Dream Your Own Dream 

During the year(s) of the pandemic I, like many artists, have been cut off from the community of music lovers and supporters who come out to the live shows. Live streaming and pre-recorded shows have helped fill the gap. Another thing that has helped me navigate these times is gathering recordings I’ve worked on for years and finally taking the time to finish them. This is a collection of some of those songs. They come from several different periods of my life. I hope you can see me in all of them. Several great musicians and engineers helped me make these, including... 

Musicians 

Dustin Riecan 

Will Dowd 

Eric Eagle 

Keith Lowe 

Rob Moitoza 

Barney McClure 

David Lange 

Bruce Laven 

Craig Flory 

Mark Graham

Skerik 

Don Pawlak 

Kevin Engbretson 

Christopher Bauer 

Jo Miller 

Kim Scanlon 

Engineers 

David Lange@David Lange Studios,Edgewood WA 

Garey Shelton@Garey Shelton Productions,Seattle WA 

David Loucke@Alternative Productions, Seattle WA 

Rob Folsom@OMB Studio,Port Orchard WA 

Jay Follette@Ironwood Studios, Seattle WA 

Orville Johnson@The SunRoom, Seattle WA 

Conrad Uno@Egg Studios, Seattle WA 

 

Dream Your Own Dream (Orville Johnson BMI) 

Rob Moitoza-bass Will Dowd-drums Skerik-saxophones 

OJ-everything else 

Rob Folsom@OMB Studio,Port Orchard WA 

Orville Johnson@The SunRoom, Seattle WA 

Garey Shelton@Garey Shelton Productions,Seattle WA

 

Just Take Me Away (Orville Johnson-Jim Krapf BMI) 

Rob Moitoza-bass Jo Miller & Kim Scanlon-harmony vocals 

Barney McClure-piano OJ-everything else 

Conrad Uno@Egg Studios, Seattle WA 

Orville Johnson@The SunRoom, Seattle WA 

Garey Shelton@Garey Shelton Productions,Seattle WA

 

I Found a Dream (Lonnie Johnson  Longitude Music BMI) 

Craig Flory-clarinet OJ-everything else 

David Lange@David Lange Studios,Edgewood WA 

Orville Johnson@The SunRoom, Seattle WA 

 

Curfew Fever  (Orville Johnson BMI) 

Rob Moitoza-bass Will Dowd-drums Skerik-saxophones 

OJ-everything else 

Rob Folsom@OMB Studio,Port Orchard WA 

Garey Shelton@Garey Shelton Productions,Seattle WA 

 

Catfish & Crystal Waltz (Orville Johnson BMI) 

OJ-everything 

Orville Johnson@The SunRoom, Seattle WA

 

Mirage (Orville Johnson BMI) 

David Lange-keys Will Dowd-dumbek  OJ-everything else 

David Lange@David Lange Studios,Edgewood WA 

Orville Johnson@The SunRoom, Seattle WA 

 

Naked Baker (Orville Johnson BMI) 

OJ-everything 

Rob Folsom@OMB Studio,Port Orchard WA 

 

Skydiver’s Love Song (John Pavlik BMI) 

Rob Moitoza-bass Will Dowd-drums Bruce Laven-piano 

Don Pawlak-pedal steel guitar OJ-everything else 

Rob Folsom@OMB Studio,Port Orchard WA 

 

Night Watch (Orville Johnson BMI) 

OJ-everything 

Orville Johnson@The SunRoom, Seattle WA 

Garey Shelton@Garey Shelton Productions,Seattle WA

 

When Love Has Gone Away (Orville Johnson BMI) 

OJ-everything 

Orville Johnson@The SunRoom, Seattle WA

 

Livin’ Without Lovin’ (Orville Johnson BMI) 

Rob Moitoza-bass Will Dowd-drums Skerik-saxophones 

Don Pawlak-pedal steel guitar OJ-everything else 

Rob Folsom@OMB Studio,Port Orchard WA 

Garey Shelton@Garey Shelton Productions,Seattle WA

 

Stranger In Me (Jim Page Whid-Isle Music BMI) 

OJ-everything 

Orville Johnson@The SunRoom, Seattle WA 

 

Snow Bound (John Pavlik BMI) 

Eric Eagle-drums Christopher Bauer-pedal steel guitar 

OJ-everything else 

Orville Johnson@The SunRoom, Seattle WA 

Garey Shelton@Garey Shelton Productions,Seattle WA

 

The Sleeper (Orville Johnson BMI) 

Keith Lowe-bass Will Dowd-percussion Mark Graham-clarinet 

David Lange@David Lange Studios,Edgewood WA 

 

Up on the Hill (John Hartford  Ensign Music BMI) 

Dustin Riecan-bass & drums OJ-everything else 

Orville Johnson@The SunRoom, Seattle WA

 

Farewell (Orville Johnson-Jim Krapf BMI) 

Kevin Engbretson-pedal steel guitar OJ-everything else 

Orville Johnson@The SunRoom, Seattle WA 

 

Your Daughters and Your Sons  (Tommy Sands  Elm Grove Music) 

OJ-vocal 

Rob Folsom@OMB Studio,Port Orchard WA

 

Special Thanks to: Parry Marston • Richard Russell • Garey Shelton • Ross Nyberg

Mastered by Ross Nyberg

Artwork & Design by Richard Russell

 

 

Orville Johnson and his Ampliphonic Guitar-Duets

What a blessing it is to have friends like the group of masterful musicians who have honored me with their presence on this recording. I give an extra hosanna to John Knowles who started me off on this duet idea when we cut Somewhere from West Side Story for my Freehand album in 2001. We reconvened shortly thereafter to wax three more duets, two of which appear here. After gathering a few more tracks with just the dobro paired with guitar I got the urge to cast the dobro with different instruments in such a stark setting and hear them sing together.

 I can’t thank everyone enough for taking time from their busy touring, teaching, and recording schedules to hang with me and make these songs. It was fun to come up with tunes that I thought might suit the artists and their instruments and I hope you enjoy the results. I don’t have space here to give you each artist’s resume, but suffice it to say they are all fantastic players and, with just a little bit of Googling their names, you’ll find websites that will lead you to discover all sorts of wonderful music they have created.

 Re: the bonus track # 12…I played on some tunes with Dan Tyack and Darick Campbell for a project of Dan’s. I later asked him how things were going with that project and he offered to let me use my favorite cut from that session here. I love the Elwa Ramble and chose it for this recording. There are four of us playing so, to stick with the theme, let’s just say it’s two duets at once!

Produced by Orville Johnson

Recorded by David Lange

Mixed at David Lange Studios, Edgewood WA

except Elwa Ramble-mixed at The SunRoom, Seattle WA

Additional Engineering by- Danny Barnes, Tom Keenlyside, Neville Pearsall, and Garey Shelton

Mastered by Garey Shelton

Art and Design by Michael DuPille

Ampliphonic guitars played- Guernsey, Rayco, 1937 Dobro Style 45

Special Thanks to- Parry Marston, Michael DuPille, Dan Tyack, John and Becky Knowles, Ivan Guernsey, Mark Thibeault, the Dopyera Bros., Stuart Brune, and  Jake's Musical Instruments and Antique Furniture

The Songs

1. Blue Finger (Jerry Reed)

2. Mongrel’s Dream (PD arr. Johnson-Graham)

3. Good Bye Porkpie Hat (Charles Mingus)

Recorded by Tom Keenlyside

4. Foggy Mountain Rock (Josh Graves)

Recorded by Danny Barnes at Minner Bucket Studio

5. Marie (Randy Newman)

6. Mean Old World (PD arr W.Mann)

7. Oh My Joy (Patrice Hahn)

8. Jitterbug Waltz (Fats Waller arr. M.Dowling)

Recorded at Synergy Sound by Neville Pearsall

9. Lakes of Pontchetrain (PD arr Johnson-Miller)

10. Tex Mex Shindig (Bill Emerson)

Recorded at Synergy Sound by Neville Pearsall

11.Naima (John Coltrane)

12. Elwa Ramble (Dan Tyack)

Recorded at Garey Shelton Studio

The Players

Orville Johnson- ampliphonic guitar on all tracks

1. John Knowles guitar

2. Mark Graham harmonica

3. Rene Worst acoustic bass

4. Danny Barnes banjo

5. John Knowles guitar

6. Woody Mann guitar

7. Patrice Hahn Celtic harp

8. Mike Dowling guitar

9. John Miller guitar

10. Sally Van Meter resophonic guitar

11. Susan Pascal vibraphone

12. Dan Tyack National guitar, Darick Campbell DeNeve dobro, John Miller guitar

Available here...BandCamp.com

 

Orville Johnson- Your Voice Is A Muscle

 Welcome to those of you who have received my sampler CD Your Voice Is a Muscle. I pressed it with a simple jacket that didn't have room for all the musician and recording credits so I've collected those here for you. The collection has some tunes that have been previously released and some that are newly recorded. I hope you've enjoyed the collection and here's the info...

All instruments and vocals by OJ except as noted.

1. Your Voice Is a Muscle  3:58

All parts-OJ • recorded at The SunRoom Seattle WA

2. Blueprint for the Blues   3:56

Piano-Barney McClure Vocals-Jo Miller & Kim Scanlon • recorded at Egg Studio Seattle WA Conrad Uno eng. and at David Lange Studio Edgewood WA David Lange eng.

3. A Lua Do Amazonia (Ray Piper) 5:19

Piano-Jovino Santos Neto  Bass- Guil Grimares  Drums- Mark Ivester • recorded at David Lange Studio Edgewood WA David Lange eng.

4. When Love Has Gone Away 3:28

All parts-OJ • recorded at The SunRoom Seattle WA

5. Always Something 3:22

Tuba-Paul Woltz  Clarinet-Mark Graham • recorded at David Lange Studio Edgewood WA David Lange eng.

6. Rocky Road (Trad.) 3:49

Bass-Keith Lowe  Vibraphone-Susan Pascal • recorded at David Lange Studio Edgewood WA David Lange eng.

7. Rainy City Blues 3:11

Bass-Brian Williams • recorded at Synergy Sound Port Townsend WA Neville Piersall eng. and at David Lange Studio Edgewood WA David Lange eng.

8. The Sleeper 5:31

Bass-Keith Lowe  Clarinet-Mark Graham  Percussion-Will Dowd • recorded at David Lange Studio Edgewood WA David Lange eng.

9. Still Goin’ Strong (OJ & Mark Graham BMI) 2:53

Bass-Keith Lowe  Harmonica-Mark Graham  Fiddle-Tim O'Brien • recorded at David Lange Studio Edgewood WA David Lange eng.

10. I Never Will Marry (Trad.) 4:42

All parts-OJ • recorded at The SunRoom Seattle WA

11. Come Back Baby (Trad.) 5:24

Clarinet-Mark Graham  • recorded at David Lange Studio Edgewood WA David Lange eng.

12. Farewell (OJ & Jim Krapf) 5:00

Pedal Steel-Kevin Engbretson • recorded at The SunRoom Seattle WA

13. Waggy Tail 3:10

Bass-Rob Moitoza  Drums-Will Dowd  Flute-Craig Flory  Organ-Ron Weinstein • recorded  at David Lange Studio Edgewood WA David Lange eng.

Mastered by Garey Shelton

Artwork & Design by Charmaine Slaven

Photo by Robert Runge

All songs by Orville Johnson BMI except as noted.

Heartfelt thanks to all the musicians, engineers, singers, and friends who helped me make these recordings. Special thanks to Parry Marston.

Available here...BandCamp.com

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Mar26

Orville Johnson

Hey Everybody!- You may have noticed my calendar ends at the beginning of the pandemic. finally, three years later, gigs are becoming a reality again and I do have some things on the horizon. I'll begin posting here again soon, so I hope to see you in the near future in a live, human-to-human situation!

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