Reminiscent of the power and beauty achieved by the singer/songwriters of the immortal 60's & early 70's with powerful lyrics and melodies that defy categorization, yet touch on folk-rock, country, and bluegrass in a wonderful emotional journey.

13 MP3 Songs
FOLK: Folk-Rock, COUNTRY: Country Rock

Details:
This record has been called a Masterpiece! Country music legend MERLE HAGGARD sings with Michael on the song âJust Do Itâ, a song about the Pony Express but from a philosophical perspective of life, compelling in itâs story. Merle says this is a very well crafted record and obviously recorded by musicians that can really play. This is the real deal, he says.

The musicians on this album are a list of some of the best players in recorded music with legendary bassist Leland Sklar (a friend of Michaels for over 30 years), Jon Gilutin on piano (Linda Rhondstadtâs musical director), Gregg Bissonette and John Ferarro on drums, Joe Craven, Gabe Witcher, Mark Goldenberg, Michael Thompson, James Taylorâs backup singers Kate Markowitz and Arnold McCuller, and of course, Merle Haggard. This record was recorded live, as a band, with Michael, Lee, Jon, and Gregg or John at the sessions.

These songs range from âCome Over Here Beside Meâ, a song about mature love in a family where the kids have gone on with their lives, to âJust Do Itâ described above that touches on Country music, to âIâm Still Rememberingâ about a one evening innocent love on the Colorado River at the age of 15 and still remembering the beauty and perfection of a relationship so short that it had no time to become tedious and was therefore perfection. Multi-instrumentalist Joe Craven (of David Grissman Quintet fame) joins Michael on âMcCanjoâ for a fast romp with Michaelâs quick and powerful finger-style acoustic guitar and banjo, and Joeâs blazing fiddle and mandolin set against a waste-basket percussion. The title song, âThe Spirit of the Sunâ refers to the sparkle from a crystal in the snow that has within it the spirit of the sun, and is a remarkable song for a lost friend, sensitive and beautifully arranged.

âIrelandâ is a song written by Michael and his friend Roger Tew, and is an anthem to the wonderful emerald Isle of Ireland. âDorianâ tells a story that might touch many in itâs sensitivity, power, and visual lyrics about a man that goes into the mountains, takes all provisions that he needs, and down on his knees, in the windy trees, watching the earth go sail away. From the solo finger-style instrumental of âThe Dance of the Dunsmuriansâ to the wild ruckus of âPeriodontal Breakdownâ (ok⦠Michael is a dentist, too..) that is very fast solo finger-style acoustic guitar paired with the energy of a full band (Sklar, Gilutin, and Bissonette), the instrumentals on this record are a delight in musicianship.

Michael W. Herndonâs âThe Spirit of the Sunâ is a well crafted record that is not easy to categorize but hints at the styles mentioned above. The music is timeless, and the recordings are a tribute to the songs that create, in their sequence, a wonderful emotional journey for the listener that will leave you wanting to play it again and again. Filled with ear candy, the stellar musicianship and powerful lyrics make this an album you will want to tell your friends about.

Interestingly, Michael is the dentist that was featured in advertisements for the Martin Guitar Company in guitar magazines all over the world several years ago, in the 1970's was with United Artists Records as a solo artist, and was with legendary singer/songwriter Paul Anka ("My Way", Frank Sinatra) also during that time. Then he went back to school to get a day job!

People who are interested in James Taylor Paul Simon Merle Haggard should consider this download.