GATHER ROUND
Aaron Bibelhauser
Brand new original theme music to celebrate a very special and very LIVE Season #61 of Kentucky Shakespeare in beautiful Central Park!
"After a year and a half of varying levels of isolation from our work, loved ones, and creative outlets, it’s become strikingly obvious that art creators, and the audiences who consume them, are vital parts of our communities. My new single, “Gather Round” was inspired by this vitality, specifically surrounding my dear friends at the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival. Not unlike the towering trees and cobblestone alleys surrounding Louisville’s Central Park, the magic of live music, theater, and celebration are timeless testaments to our human experience. “Gather Round” is my attempt to express a bit of gratitude for the art, culture, and experiences that makes us who we are."
Lovin’ and Leavin’ – A Bluegrass Tribute To Mickey Clark – Aaron Bibelhauser
Posted on February 28, 2020 By David Morris - Bluegrass Today
If you asked musicians who knew him to describe the late singer-songwriter Mickey Clark in just one word, there’d be choices such as “authentic,” “inspirational,” and “mentor.”
Bluegrass singer-songwriter Aaron Bibelhauser uses all three when he mentions Clark. And he’s doing his best to keep Clark’s memory alive with this week’s independent release of Lovin’ and Leavin’ – A Bluegrass Tribute To Mickey Clark.
Clark, 78, died two years ago in mid-July. He was known mostly for songs of his that were recorded by the Kingston Trio, the Oak Ridge Boys, Jerry Lee Lewis, and many others in the country world.
But along the way, he befriended and mentored a number of bluegrassers from in and around Kentucky, including Sam Bush, Michael Cleveland, and, in the final years of his life, Bibelhauser. Add to that list other bluegrass pickers and singers who admired Clark, and you might think about putting together an all-star tribute.
Fortunately, for the rest of us, Bibelhauser didn’t just think about it. He went out and did it. He brought in Bush, Cleveland, members of Balsam Range (individually and collectively), Michigan songbird Missy Armstrong, Shawn Camp, T. Michael Coleman, Terry Baucom, Thomm Jutz, and others.
It’s not all bluegrass, but it’s all good. If I had to slap a specific label on it, I’d call it Americana/Grasicana, partly for numbers featuring drums and pedal steel. I’m good with that, actually, because while Clark’s portfolio was labeled country back in the day, it would be very much in the Americana style now.
Bibelhauser sings a bit like Clark, a little rough around the edges, but real. Fortunately, you don’t have to take my word for it. Bibelhauser was able to lay his hands on original recording tracks of Clark singing Reasons and Rhymes. That vocal track is included here, surrounded by the same all-star cast that backs Bibelhauser singing lead on many of the CD’s 13 songs. So it’s easy and fun to do your own comparison.
It’s a sentimental favorite for an obvious reason – one last chance to hear Mickey Clark. But there are many other favorites.
My top three, addressed in order of appearance on the CD because it’s too hard to rank them, are You Take The Leavin’ Out of Me, She’s Gone to LA Again, and Bakersfield Wine.
NEW FROM kentucky singer-songwriter... aaron bibelhauser
"JESUS SAVIOR PILOT ME"
Among the differences we have with one another as human beings on this planet, there's one thing we can surely agree on. These are challenging times for everyone, and especially for creative minded folks who's livelihoods depend on social gatherings, concerts, festivals, performing arts centers, auditoriums, and radio airplay. It seems we must do what we can, when we can, but that doesn't mean the music has to stop. We must adapt.
On Easter Sunday, I found myself really itching to pick and sing with my brother and bandmates during an extended period of distancing and following public health guidelines. Being socially responsible left me alone with the vices of my recording studio. The ability to do some multitrack recording seemed to save the day for me. I decided to sit down and record a gospel standard that has been a favorite of mine for a decade or more. I had a lot of fun playing a few instruments and singing it quartet-style.
I first got familiar with this song when a family friend asked me to sing this one at his father's memorial service. I really connected with the nautical themes and oceanic imagery, combined with the non-dogmatic longing for spiritual guidance. It's a simple message of hope, asking for help, to light the way and calm the path that lies ahead. ~Aaron