Wolf Tales - Howling at the Moon
Red Tail Farm- Whidbey Island, WA - The Grove/San Francisco, CA, Plymouth CA
Recordings - 2002-2026
My music had been put away for years. That’s why after 9-11 I was shocked to get the urge to write and record again. I had no illusions about going back into the music industry. This was just for me.
It all started with a dream in which the song “A Thousand Different Towns” came to me almost fully formed. It turned out to be my response to the fallen towers. What followed was re-discovering and re-writing pieces of things I had never finished over the years. What emerged were these personal reflections on parts of my life infused with the memories I had of those moments.
I set up a home studio at Red Tail Farm on Whidbey Island. WA I worked on this project for about 3 months. The songs came easily. Not as much getting in the way. And then I put these recordings away for awhile and then finished them up while I was at The Grove in San Francisco a year later.
I stumbled across them again in early 2021 as I was collecting material for this legacy piece. They reminded me of how much pleasure writing and singing/playing brought me. In some ways these songs were a full circle exercise for me coming all the way back around to just me and my guitar. The way that it all started all those many years ago.
Then another miracle occurred in 2026. I had moved to Plymouth in the CA wine country and had become a board member for the Amador Art Council. I was beginning to work on a music project when the sound engineer showed me an AI music creation platform called Suno.
It allowed me to upload those simple tracks from Whidbey Island (my guitar and voice) and then I could direct the AI band through custom prompts to co-create the arrangement from my solo performance. This was the first time I had heard these songs that I had written so much later in my life actually elevated to record status. It took me back to the magic moments 50+ years ago when I collaborated with other musicians to bring a song to life that I had written. Now I was collaborating with thousands of AI musicians and background singers worldwide. Game changer in my old age and such a gift!
2002-26 - All Rights Reserved - China Clipper Publishing
WolF Tales Playlist
Individual Songs
Most of us can remember where we were on September 11th. One of the interesting things for me was the tremendous outpouring of art of all kinds, as we all tried to make sense of it. I hadn’t written a song in forever, but one night soon after the 11th, I had a dream where I was handed these words.
I first thought the words were a poem, but when I showed them to Jennifer, she said… “It’s a song” and hummed a bit of a tune. Turns out she was right…. Now, this refrain didn’t completely come out of nowhere. A philosopher we knew named David Spangler had envisioned that everyone on those planes, including the hijackers had a made a deep sacrifice for all of us… AND now 25 years later, war and genocide continue so I have updated the song to bring our prayers for the innocent present.
I am old enough to have lived through a number of life cycles, each one filled with close friends that remain in spirit for the long run. This song is for them…
For me, the desert has always been a place of sanctuary and reflection. After a particularly chaotic period, this was one of those times.
Many of us suffer from some sort of depression. I always thought it was the oddest thing that the same world from the day before could suddenly feel so dark. In those times I have found the remedy is love of self...
I have always loved road trips. Something about being in motion lights up my creativity … this was one of those times.
This world by most estimates can be a dark and cruel place. That’s why I always thought it was a miracle when you actually found someone to love. Even when things are challenging, a song likes this reminds me to be thankful that I can still love…
When you are in the middle of experiencing the thrill of being a rock and roll musician, there are many souls that pass through that fantasy. If only for a moment, I was grateful for the woman in this song …
When you have broken off a major relationship and spent time alone, it can be interesting, reflective and most of all feel safe. Yet, there comes a moment when that carefully constructed comfort zone gets shattered by a look…
One of those nights...
2026 All Rights Reserved - China Clipper Publishing