Mason Daring & Jeannie Stahl
Three songs from Daring and Stahl's long history
I met Mason Daring just over 50 years ago after he graduated from Amherst College. Soon after, he met Jeannie Stahl, a gifted vocalist. Over the next decades, they made records and performed gigs all over New England. Music and film critic Ed Symkus wrote an Article on the reunion project.
Many recordings, CDs, film soundtracks, and gigs later, they are producing a Documentary on their history, getting together some of us who have worked with him fover the years. These first two songs are from those sessions recorded at Q Division in Cambridge.
Bill Aydelott was on the camera, and Fred Burnham recorded ambient sound (we all worked on John Sayles's first film, Return of the Secaucus 7, in 1980 ). Film critic Ty Burr conducted a live audio interview (also on substack) with Mason in which, among many other things, they discuss movies, focusing in particular on Michael Clayton (2007) and composer James Newton Howard. (The film was directed by Tony Gilroy - also the guitarist on this song (from 1978), in a mash-up video).
The third song, set to a video of the trailer, is from Sayle’s film, Limbo (1999); included because I had the honor of narrating a comic story written by Sayles in the middle of the tune. The song was from Rust Farm. The band listed recorded the soundtrack with Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, who sang several of Daring’s songs in the film. It also starred David Strathairn. Bruce Springsteen sang the opening song, so I can say he was in good company (or at least I was).
The Mermaid - traditional ballad
Jeannie Stahl - vocal Duke Levine- lead guitar Mason Daring - acoustic guitar Richard Gates - bass, Kenny White - Hammond Tim - drums
Funny - written by Mason Daring
Mason Daring - vocal Duke Levine- lead guitar Mason Daring - acoustic guitar Richard Gates - bass, Kenny White - Hammond Tim - drumsLovin’You is Good Enough for Me
Rust Farm - music Tim Jackson - Narration Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio’s studio band Duke Levine- guitar Mason Daring - guitar Paul Bryan - bass, Larry Luddecke - keyboard Tim - drums
This is real nice . . . I'll go back and rewatch those Sayles' movies. You made some good music there, Tim.
This is fantastic! Thank you.