MusicTellers 3 by MusicTellers

Hello Music Lovers and Listeners:

I am so pleased to have been given the opportunity to
share in the creating of music with my three friends-Tony, Shannon and Kyle -the four of us known as MusicTellers.

We released our 1st two projects as MusicTellers and After The Storm, both of which were created and improvised on the spot live together in the studio. Here we have a new 3rd release which is more like an EP compared, especially to the 1st release, which was a double album. After The Storm is a single album of 12 tracks and clocks in at 1 hr and 14 minutes. This new one “3” clocks in at about 41 minutes with 5 tracks.

Three of the five pieces came about when we gathered to rehearse for our live show in McKinney TX in Sept 2021, which we recorded and have here on Bandcamp. During the rehearsal, which was primarily improvisational, we just recorded what came out, and what came out on the recordings was as unique and special as our earlier recordings. “Riding The Music Train” and “Taking The Long Road” are the lengthier of the tracks and completely improvised and the only overdub was my solo near the end of “Riding…”

The tune “Eternal Eclipse” was a piece that started with Kyle on percussion then Tony on his hurdy gurdy. I added chumbus (a Turkish stringed instrument) and bass guitar, then Shannon added her cello. Tony also overdubbed a keyboard as well.
So this piece was the 1st piece we ever assembled bit by bit.

Later on I came upon some percussion tracks that Kyle sent to me and then began to create what became “The Arid Land”.
I played guitars and bass on this piece and Tony played his electronic wind instrument, the Roland Aerophone Pro AE 30, with beautiful sounds of oboe and duduk.

Shannon has been traveling the world with her music, performing and delighting audiences everywhere with her talent, so she was not able to join us on “The Arid Land” and “Boat To Rio”.

“Boat to Rio” started out with Kyle playing his pan drum.
I added acoustic with plastic between my strings then a soft electric guitar —then finally, fretless bass. Tony played his Aerophone on “Boat To Rio” with a lovely flute setting.

Tony also created the cover design, which really feels right for this particular collection of songs.

I’m not only one of the players, I’m also a fan of our collective music. Blessings and thanks to Shannon, Kyle and Tony.
Also- big thanks to Tom Gulotta and company for getting this music out to you-our friends..

Phil Keaggy
May 4, 2023

"I can't believe that this is our 3rd Music Tellers project (4th if you count the live album!). Every MT recording was effortless and ecstatic. I never once felt the pressure of not feeling a certain piece or 'trying' to make something happen. When you have high caliber players such as these you can only expect pure bliss". —Kyle Jones

Tracklist

1.	Boat to Rio	3:15

2.	Riding the Music Train	14:33

3.	Eternal Eclipse	3:52

4.	Taking the Long Road	13:10

5.	An Arid Land	5:53

Credits

released May 5, 2023

MusicTellers are:
Phil Keaggy- guitars, bass and chumbus
Shannon Hayden- Cello and effects
Tony Gerber- Keys, flutes, harmonica, Aerophone wind instrument & hurdy gurdy
Kyle Jones- percussion, pan drum, hand claps, snaps and scrapes
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