The Alaskan Mile by doug geeting

He can be found playing a solo gig or with his pals, Steve Durr, Jon Durr, and Larry Zarella.

The Alaskan Mile is Doug Geeting's second solo album.

"All in all I think that The Alaskan Mile has a piece of music for every ear."

'Rancher Looks at Life' (track 1), is a lyrically simple song Doug wrote about a rancher he flew over one time in the middle of Montana. "Here was this guy on a horse out in the middle of a bunch of cows and a couple of dogs running around. When I flew over him, he just looked up and waved his hat, so I figured that was worth writing a song about."

Being a huge fan of Hoyt Axtons, Doug chose 'Epistle' (track 3) to be included on this cd. Hoyt was a big influence on my singing. More for the fact that it really wasn't singing so much as it was telling a story, and I like story tellers. When Hoyt died, I thought of no other way to honor him then to include one of his songs. The Epistle is one of my favorites of Hoyt's and I have not heard anyone else cover it, so here it is........

'Ready for the Storm'(track 2) is one of Dougie Macleans more popular songs. Doug took the song and added some thunder and rain, a long instrumental at both ends and the use of the 16 string harp guitar can be heard throughout the song. I asked Doug how he came to learn the picking style of Dougie Maclean....

.. "A few years ago I opened up for Dougie at the Latitude 62 bar here in Alaska.. The show ended at 10 p.m. Dougie met up with me at the bar for a few nightcaps. One thing led to another and pretty soon we had our guitars at the bar drinking shots of everything, playing , and exchanging riffs and open tuning techniques. . Dougie is a master guitar picker, one of the cleanest players I've ever sat down with to watch up close.

I finally asked. "Howdga do that Ready for the storm song?" He kindly showed me for about 3 hours I think. I finally got enough to take home and ponder and practice. I looked at the clock, It was around 8a.m. Dougie said he had a gig at noon in Anchorage! (Two hour drive) uhhhhhhhhhhhh"........

I got a call from him somewhere on the road in California a few weeks later. He said, "Doug, it was a blast for certain but,,,,,,,,,,we should not to try that again".

Alaska Public Radio Network's Instrumental of the Year (2001) 'Farewell to Mugs' track 9, and second place Instrumental, 'Spur Road Speed King" Track 4, are down right moody. "Yes, they do have highs and lows. Farewell to Mugs was composed over a three year period. I wrote the first part of the song just after a good friend of mine died on Mt McKinley, Mugs Stump was his name. Great guy with allot of spirit for adventure. Then it sat on the shelf for a couple years until the death of guitar guru, Michael Hedges who had been a pen pal of mine over a few years. Anyway, I finally had the brood enough to finish the song." "The first recording of Spur Road had an ambulance siren in the back ground. The ambulance drove by the house and got on the recording by accident. That sort of gave me the creeps so I did another recording of it without the siren. That is how I got the name. Thinking of some spur road speed freak getting wacked on the highway and hauled away in an ambulance. Kinda weird."

"Sky Above Mud Below"(track 7) is a Tom Russell song, it's one of my favorite ballads.

I asked Tom if I could record a song he wrote called Alkali. He said, "Sure Doug, I'd be Honored, But........",

I think you should try Sky Above Mud Below." "So, I did!" " Alkali will be on the next cd.

In fact I just might cover a whole album of Tom Russell's songs. In your honor, sir".

The Alaskan Mile Instrumental (track 6), is one of my favorites mainly because you can hear my wolf dog Lacuna. Lacuna was on the bed snoring away during one of the best recordings of the song, so you can hear him in the background. I left it in. IM glad i did. He died last year and im glad hes on the album.

San Francisco's Mabel Joy (track 8),has been covered by many artists but the best rendition is by the man himself, Micky Newbury. He wrote it along time ago, but I have yet to hear anyone do it as well as he does. I asked Guy Clark if I could cover one of his songs, Randall Knife, and he said "sure go for it. But... have you ever heard Newbury's Mabel Joy? So, I did it! But I also had to do Randall Knife(track 12), one of my favorite Guy Clark tunes that reminds me of my dad., except my dad had a bow that he made out of orange wood when he was 15, he still has it, but its gotta few scars that I put on it when he let me use it at a boy scout jamboree. That bow and he were one."

Bill Staines is the older brother that I never had. Bill has been very influential with my guitar playing. I had to add Spirit Song (track 10), and Travelin Shoes (track 5)to this album because they fit so well and they are so much fun to play and sing. I would like to do a whole album of Bill Staines songs sometime. Its on the list.

Cowboy Away (track 11) was writen by my band mate and good friend Jonathan Durr. Jon reminds me of Towns Van Zandt with his writing. A complex guy for sure but thats what it takes i suppose.

Sweet Ramble, (track 15) is a sort of talkin blues that I wrote about a trip to Fairbanks to open up for Ramblin Jack Elliott, Guy Clark, and Verlon Thompson. And about a black and white photo he gave me before the show, a picture of Mississippi John Hurt with a great big grin on his face. I took the photo up on stage with me, and the rest of the story is in the song. . I've known Jack for 25 years and I learned allot of pickin from him. He taught me how Woodie Guthrie used to pick with two fingers when he played 1913 massacre. He stays with me off and on when he gets up this way." Jack still has my capo. I got his capo, one of Guy Clarks hand made thumb-flat picks with a rivet that he manufactures when hes bored in hotel rooms, Cheryl Wheelers Guitar(a Jim Olson named osgood),

and Patty Larkin used guitar strings, about 6 dozzon of em she sent me for xmas a few years ago. And thats all i need to get me through the winter. Happy trails.......

D.G.

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