Here’s a medley of a couple of Christmas songs. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” was written by Kim Gannon and Walter Kent and recorded in 1943 by Bing Crosby, who scored a top ten hit with the song. Originally written to honor soldiers overseas who longed to be home at Christmas time, it’s since become a Christmas standard. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” was also composed in 1943 by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane for the musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Sung in the film by Judy Garland, it’s an attempt by her character to cheer up her little sister as the family is leaving their home and separating to different locations. A couple of melancholy tunes, for sure, but each with its own note of hope for the future. Hope you enjoy the arrangement I’ve come up with, and thanks for listening!

A few weeks ago I caught an old episode of Boston Legal and Scott Bakula sang this song to his old flame Candice Bergen. I thought, “Okay, that’s one I need to learn.” Written by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams, “Once Upon a Time” is from the 1962 musical All American, and it’s been covered by more than 50 artists from Bobby Darin to Perry Como to Bob Dylan. If you’re in a nostalgic mood, snuggle up to a cup of hot cocoa and let your mind wander back to the days of early love and the one that got away.

I ran across this little ditty by Lukas Nelson recently and I think it’s great advice for us all. He wrote it during the Covid lockdown, but the message is pretty timeless. Whatever your “garden” looks like, I hope you’ll spend some time with friends building it this week. Here’s “Turn Off the News (And Build a Garden).”

If you think you know Jim Croce’s work because you’ve heard “Leroy Brown,” you should dive a little deeper. Unfortunately, he died young and fame followed his death so most people haven’t heard some of the best songs from his extraordinary catalogue. Croce was a great storyteller. “Hey Tomorrow” is a love song, of sorts, but I think it’s more about embracing the possibilities that come with change. In the end, it’s a feel-good song about recognizing past mistakes but moving on with hope for the future. (Thanks, Jim!)

This is “Alabama Rain” by the late, great Jim Croce. It’s a really nice song and I worked out my own arrangement to play it as a one-guitar song. Like most of Jim’s music, those of us who know it are used to hearing it performed with his excellent sideman Maury Muehleisen’s intricate fill work. I’ll probably revisit this one as a two-guitar performance later, but for now this is what I’ve got.

As a dedication to Tom Petty as well as to our late friend Chris Brady, Ben Robert Eastman, John Bacon, Gary Schoolcraft and I put together this collaboration video of this Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers song. Join us for a wild ride as we’re “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” Thanks for watching!

Also, for more great indie music, check out these channels: https://www.youtube.com/@benroberteastman3940
https://www.youtube.com/@JohnBaconMusic
https://www.youtube.com/@garyschoolcraft3352

“I Guess He’d Rather Be in Colorado” has been covered by a few artists, but it’s most identified with John Denver. Written by Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, Denver released it on his 1971 Poems, Prayers, and Promises album, along with another Danoff/Nivert composition you may recognize–“Take Me Home Country Roads.” It’s a great song about wanting to be somewhere else, and my favorite bit of lyrical magic is rhyming “office” with “cough is.” 😉

Here’s an old John Prine tune that I think is pretty appropriate for these times when we’re all feeling a bit stressed: “That’s the Way That the World Goes Around.” This song has a particular mondegreen, or misheard lyric, associated with it. Prine told a funny story about it–see if you can hear where I dropped it in.

“Wild Montana Skies” was written and released by John Denver on his 1983 album It’s About Time. Denver recorded this as a duet with country music great Emmylou Harris. I was thrilled when Marsha McConchie MacMartin agreed to join me for this project, and while I’m no John Denver, I believe Marsha gave Emmylou a run for her money. This started out as just me and my 12-string, but once Marsha came aboard I thought the song deserved more, so I added a six-string and a bass to fill it out a bit. Montana has always been a bucket list destination for me, and I now have it in my sights for a 2026 road trip.

My favorite Crosby, Stills & Nash song. CSN (and later Y) got off to a good start in 1969, but their internal clashes over pride, ego, addiction and other issues interfered with their work. In 1977 they reunited for the Daylight Again album and Graham Nash wrote “Wasted on the Way” as a way of saying to the group, “Let’s put all that behind us and make music.” It’s a message we should all heed: don’t get caught up in the weeds of life–seize the day!