Steve’s primary focus is to produce new or original music with strong roots in the past that is played in a style reflecting both bluegrass and old time traditions. It is his goal to explore history and folklore, and in particular, to celebrate rural life in America. His music is strictly acoustic, and for the most part, is played on a variety of antique or vintage instruments.
Crooked Steep and Rocky is a collection of original old time and bluegrass music. The recording was a real labor of love and makes use of a large number of wonderful antique and unusual instruments, some of which are rarely heard in modern times. The inspiration for this music comes from 25 years of rambling down blacktop, clay, and gravel backroads. It is music rooted deeply in the past, and it’s about old steam trains, folk tales, outlaws, troubadours, and the wanderings of other ramblers. Listen here.
Steve’s second recording project, By the Muddy Angelina, is now available in an all new digital version. Our digital version comes in a 2 CD package. The music CD is the same as the original version, but the hardbound book is replaced by a CD, which can be read on a computer screen. This is the same book originally released in 2001, but now in a much larger easy to read version and with some new information and color images added to boot!
Each of the 21 musical selections on the CD corresponds to a chapter in the book which is full of interesting stories and photographs pertaining to East Texas history and folklore from the 1830’s to the 1930’s. Just as Steve did on Crooked Steep and Rocky, this recording effort features the use of unique instruments such as mandocello, mandobass, banjo, viola, concertina, bouzouki, fiddle, guitar, and more. In addition, the listener can enjoy a sound sequence of the Neches Belle steamboat whistle, as well as a few other unique East Texas sounds which are incorporated into the recordings. Listen here.
Settlers of the Western Woods is a carefully crafted hardbound book and CD. For every musical selection on the CD, there is a chapter in the book containing unique stories and information from many sources, including journals and diaries of settlers and travelers to East Texas in the 19th century. You will also be able to hear a few rare ambient sounds to help carry you back to the times.
This project explores the spirit of pioneer East Texas and its surrounding regions of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. After collecting stories and music for many years, we put them together, pairing each carefully crafted piece of music with its own unique chapter in the book. The book is loaded with old photos, 19th century drawings, maps, song lyrics, quotes, folklore, and unusual stories from journals and diaries of Southwestern pioneers.
The music is a mixture of traditional old time sounds along with newly crafted pieces designed to convey the moods and unsung stories of the era. Many vintage and rare instruments are used, and for a little added depth, we include some rare, ambient sounds. In short, Settlers of the Western Woods is a labor of love designed to carry your spirit back to another time! Listen here.