The reviews are pouring in!

We’re very humbled and slightly embarrassed by all the attention we’ve been getting lately. It’s very unexpected to receive this kind of praise when we’re just doing what we love.

“This album, from the Captain Ledge Band, introduces some important new and original material to the band’s live set and, in this listener’s view, solidifies Jeana and Cliff Downing’s position as one of the best Americana acts working today. Rumors of the Great White Skunk is one of the best roots-oriented releases in recent memory.”

-review by Jodi Marxbury

Read the entire review here

https://indiebandguru.com/captain-ledge-band-great-white-skunk/

2018 IMEA Bluegrass Album of the Year

We’re very honored to have our album “Rumors of The Great White Skunk” named Bluegrass Album of the Year by the International Music and Entertainers Association at their annual awards ceremony held on June 16, 2018.

A special thanks for all the musicians on the album. Tony Adams, Greg Gash and Justin Joslin from Cliff and Jeana Downing.

 

We can’t save the entire planet… but

The Mulberry River is a natural wonder. It flows through the southern edge of the Ozarks through some of the most stunning country in the the Midwest United States. Visitors to the area not only enjoy canoes and kayaking on the river but also some excellent fishing. The wildlife in the area is nothing short of amazing and the scenery is breathtaking at the very least.

For all those reasons and a long list of others we are always honored when asked to return to play for the volunteers that visit the area every fall to help clean up and preserve the Mulberry River.

But the clean up isn’t the only awesome thing that goes on during this annual event. Over the last 3 years we’ve made some incredible friends and reconnecting with those people is a complete joy in and of its self. They are an incredible group of musicians hidden away in this remote part of central Arkansas and we are always honored when they include us and call us friends.

We know that not everyone that wants to help can attend and that’s OK. Let this event be a reminder to you that no matter where you live you can volunteer and make a difference that will be noticed by everyone that visits where you live. Together we can all make a difference and the annual Byrd’s Mulberry River Clean Up is all the proof you should need to be inspired to make a difference in your world!

The music starts at noon at Byrd’s Adventure Center located on the Mulberry River outside of Ozark Arkansas. There will be prize drawings along with some great bands in this mini festival . We’ll be taking the stage right at sunset (6:50pm) and playing until 7:50….. We’ll also be whipping out a giant pot of our now famous “Friendship Stew” so stop by our campsite after our set, share a meal with us and if you’re really feeling good bring your instrument of choice a jam with us. We can guarantee it will be a great way to end another awesome day alongside the Mulberry River.

Learning to Dance!

Just saw this and had to post it. It’s credited to Keanu Reeves but who really knows for sure. After all it is the internet…..

Keanu Reeves writes.. “My friend’s mom has eaten healthy all her life. Never ever consumed alcohol or any “bad” food, exercised every day, very limber, very active, took all supplements suggested by her doctor, never went in the sun without sunscreen and when she did it was for as short a period as possible- so pretty much she protected her health with the utmost that anyone could. She is now 76 and has skin cancer, bone marrow cancer and extreme osteoporosis.
My friend’s father eats bacon on top of bacon, butter on top of butter, fat on top of fat, never and I mean never exercised, was out in the sun burnt to a crisp every summer, he basically took the approach to live life to his fullest and not as others suggest. He is 81 and the doctors says his health is that of a young person.
People you cannot hide from your poison. It’s out there and it will find you so in the words of my friend’s still living mother: ” if I would have known my life would end this way I would have lived it more to the fullest enjoying everything I was told not to!”
None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an after thought. Eat the delicious food. Walk in the sunshine. Jump in the ocean. Say the truth that you’re carrying in your heart like hidden treasure. Be silly. Be kind. Be weird. There’s no time for anything else.”

Tomorrow is not guaranteed. All you have is today and you can choose how to use this moment. Live it in misery and the rest of the day will be miserable. Live it excited and happy to be there and the rest of your day will follow that path.

I never really thought about the phrase “live in the moment” until recently and I think I’m beginning to understand the wisdom of that statement.

Go enjoy a festival this weekend. If you’re in our area then head out to Harmony in the Hollow near Russellville, Arkansas. You’ll get 37 bands for 30 bucks, free camping, meet new friends and you can spend the weekend living in the moment. In fact, if you make it out let me sweeten the pot for you. Come find The CLB campsite (our bus won’t be hard to miss), find Captain Ledge and tell me that I owe you a t-shirt and a CD. I’ll give you one absolutely free just for letting me know you read this post.

And if you can’t make it….

Then live this moment like it is your last because you’ll never regret the things you did, you’ll only regret the things you didn’t do!

Live, Love, Laugh and Dance like no one is watching!

The Summer of Peace and Love!

So, did you click on this because of the title? I hope so and I hope that it means that Peace and Love are something you are very interested in. I know I am and there are a lot of other musicians and music fans that feel the same way. I think there are a lot of us that wish we had been there for the summer of love in the 60’s…. but we seem to be a small group.

I know there are those that will say “HEY! I’m all about peace and love” with the strongest of convictions. But it seems like that group can be very quick to turn on someone that has a differing opinion. That doesn’t seem like sharing love to me if you only love those that agree with you and it certainly doesn’t make for any kind of peaceful co-existance.

I wish I could single out one certain group of people that are guilty but the truth is of late we all are. Lots of you will whole heartedly agree with that until it comes time to take a deep look inside and be honest with yourself. Are you capable of being honest with yourself? Can you take an objective look at your inner being and have an honest conversation with your self?

As a songwriter I’m forced to be honest with myself and sometimes I don’t like what I’m forced to put into words and music because of it. In fact, it’s really uncomfortable. Not so much because of some deep dark inner turmoil but because of how people would perceive me when confronted with my innermost secrets and the internal conversation that is continously running in my over active brain. It’s because there are things about me and some of the things I’ve done that I’m not particularly proud of. Those are the things we tend to try and hide from others and from our selves.

I’m becoming of the mindset that we can’t show peace and love to others if we don’t have it within ourselves and having that as a part of your being means being honest with yourself and that inner conversation that many of us have going on inside.

How does this relate to music?

This is in many ways what music is for me. I’ll probably never be “popular” or “famous” because just writing catchy phrases that sound commercial and might provide great income or even wealth doesn’t seem like being honest to me. In fact, it seems to me, approaching songwriting with an eye towards accumulating wealth is in and of its self dishonest. For me, I want to be able to live with my music and enjoy it. I guess there are those that will argue that if it makes you a bunch of money then it’s going to be really easy to live with. Does that leave a bad taste in your mouth because it does mine.

So…. do something hard. Go out and show some peace and love to someone you don’t really like very much. If you’re of a more liberal persuasion then pick a conservative. If you’re more conservative then choose to show some of that peace and love to a liberal. Pick someone with which you have some really strong disagreements with.

You’ll be a better person for it and so will the world. AND if we all approach our lives that way then Peace and Love won’t just be for a summer. Peace and Love will be forever!