Description
Disc 1 CD
1. Like A Rainbow
2. All My Tears
3. Following the Road
4. War is Obsolete
5. The Longing
6. Shiva at the Falls of Richmond
7. Dancing on the Water
8. Morning Blues
9. The Tea Song
10. Watertrain
11. Jimmy Johnson Gopala
12. John Henry's Happy Dayn
13. Falling Into You
14. The Perfect you
Disc 2 DVD
1. Following the Road: Music & Life Lessons with A.C. Bushnell
Reviews
Life Dance: How a battle with liver cancer gave a fiddler something to sing about "The result is Dancing on the Water, an exuberant, rangy exploration of death and rebirth, war and peace, love and indifference, sin and redemption, addiction and freedom. Dancing on the Water tackles unlikely subjects like reincarnation, Buddha and spiritual awakening. On two tracks, Bushnell and keyboardist Richard Shulman weave improvised, ethereal violin and keyboard riffs around poems by a self-described mystic poet named Grace. She's a reclusive spiritual counselor from Mt. Shasta, Calif., and a longtime friend and spiritual mentor for Bushnell. Two other tracks combine old-time music with what Bushnell calls "even older time music." He's referring to Kirtan, a type of Hindu chanting where the names of Hindu gods and goddesses are repeated in a communal call-and-response format. To say the least, the tracks that use Kirtan leave a few old-time purists nonplussed." "These songs called for a new sound, a different set of musicians, an overall departure from the known. Bushnell went to The Rubber Room, a recording studio in Chapel Hill where Jerry Brown (a guitarist in The Shady Grove Band) engineers. Bushnell and Brown had known each other as fellow musicians for years. "When AC first came in, he had been doing a lot of stuff with folky, old-time bands," says Brown, the album's co-producer. "I introduced him to Will McFarlane (former guitarist for Bonnie Raitt) and Robert Sledge (former bassist for Ben Folds Five), people who were more on the electric side of the fence, but also do acoustic stuff and are super players." Along with Red Clay Rambler's Chris Frank on keys and Kevin Brock on drums, the trio formed The Happyjoy Band. The players became an actual band as the sessions progressed: "People usually come in and record records, but...we weren't just recording a band whose style and sound already existed," says Brown. "We took a tune that had just been created and then put all these parts together and kept changing it around." --Independent: The Triangle's Weekly
A Song of Survival: Chapel Hill musician bounces back with new record, new outlook "Among the important things on AC's list were the words, "Go into the studio and record." So he plunged into the Rubber Room studio in Chapel Hill with friend and producer Jerry Brown. He figured he would record an "old-time" record, as he had before with fellow preservationists of the pre-bluegrass sound that's been rolling down from the Appalachian Mountains for more than a century. But the great majority of what made the cut for the album is not old-time, and is instead songs AC composed, or other pieces with musical --The News & Oberver: The Good Life
Bushnell's Water Dance AC Bushnell has a story to tell and he is not inclined to wait. That's been evident as he's made the rounds talking to media and promoting a new record and a big show to celebrate it. Yes, he's proud of the new work and excited about the show, but what he really wants to get across is for you, too, to not wait around for life to happen. The longtime fiddler, who has played with the Red Clay Ramblers and formed the Stillhouse Bottom Band, was faced with the prospect of a life cut short a couple of years back when he was diagnosed with liver cancer. He fought it and won, but knows, as so many cancer survivors know, that life is fragile, precious and brief. For AC, even a moment on idle is too long. Given a chance, thanks to a successful operation, he resolved to take up the projects he's always wanted to try and to expand his music and horizons. Some of the results of that resolve can be witnessed on Saturday, Nov. 3, when Bushnell is joined by 16 fellow musicians for a party at the ArtsCenter to celebrate the release of Dancing on the Water - a CD of wide-ranging collaborations. He'll be joined on stage by The Stillhouse Bottom Band, his longtime bluegrass and old-time bandmates (Bushnell's home overlooks Stillhouse Bottom), as well as a powerhouse called the Happyjoy Band, which features Robert Sledge (of Ben Folds Five fame), guitarist Will McFarlane, drummer Kevin Brock and Bland Simpson, who's been a friend since the two met in the Greenwich Village folk scene in the '60s. In fact, it was Simpson's decision to head back to North CArolina that brought Bushnell to the area, and the longime Red Clay Rambler will emcee the ArtsCenter show. And while there will be plenty of old-time sounds at the show as well as rock and folk tunes, Bushnell and friends will reach even further back, adding ancient chants to the strings. Dancing on the Water is more than a record, it is a promise fulfilled, and the lessons are woven in it by a man who has had a second chance. AC Bushnell has a story to tell, and he is not inclined to wait." --The Carrboro Citizen
AC Bushnell has created an excellently crafted mix of inspirational lyrics, fun melodies and interesting mixes. His natural song-writing skills are complemented by a talented group of musicans. It is a pleasure to listen to, over and over again. The DVD chronicles the journey of his healing, recovery and emergence as a talented composer and musican. AC is an inspiring and talented man! -S. Dillard