Author: Rusty Beard

Soldier of Hope – Roo Panes

Every now and then a song comes along with so much soul that it causes you to weep the first time you hear it.  Roo Panes gives us one of those gifts with Soldier of Hope. This originally was released by Roo in 2017 but is included on the Deluxe Edition release of Quiet Man that came out today.

I think many of you will feel the same when you hear this tune, there is so much in the air today that causes us strife and tension or just sadness.  This song is a source of hope and offers a respite to some of that. It calls upon us to come home and live life with a lighter mind. Some may hear him singing a spiritual song and others, like me, just hear hope.

I have been listening to Roo for a couple of years now and have found his music to be a source of a sweet quiet peace. His music has a soul that soothes the listener as he weaves subtle guitar notes throughout. His use of backing vocals offers a gentle quiet as well. This is not complicated music and I thinks that is part of the charm, it is beautiful music.

This is the kind of music I love to play along with on my bass, late at night with no one around.  There have been times when life has beaten me down to a point that slipping into midnight while playing this over and over can lift me up again.  That is just one of the magics of music, feeding your soul. I think that most anyone can hear a song from some point in their life and instantly be taken back to that moment. That is one of the magics as well, but there are magics within the music that can heal, bring joy or provide you with insight. It might be in the melodies or the lyrics, or just the rhythm.  I have spent a lifetime seeking out these magics and have been so richly blessed as a result. Roo Panes Soldier of Hope is just one example of the magic in music.

Listening, learning and growing…

Black by Dave

I discovered Dave (aka Santan Dave) watching an interview on “Love Music Hate Racism”.  He’s released a few EP’s and singles over the last few years and this March, released his debut album, Psychodrama. Black is the third track from that release.  The entire album is an incredible work of art, it is a deep glimpse into his life and the way he weaves lyrics is truly a gift.

I am white and there is no way I could ever say that I know what life is like when you are black. I can seek out knowledge from those who do know and then allow that to impact my perspective, but no white person can say they know. Music can be a great educator and provide those who are seeking, a chance to learn. The song Black provides a perspective that is real, it is honest, it is stark. You cannot listen to this song and walk away uninformed, not if you are really listening…

In early 2014, I had the privilege to visit Northwest Africa. This was the first time I had ever really left my circle of comfort.  While I had previously traveled many parts of North America, I had never really stepped far enough out to see a different perception of the world.  The people I met there and the world I saw, taught me how incredibly limited my perspective was. The world is so much bigger than your view.

Is it really a life well lived if you never take the time to see another’s perspective?

Listening to this song was another opportunity to see outside of what I know… Dave is a brilliant writer; this song is a gift. I am not afraid to admit how ridiculously naïve and ill-informed I felt when he talks about how we have named countries for what they trade most.  Black is a great example of how music is powerful, and how it can provide you a glimpse into someone else’s reality and learn from it.

As we walk through life, we can choose to inform our perception through many different outlets, music is one of those and Dave’s Black is an opportunity to grow and understand a little of another person’s truth. Musically this song delivers, the opening piano is breathtaking, and, in the background, you can hear the familiar rasp of a needle riding vinyl and then he says “Look” and the beat, and the strings carry this song and provide a soaring stage for his lyrics.  Black is a beautiful, complete work of music.

Listening, learning and growing…

A Connoisseur’s Lullaby

I have spent my entire life listening to music…all of music, what drives it and what creates it.

Music…that is what this blog is about…the pursuit of my love for the whole of music.  When I listen to music, I hear its soul first. I may hear that in the lyrics, I may hear it in the melody, but the song’s soul is what speaks to me first and that is how I feed my own soul. In this blog I will share what I have heard and why it speaks to me. There are so many artists whose work has spoken to me over the years, and many more that I have yet to discover. This blog will discuss more than just genre, feel…origin…I am writing to share the wealth that music has brought to my life.

I have played the bass guitar since 1977, I have never found the need to learn another instrument because of the pure joy I have derived from my explorations of its beautiful voice… the bass. This is the most important part of who I am and how I perceive, listen and consume music.

I consume music, ferociously
I have never been able to listen to enough music… ever
In any given hour of the day I will be consuming music.
I am a connoisseur of music, and its lullaby is whispering to my soul

The songs I choose to write about are the ones that bring me joy, teach me something, or even cause me to weep.

Music is as unique as the individuals who write it and if they continue to pour their soul into their songs, I will never run out of things to write about.

This is my connoisseurs’ lullaby.