Steinbeck Found the Valley

Birthday Shout-Out to the Great American Writer

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the great American writer John Steinbeck. For me, Steinbeck is "the real California."

Of his writing he said, “These words dropped into my childish mind as if you should accidentally drop a ring into a deep well. I did not think of them much at the time, but there came a day in my life when the ring was fished up out of the well, good as new.”

My Americana composition “Steinbeck Found the Valley” was prompted by lyrics from The Beach Boys's "California Saga": "Have you ever been down Salinas way where Steinbeck found the valley, and he wrote about the way it was, and his travelings with Charley..." The music bed was inspired by “Trombone Dixie,” an obscure Brian Wilson instrumental (a PET SOUNDS outtake). On this track I played accordion and piano with cellist Kim Osterwalder (who also gigged w/mutual friends Buddy & Julie Miller) + trombonist Richard Marriott. (www.richardmarriott.com). Meanwhile, HB JS.

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