Introducing: Phonographic Memory

Hi everyone. Its me Jake.

As many of you know, I love making music. There is a disclaimer on this one though. I have learned over the years that while I genuinely and deeply love PERFORMING music, I mostly just love the IDEA of having original and recorded music. I do truly value the idea. However, the process of writing and recording is generally a frustrating and challenging one for me. While performing is utter joy, writing and recording is real elbow grease. Its stressful, it invokes anxiety. With life's other demands, it is always situationally awkward and forced and I don't feel naturally gifted at it at all.

Still, there is a force that compels me to bring content to that culminating point. It is the example my musical heroes have laid before me (famous and not-so). There is something powerful about creating something, and there is a void, for me at least, if it hasn't been captured, documented and somehow conveyed.
I have used the YouTube channel for this. I have, however, reached a critical mass of requests for MP3's of songs. Which I appreciate. I will do anything to encourage folks to listen.
So to the right you will find a range of tracks that have been recorded by Cedar and Sage or myself in the last few years. You can download the whole thing or individual tracks. Many are demos that may never get their due. I am sick of them languishing in the deep dark corners of my external hard drives.
Go to the "Phonographic Memory" tab to learn more about the tracks.
Enjoy!

New Cedar and Sage Album for Summer 2014?

Well its been almost a year since the release of Cedar and Sage Rendezvous. But while kids, jobs, church, etc have kept us pretty busy, we have been checking in on a fairly regular basis with new lyrical, melody and groove ideas. We were able to co-write a song while in Utah last summer that we are both really excited about. Its called "Canyon" and tries to capture how we feel about the slot canyons of southern Utah. We are really excited about it. To compliment that, Dan has also put the sensation of being "Above the Timberline" to music in a song that simply gives me the chills. We have some very fun songs, and some more thoughtful tunes. Many are writing collaborations. I have also finally done something I have wanted to do for years; write a John Denver tribute. I knew I had to wait until the right melody came along and I think I may have found it.

At present we only have demos recorded. These are recordings that we make for the purpose of songwriting, and to share our ideas with each other. Most (if not all) will be tracked again from scratch for a final recording. Its a lot of work. Our primary motivation is the opportunity to stay connected with music and with each other, but its also very important to us that the music reach others. For better or worse, we care what you all think. We hope you'll enjoy the songs and that you'll listen. There was a time in our lives when Dan and I were playing live music a lot. There was an energy in that setting. The absence of that energy is the primary downside of this "virtual" approach to making music. We can't really "hear" or feel the audience. So let us know if you like it. Its not the most important reason we do it, but its one reason we do it:)

Hopefully the album will be done in time for your summer road trip through America's wide open spaces ;)

We put together a promotional sample of just a few of our demos. Enjoy



Peace my friends,
Cedar and Sage
Shoot us an E-mail

Recognition for 'Stink So Purdy'

The song 'Stink So Purdy' has been selected as a semi-finalist in the 2013 International Songwriting Competition. Of the 19,000 entries from over 100 countries, only 1,500 made the cut.

'Stink So Purdy' was written by Daniel Callister and originally recorded by the Callister brothers during their pre-Cedar and Sage days as members of the band lokalgrown.

All semi-finalists will be reviewed by a panel of celebrity judges and finalists will be announced next month, with winners announced in April. You can listen to Stink So Purdy by clicking on the video link below (illustrations by Rachel Ure).

Bonus Tracks Now Available

We've added a new "Bonus Tracks" tab to the blog.

Check it Out!

 

On the Bonus Tracks page we have made several songs available to stream and download. We have a vast inventory of outtakes, alternate versions, jams, live recordings, remixes, as well as tracks from our earlier days as members of the band lokalgrown. The content will be changing pretty regularly, so be sure to check back often!

THANK YOU. Rendezvous Now Available on iTunes!

Cedar and Sage Rendezvous has been out for a few weeks now and we are thrilled with the reception it has received. Thank you SO much for listening, and a VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to those who donated to Dan and Angie' adoption fund. We have raised over $1,300 so far. That makes a tremendous difference and we are humbled by the generosity.

At this time, Cedar and Sage Rendezvous is now only available for purchase at the following online purchasing sites (clickable):

iTunes,  Google Play,  Amazon mp3

The tunes are still available for streaming HERE

Proceeds will continue to benefit Dan and Angie's adoption fund, so please pass this link along to your friends who like good home-made music.

Dan and I are planning to add some other rarities and oddities to keep folks interested in the blog. Watch for those soon...

Here's a pic from our very rare get together last weekend at my parents house in Utah. What a great weekend!!

Introducing Cedar and Sage: Rendezvous

IT'S HERE! 

Cedar and Sage are overjoyed to release to you Rendezvous,  an album of songs that we feel represent a unique brand of "Jake and Dan" music. Those who know us best may have a sense for what this album may contain... perhaps a modern day take on the likes of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young or America? Certainly a love song or two... and what about some surprise tracks from the reaches of Dan's ever-agile musical mind? We think it's all here. And it's here for you... so take it!

The truest compliment to us would be that you enjoy the music enough to make a donation to the Daniel and Angela Callister Family Adoption Fund (through PayPal in the top right corner of this blog). ANY Donation is helpful. If you'd like to make a donation by some other means please contact us at cedarandsagemusic@gmail.com.

April 12 Official Release Date! Album to Benefit Good Cause

Cedar and Sage are thrilled to announce April 12th as the official release date for their new full-length album, Rendezvous!

For the past 9  months Jacob and Daniel have been  dedicating much of their rare and fleeting spare moments (between working full time, family, sleeping children and other duties and responsibilities)  to collaborate musically with each other over 3,000 miles of distance (and a 3 hour time difference). No one is more excited for this release than we are!

The album will be our second official release as "Cedar and Sage." The first album “Christmas” was a collection of 7 songs that we made available for anyone to download free from our blog (haven’t heard it yet? Check it out here). Cedar and Sage are big believers in sharing music with the world, and we want to make sure everyone gets to hear what we’ve done (check out some sample tracks here.) For this reason, starting April 12th, we will provide access to the complete Rendezvous album  from our blog! For those who wish to show support, we will accept non-compulsory donations through PayPal on the blog (see below for more details on this).

After two weeks, we will launch downloadable tracks from an online purchasing site. Which will then be the only way to obtain the music.

MUSIC FOR A GOOD CAUSE!:

ALL proceeds from this album will be used to benefit the Daniel and Angela Callister Family Adoption Fund. Since 2006 Dan and Angie have struggled with fertility complications and have in recent years been working with adoption agencies to try to start their family, but these services are not inexpensive and financial limitations have greatly slowed their efforts. We think this is a great way for friends, family and others to support something truly meaningful while getting something neat in return.  To learn more, check out Dan and Angie’s Adoption Blog.