JOHNNY HIGH-HAT
Heart of a Clown
Songs of hunger,
longing and sadness,
change and affirmation.
Moving roughly along old Route 66, these recordings started in the Great Plains of Salina, Kansas and finished near the sea in San Diego, California, inspired by Milton Brown, Moon Mullican, and Hank Snow, Kurt Weill, Bert Brecht, and Hanns Eisler.
The Songs
The songs in Heart of a Clown are inspired by Milton Brown, Moon Mullican, and Hank Snow, with Kurt Weill. Recordings started in February 2010 in Salina and Wichita, Kansas, and, finished in early 2013 in San Diego, California. Mixed and mastered with endless dedication, diligence, and wise musicality by long-time collaborator, Mark Danisovszky. Thanks, too, to Steve Jirak who did many of the arrangement here and plays stunning guitar.
Some notes on the songs:
It Must Be Love
Johnny High-Hat, mandolin, tenor banjo; Parrish Ellis, rhythm guitar; Joseph “Joebass” DeJarnette, upright bass; Teddy Weber, steel guitar; Steve Jirak, electric guitar
• A song learned from Bob Dunn’s Vagabonds, with singing by Moon Mullican, one of my favorites. This is one of four tracks recorded in the Wichita studio of visual artists Ann Resnick and Kevin Mullins, and features three members (at the time) of The Wiyos.
Route 66
Johnny, mandolin, upright bass; Steve, acoustic & electric guitars; Mark Danisovszky, accordion; Dean Kranzler, snare drum
• A familiar favorite! Steve Jirak, the co-producer of Heart of a Clown, plays wonderful finger-picked guitar.
Rockin’, Rollin’ Ocean
Johnny, saw; Steve, acoustic & electric guitars; John Davis, arco bass; Dave, snare drum & cymbal
• A song I’ve sung for a long time from Hank Snow’s obscure but beautiful recording. Thoroughly re-imagined – taken apart and put back together – by Steve with arco bass and musical saw.
Heart of a Clown
Johnny, tenor banjo; Parrish, rhythm guitar; Joebass, upright bass; Teddy, steel guitar; Dean, snare drum
• A song learned from an Elton Britt record. Another of the Wichita sessions with a haunting lap steel solo by Teddy Weber.
Gingerbread Waltz
Johnny, mandolin, upright bass; Steve, acoustic & electric guitars; Dave, snare drum & cymbal
• Steve’s cool melody originally played as a guitar solo. He says it’s a natural tune for mandolin. The only tune on the album written in the 21st century.
One More Ride
Johnny, mandolin, upright bass; Steve, acoustic guitars; Mark, accordion; Dave, snare drum & cymbal
• For years I’ve listened to the Willis Brothers version (on The Singing Cowboy Rides Again) of this Sons of the Pioneers song made famous by Johnny Cash. Strange but lovely lyrics.
Pipeliner Blues
Johnny, mandolin; Parrish, rhythm guitar; Joebass, upright bass; Teddy, steel guitar; Steve, acoustic & electric guitar; Dean, snare drum
• One of Moon Mullican’s signature songs – about a rascal working man running around on his wife. I’ve loved Moon Mullican’s music for a long time, and his big hits like I’ll Sail My Ship Alone and Jole Blon. Learned about his importance in early Texas swing music (with Cliff Bruner’s Texas Wanderers) only in the last few years.
September Song
Johnny, mandocello; Rob Thorsen, upright bass; Dave, snare drum & cymbal
• Inspired by the original recording by Walter Huston from the Kurt Weill/Maxwell Anderson play, Knickerbocker Holiday. Huston’s character is another rascal – a rich old man on the make. The love is still in doubt (“I’d stay with you [if]…”), far from the common sentimental reading of the song in which the love is firm and secure (“I’ll stay with you…”). Driven by upright bass playing of San Diego great Rob Thorsen.
(Now And Then There's) A Fool Such As I
Johnny, mandolin, upright bass; Bob Brandt, rhythm guitar; Mark, accordion; Dave, snare drum & cymbal
• A long-time favorite from Hank Snow. I’ve always wanted to do a jukebox musical: The Three Hanks (Hank Snow, Hank Thompson, Hank Penny).
South
Johnny, mandolin, tenor banjo; Rob, upright bass; Mark, accordion; Dave, snare drum & cymbal
• Listened for years to Jerry Byrd’s steel guitar album, Steel Guitar Favorites. An old Bennie Moten tune to which Ray Charles put lyrics years later. Lovely solo by Rob.
Pennies from Heaven
Johnny, mandolin; Rob, upright bass; Mike Stewart, rhythm guitar; Dave, snare drum & cymbal
• I started singing this, I think, after hearing Hotclub of Cowtown’s Whit Smith sing it complete with the mostly forgotten verse. For so many songs, the verse disappears from common use. More’s the pity, as these intros tell a lot about the situations of the main characters of a song.
‘Deed I Do
Johnny, mandolin, upright bass; Steve, acoustic guitars; Mark, accordion; Dave, snare drum & cymbal
• A song on one of my all-time favorites LPs, Talk of the Town, by former Count Basie singer, Helen Humes. Suggested by Steve Jirak, who does kicking finger-picked guitar here (and throughout!).
A Thousand Goodnights
Johnny, mandolin; Parrish, rhythm guitar; Joebass, upright bass; Teddy, steel guitar
• A great ending song from the songwriting team of Gus Kahn and Walter Donaldson (My Buddy, Love Me or Leave Me, My Baby Cares Just for Me). The last of the four Wichita recordings with haunting, sad, inventive steel guitar from Teddy Weber and a solid rhythmic pocket from Parrish Ellis and Joebass DeJarnette. So honored to have these boys on the album!
KEEP UP WITH JOHNNY HIGH-HAT!
