Eric D. Johnson - The Ballad of Easy Rider (The Byrds)

It's no secret that we here at NorthernHeads are big fans of Eric D. Johnson and his primary project over the years Fruit Bats.  Since the release of the last Fruit Bats album Eric's been busy composing the score for the excellent film Our Idiot Brother as well as co-founding a music festival in wine country in southern California.  I've always thought of Eric as a sort of modern day Jeff Lynne (of E.L.O. and Travellin' Wilburys fame- the Wilbury nobody knows but should).   True they both have masterful preening falsetto voices and excellent sense of phrasing, but they are also masters of the studio as an instrument.  This is what makes these Deschutes River Recordings so fascinating to listen to.  

The series of recordings (to also include the gifted Eric Earley of Blitzen Trapper and Laura Gibson are envisioned to raise money and awareness for the Deschutes River Conservancy in Oregon.  In a handy bit of cross promotion with the local brewery and also Pitchfork Media a series of live recordings by the riverside have been produced.  Described as "streamside high-wire: live, unadorned, far from a studio safety net", resulting in a completely unique sound blending acoustic tunes with the sounds of nature.  And this technique comes across in spades on Johnson's take on The Byrds Ballad of Easy Rider.  As the last keyboard strains of the song die off a beautiful singing response seems to come back from the birds of the basin watershed.