto-Tune systems

I have used auto tuning systems twice in my career. Once on backup vocals on "Things were much better" on my first Jimmy's First Kiss Cd, and once on a backing vocal track on my duo CD the same heart. Other than that I have never used auto tuning systems and don't plan to. What an auto-tune system is is basically a device that 'fixes' your notes that are off as they happen. You can hear the difference on most systems, even the most professional, if you listen closely. ( example: John Mayer's "Where the Light Is" Live DVD and his latest record "Continum." I use a BR1600 self-contained recording unit to record and master my cds.

There are primarily two reasons why I don't use these systems which are sweeping across recording studios and live concerts.

1. I want you to hear MY voice, not some computer approximation of my voice. I love the feeling you get when you know that an artist pulled off something amazing and how inspiring it is to know what it must have taken to get to that place. If I can give someone that feeling I want them to know it's genuine. Think of Jeff Buckley Live. He was quite pitchy on a number of his live songs but he was real, raw and - beautifully - about the furthest thing away from a machine. When I record sometimes I'll do twenty takes on one line to get the most heartfelt and best expression of it I can, and sometimes I'll blow right through it in one take. Either way, I have never used pitch fixers or auto tuners on any of my solo cds.

2. The second reason is .... I am poor. I don't have the $$ to buy the technology to do it in a way that could "fool you". In this case having a light wallet has maybe helped my to keep true to my ideals over the years of my developing.

Recording

The Process ~

My last three cds have been recorded basically anywhere I could find a quiet space. The Solitude of Here (2006) was recorded in my apartment in Logan. Home is in the stars at a home studio as well as the final hour - in several homes. 

My latest CD The Houses of Healing is being recorded here in Zion in our new home. At long last I have a room set aside where I can leave all my gear set up, and thus, hop into it much quicker. It's good to have this set up. In 2005 I wrote and recorded "Surely" from The Solitude of Here one morning before 10 AM. There's no way I could have pulled it off if my gear wasn't in place. So what you hear on that track is the initial inspiriation and about the third time I've ever sung the song. 

This new setup is a dream come true. I also get to look out the window at the West Temple - a 3,800 ft. tall sandstone monolith right outside my window. It's a pretty sweet place for an artist to live. After recording in basements and dingy old rooms for years- I'm glad to be in this place. 

Equipment

As I said I use a BR1600 Self contained mixer. It's a good piece of equipment. It lacks in the mastering toolbox and it's extremely time consuming to edit compared to a computer system. But I've managed to get, what I feel are, some pretty good sounds out of it. I use a tube pre-amp for my vocals and anything else I use a large diaphragm condenser mic on. I have two of these at the moment - the others I had to sell - a Studio Projects C1000 which I record my vocals on and an AKG C3000 which I use in combo with a Sure SM57 to record electric guitar and in combo with the SP C1000 to record acoustic guitar. I also use these mics for strings. That's basically it.  

For electric guitar I use a Fender Blues Jr. Amp - not because it's the best out there, but because it's what I have. I run my guitar through an ernie ball Volume pedal Jr. a Boss Delay and Tremelo pedal ( which I'll get tweaked hopefully soon) and a Ibanez tube screamer - my favorite little overdrive pedal.

 

The Past Year's Events~

 

The past year has been a great and intense journey~

In Feb of 2007 I married fellow singer/songwriter Victoria Lagerstrom, and a new chapter began. We lived in Austin, TX for 3 months, Sweden for a month, toured in the Netherlands, and travelled along the Northwest coast of America.

 Currently we are living in beautiful red rock southern Utah near Zion National Park.

Hope you all are doing very well!

 

You can find "Evensong" from the 2006 release The Solitude of Here on The Korean World Music compilation "Songs of the Wayfarer" Pictured above. I am honored to be featured with such great artists. The Cd includes a variety of styles including Opera, Flamenco, Indian, and other singer/songwriters.

I want to update you on what's new in my little sphere of the world lately. I've had continued problems with the old paws, the pain in my hands has spread to my whole body, but through some awesome yoga practices and other healing practices I feel like they are on the mend. I'm able to play guitar a bit each day. Victoria and I are in the midst of trying to decide where to move. When the dust settles I think we will find ourselves in the perfect place.

Thanks for all your support - I hope to be playing for you all very soon!

Hello Again my friends,

Quite a bit has been going on, here's what's new for May.

 

Another Move ~

 

 

Well we are headed off on another great adventure.

As much as I love the red rock beauty of So. Utah, I feel like I need to be in a bigger city to launch my music to a larger audience. It's been a great time of rest and recovery over the past months and now the ever changing road beckons us again. So we'll be relocating to Portland in June. Victoria is taking a much needed trip to Sweden to see her family and than we are off. A big thank you to our loyal fans here in the St. George area. We'll be back to visit and play some shows for sure. If you've been thinking over picking up a cd, now would be a good time - it would greatly help us make the trek. I also want to say a big thank you to acupuncturist Mark AND Gina Montgomery at the St. George Healing Arts Center for help in healing my hands as well as my wonderful sister Salima, and to the noble Steve Ilg www.wholisticfitness.com. It's wonderful to have such great friends.

 

 

Another review on my new CD from Folk Forum's Paul Van de Wiel ~

 

 

Dave Tate ? The Final Hour

 

It?s both curious and mind-boggling. After he released the stunning album The Solitude of Here it was expected that record companies would wear out Dave Tate?s doorstep.

Why this didn?t happen is anybody?s guess. It may be because Dave Tate cherishes his

independence, but he did hint more than once at the fact that his life would be a fair deal easier with a record deal.

So the most recent album, The Final Hour, was again released independently.

The Final Hour once again establishes Dave Tate formidable qualities as a singer/ songwriter so enthusiasts of The Solitude of Here can buy this CD blindly. It calls to mind the same salutary atmosphere that The Solitude had. All words of praise I had for The Solitude can be applied to this CD as well: it has as much character as a Nick Drake album; Tate has a voice which can closely resemble the young Paul Simon (Fall to You, The Veil) and which is very much like that of David Gates in the higher registers. Still, he retains his individual and entirely unique style and so avoids becoming an epigone of the abovementioned singers.

Tate?s classically trained voice effortlessly sings the higher notes, which have an actual

function in the songs and aren?t meant to show off. These notes give the tracks an additional

suspense and overtones. Apart from this, Tate?s diction is perfect so one can clearly hear the

separate words in the lyrics. Furthermore, Tate has a certain, clearly recognisable, way of

playing the guitar in which he alternates between flowing and staccato melodies and rhythms

(Fourth of July,Rainy Days).

The entire album exudes a comfortable sense of peace and serenity. The poetic lyrics

shouldn?t be subjected to interpretation, which would be no easy task anyway

because they?re rather mysterious at times. They have to be felt instead. Dave

Tate gives his listener room to do this. He weaves pauses into his compositions by using short

breaks or guitar riffs so the listener has time to let everything sink in. I really like this style in

which mindfulness and intensity go hand in hand.

In some tracks I miss Ann Marshall and Joe Jones who respectively played the violin and the

bassoon on The Solitude. Cellist Ryan Kratsch does feature on this CD again and the way in

which the cello harmonises with Tate?s vocals and guitar is a true treat for the ears.

The devotee will have to go to Cdbaby or Tate?s website in order to get their own copy. As

far as I?m concerned Tate is the best singer/songwriter around at the moment.

 

 

Grade: 9 out of 10

 

To listen to the Final Hour click here

 

http://www.davetatemusic.com/music.html

 

 

Last Shows in So. Utah ~

 

Like I said, we have received huge support here and are doing a couple free shows to give back to St. George. Come see us at Town Square on the 29th and/or in Cedar at the Grind on the 31st.

Thanks for all your support! We LOVE you!

 

Hi,

Victoria and I have been working super hard over the past months to
get some things rolling and make our music more accessible to you.
Check out the latest news ~

Final Hour Released!:

I wanted to let you know that my newest CD The Final Hour is now
available. It's an intimate blend very similar to The Solitude of
Here. If you liked that one I can say I'm sure you'll like this one.
Make sure you check out the music samples (listen) on my page not on
the CDbaby page. There has been some error in their uploading of the
files and they are a bit distorted on the CDBaby page, it'll be fixed
soon.


New Website:

We've spent quite some time re-designing our websites and making them
user friendly for promoters and fans. Stop by and have a look!

Music Compilations:

I have been featured on a music compilation in Korea called Songs of
the Wayfarer vol. 3
check it out here
www.polyphone.co.kr - Sorry english speakers - this website's in Korean -
it's a beautifully packaged compilation of music from all over the
world.

Victoria and I will also be featured on the Southern Utah Songwriters
Association compilation cd this spring. We'll have those for sale at
shows.

A dear friend:

My good friend Elijah McCausland passed away in a traffic accident
this week. He was one of the most good hearted people I have known.
He was also one of my biggest fans. Thank you Elijah for being who you are, and thank you for your encouragement.


Blessings to you,
Dave

Hi friends!

It's been a long time coming. Since the release of my album The Solitude of Here. The overwhelming majority of my record sales have come from the Netherlands. When the Solitude of Here was released in early 2006 it was featured on the front webpage of CDBaby for three days. During that time two Music Journalists Eric Van Domurg Scipio ( Heaven Magazine ) and Paul Van de Weil ( Folk Forum ) wrote two incredible reviews on the CD. The word spread like wildfire in the Netherlands.

Now I finally have the opportunity to perform in the place that has truly received my music, thanks to another good friend from the Netherlands, Tony Sanner. Tony manages De Slotplaats where Victoria and I will be performing this Saturday night.

I am especially honored to be doing this concert with her by my side. Our music has grown together in a beautiful way since our first meeting ten months ago. We will be performing our solo work and our duo work at the show and several songs from my new solo album The Final Hour as well as several new duo songs that will be on our second duo CD. We hope to see many of you there!

Saturday, November 10, 2007

8:30 pm

In Concert: DAVE TATE & VICTORIA LAGERSTROM
De Slotplaats, Bakkeveen,
The Netherlands"

Victoria and I have finally finished our Duo CD. Songs are now available to listen to here or on our duo page www.daveandvictoria.net
A big thanks to all those involved with the album. Steve Lemmon at Spiral Studios was a lifesaver with the mixing and mastering and did an excellent job. My brother Dan wrote the incredible string parts as well as played the piano on Forgiven. Thanks to the talented string players Alexis Hoggard, Kelly Astle and Kristi Geddes. Also we were pleased to have UK sax player David Wilson contribute to three tracks. Thanks to Pete Jensen and Jordan Davis on Bass and Precussion. Pete and Jordan were my former band mates in Salt Lake and did a stand out job.
Many friends came out of the woodwork as well to contribute to this project.
Photographers Paul Duane and Natalie Cass, both on our page, did incredible work for us. Thanks guys!

Hi Friends,

Victoria and I are doing some duo shows this week. These will be some of our last in Salt Lake. We are heading out to find someplace new to do music in May.

 We have just finished recording our first duo record with lots of help from incredible friends. The two places that I love to play the most here are Alchemy and Orange.

 Alchemy is an all ages show and Orange is 21 and over. So if you can come catch us while we are still here. I am also finishing a solo record of some of my best material yet ~ So I'll let you know when that is available.

Much love and thanks to the people who have supported us in Salt Lake.

 ~Dave

Three years ago my brother introduced me to Coach Ilg's incredible High Performance Yoga. From the first time I did one of his charismatic routines I was hooked. I am inspired by his peaceful warrior spirit and the peace and balance that his approach to yoga, fitness and lifestyle brings. I count Coach Ilg as one of my greatest influences and supporters.So it is with great honor that I tell you that my music is featured on his "Flight Without Wings" Snowshoeing DVD.

Available at
www.wholisticfitness.com
P.S. - while you are there pick up a copy of the High Performance Yoga Basic Strength DVD. It's incredible.


So thanks to you coach! I'm so grateful to be able to give back!

"I've been playing Dave's music in my yoga classes and at home for
several years. Astonishingly exquisite, his voice seems as if it is continually tuned by the endlessness of eons. His musicality too,
seems as sharply soothing and soaring as the patina plated sandstone spires of his southern Utah homeland. A 'Tate' album is is a precious gem in a jewel case. i bow to the beauty and poetic verve of Dave Tate!"

- Coach Steve Ilg, ryt/uscf/cpt
creator/Wholistic Fitness and High Performance Yoga
author/TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION

Home is in the Stars is a purely acoustic guitar and vocal collection of some of my most upbeat, energetic songs. This album strongly shows the folk/rock element of my music.

Most of the songs on Home is in the Stars were written for a full band. I always like hearing simplified acoustic versions of songs from artists and this is my voicing of the raw elements of these passionate songs.

On Aug 26 Dave Tate's "The Solitude of Here" was given an incredible review by Folk Forum www.folkforum.nl - for those of you who read dutch here it is. The english version is posted in the press section.

Dave Tate - The Solitude of Here - Mukuna Publishing

Er zijn van die zeldzame momenten dat woorden niet toereikend zijn om de pracht van een CD te beschrijven. Dan krijgt, om Zappa te parafraseren, schrijven over muziek zoiets onbeholpens als dansen op architectuur. Niettemin waag ik toch maar een poging.

Ze verschijnen hoogst zelden, CD's die zo goed zijn dat je er volledig van in de ban raakt. Die altijd in de buurt van de CD speler blijven liggen om ze dagelijks te draaien. Die je uit je slaap houden omdat je sommige passages niet uit je hoofd krijgt. Die, als je hem in gezelschap draait het gesprek onmiddellijk doet verstommen en mensen doet vragen naar uitvoerende en titel. Kortom, zo'n CD waarvan het hart sneller gaat kloppen en die het muzikale leven voor langere tijd beheerst. Dave Tate is de naam van deze briljante singer/songwriter. Via een recensie in het maandblad Heaven kwam ik op het spoor van zijn CD The Solitude of Here. De lovende woorden die daar aan hem gewijd werden blijken na beluistering bij wijze van spreken nog een understatement.

The Solitude of Here roept nostalgische gevoelens op. Het neemt je terug naar de tijd van de grote singer/songwriters. In sommige zangnummers laat Tate zich goed vergelijken met een jonge Paul Simon (No Mercy, Rose), als zijn stem de hoogte in gaat liggen vergelijkingen met David Gates of Don McLean voor de hand. The Solitude of Here heeft ook het introspectieve, intieme van een Nick Drake CD.

Het zijn voorbeelden van muzikanten die in het verleden belangrijk werk afleverden. Ik moet me sterk vergissen als Dave Tate met deze CD ter zijner tijd niet in datzelfde rijtje belandt. Zonder een epigoon te zijn van genoemde voorbeelden. Het knappe van Dave Tate is namelijk dat hij oude tijden doet herleven zonder ouderwets te (willen) klinken. De thema's zijn universeel, de aanpak van Dave Tate absoluut niet.
Dat begint al bij de opener Evensong. Net als je een beetje bijgekomen bent van die fantastische stem en superieur gitaarspel, valt er een fagot in, die het nummer nog een extra emotionele lading geeft. Vanaf dat moment weet je dat je iets bijzonders in handen hebt. Het vervolg, Left a Mark is een bloedstollend mooie compositie waarin een perfecte synthese tussen zang/gitaar- en kamermuziek te horen is.
Het trio klassieke muzikanten, Anne Marshall-viool, Ryan Kratsch-cello en Joe Jones-fagot, geeft een aantal nummers via, soms kleine, interventies extra diepgang en dynamiek. De toch al niet misselijke vocale climax in Harmony wordt versterkt door subliem strijkwerk van Marshall en Kratsch. In Light was Low zorgen meerstemmige cello en viool voor ontroering. Maar het is de stem en de gitaar van Dave Tate die deze CD tot een ware luisterbelevenis maakt. Zoals bijv. in breekbare songs als Let's be lovers, The Faucon of Rose. Alle nummers worden gezongen met een grote intensiteit. `Gezongen' schrijf ik, maar `beleefd' is misschien een betere uitdrukking. Dat maakt dat ze bij mij onder de huid kruipen om daar niet meer weg te gaan. Geen vals sentiment of pathetiek maar breekbare ontroering kenmerkt de nummers op deze CD.

De stembeheersing en bereik van de stem van Dave Tate is ongekend. Hij haalt met gemak de hoogste noten. Maar nergens wordt geforceerd, elk woord blijft duidelijk verstaanbaar. Wie zich na ettelijke draaibeurten kan losmaken van die fantastische stem en zich concentreert op de begeleiding zal ervaren dat Dave Tate ook een bovengemiddeld gitarist is.

De CD is in eigen beheer uitgegeven. Dave Tate heeft zelf gemixt en gemasterd. De opnames klinken kraakhelder, of ze in een bijzonder goede studio gemaakt zijn. Het is bijna niet te geloven, maar de CD wordt niet gedistribueerd en is alleen via internet verkrijgbaar, via www.cdbaby.com. Je kan daar ook fragmenten van de CD beluisteren. Het is een CD die een veel betere en grotere distributie verdient. Die gewoon in elke CD-zaak te koop zou moeten zijn. Dit meesterwerk verdient een ereplek in de galerij van de grote singer/songwriters.

The Solitude of Here blijkt geen ééndagsvlieg. Ik kreeg de opvolger (nog niet uitgebracht) True Sound in huis. Daarop bevestigt Dave Tate zijn grote klasse.

Paul, waardering: 9½

From feb 3 to Feb 6 "The Solitude of Here" will be on the front page of CD baby.com Here's a copy of the review: "This is by far the most grabbing male folk album to come through our doors in months. It's hard not to make comparisons to Paul Simon's more sensitive folk writing with a similar mix of warmth, open space, breathy vocals, innocence and a dewy, green clarity of intention. His songs have a way of stealing your breath away and removing you momentarily from the passing of time, suspending you in full-body harmonies. While he has a knack for open-hearted, reflective songs, there is the slightest echo of acoustic jam band writing, giving this album a well-balanced emotional scope from track one to eleven. Bravo." - CD Baby