Jack Nimersheim: Six Decades of Music
It is, concurrently, a humbling, yet strangely satisfying, realization: My love of music, which
began when I first picked up a guitar and started performing on-stage in 1965, has now
spanned six decades. During this time I've alternated between actually making my
living through music and using it primarily as a creative diversion, while
concentrating on other professional pursuits.
Still, the music has always been there. And I'm more fortunate than most. My music always will
be there. Access to decent recording equipment -- initially, tape; more recently, in digital
format -- has allowed me to create an audio "legacy" of my musical accomplishments.
This Web site may be the ultimate ego trip, but it's also my attempt to share with others some
of the joy music has brought me, through the years. If nothing else, it will provide my son,
Jason, an opportunity to roll his eyes and snicker, as he's forced to endure a permanent
record (pun intended) of his "old man's" creative endeavors. Once something is
launched into cyberspace, it tends to drift out there forever...and ever...and...
"Take that, World!!!" he exclaimed, accompanied by maniacal laughter.
(Click on a picture, below, to access the associated songs.)
"Too Old to Rock & Roll"
(2010)
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"Too Old to Rock & Roll" is the second CD I've completed, since setting up my basement studio. Several of the songs on "Too Old to Rock & Roll" were created working with musicians from around the globe, through the technological "magic" of on-line collaboration.
While the process may have been technology-driven, the songs are anything but. They're just good, old-fashioned music that happened to be written and recorded by folks from six different countries. If you think about it, that's pretty cool. |
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"Time of Parting"
(2009)
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In 2008, after an extended "dry spell", I dipped my toes back into the shallow end of musical creativity. "Time of Parting" includes twelve songs recorded in a studio that modern technology allowed me to cobble together within the comfortable confines of my own basement. Ain't progress amazing?
This CD features a song written and recorded with my son, Jason...a wonderful experience I'd recommend to any father who also happens to be a musician. |
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"Chronography"
(Heather, 1971-1977)
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I spent the majority of the 1970s in a country-rock band called Heather. That's us, to the left, in a promotional picture taken in 1975, when we all had a lot more hair...and a lot more hair was a lot more fashionable.
I recently used my digital "toys" to restore as best I could...from singles, albums, acetates, and demo tapes...sixteen Heather recordings dating back to those early days. Given the age and condition of the source material, these restorations sound surprisingly good...and the music still holds up pretty damn well, almost 40 years later. |
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"Journey's End"
(Heather, live, 1993)
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In 1993, sixteen years after we'd last played together, Heather reunited for a live concert to benefit the historic Hoosier Theater, in Vevay, Indiana. By dumb luck, I managed to make a pretty decent recording of our final ride into the musical sunset.
As was the case with the "Chronography" tracks, above, I recently spent some time restoring and "tweaking" 12 songs from this performance into an audio archive of Heather, live...just a few more musical memories I thought I'd share. |
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"Mad Bad World"
Gypsies in Cyberspace (2010)
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Here's a fascinating concept: Six musicians from three continents, coming together to create a "virtual" band we call "Gypsies in Cyberspace". None of us has ever met, in person...but we have managed to form a musical bond that transcends geographic dispersement.
To date, the "Gypsies" have collaborated on eighteen songs...each created, discussed, arranged, recorded, refined, mixed, and mastered exclusively over the Internet. More will be forthcoming, I'm sure. |
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"Many Countries, One Sky"
Peace Partners (2010)
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In early 2009, I became involved with an amazing project. The goal of this project, called "Peace Partners," is to bring together musicians from around the globe to write and record songs based on the twin themes of peace and freedom. To date, more than 60 musicians from a dozen countries have collaborated to produce over 40 Peace Partners' tracks.
In June, 2010, we released "Many Countries, One Sky", the first of three planned Peace Partners' CDs. I'm proud to have produced and contributed musically to this project. |
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"Rock For Peace"
Peace Partners (2010)
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Peace Partners released its second CD, "Rock For Peace", in July, 2010. Admittely, it contains a slew of "Gypsies" songs. (hmmmm...how many songs are in a "slew"?) This was, after all, the project through which the Gypsies first met.
There are, however, other International artists represented in this second Peace Partners' collection, as well. Once again, I'm extremely proud of my contributions to this CD, as both a producer and performer. |
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