Jim Ridl’s Door in a Field projects
Compositions and recordings about
young life on a family farm
in North Dakota
The Door in a Field projects
I was raised on a farm in Western North Dakota, on land that had been worked and loved by generations of my family. I found my own voice in music, in jazz, and urban life, but have never lost my love of the lands of my childhood, working with my siblings, parents and grandparents on land that was homesteaded by my great grandparents. My music will ever be intertwined with the magical mystical landscapes and memories of my childhood. In the urban vivacity of New York City, I hear sound of prairie wind and creaking trees and farm machinery; In the wheat fields, I see the diversity and complexity of the city. The two are one. These compositions and recordings are inspired by and dedicated to my family and that beautiful landscape and its history. The Door in a Field is a portal between these two worlds.... my hand will always be on the door knob, my foot crossing the threshold.
Scroll down for:
• jim ridl’s door in a field (vol 1)
• Jim RIdl’s Door in a Field vol 2: Songs of the Green River
• Photos
Jim Ridl’s Door in a Field
Volume 2
Songs of the Green River
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Jim Ridl, piano
Darryl Hall, bass
Mark Walker, drums
Steve Wilson, saxes and flute
Zach Brock, violin
JD Walter, voice
Gabriela Anders, voice
Wayne Krantz, guitar
Joe Locke, vibes and crotales
Gina Roché, voice
Paul Jost, voice
Erin Kemp, voice
Scott Anderson, guitar
Kathy Ridl, accordion
Kemp Family Singers -
1. For Thee a Western Sky (6:38)
2. Prairie Round (3:50)
3. Green Meadow Waltz (v2) (4:08)
4. Red ‘47 Pickup (5:14)
5. Door in a Field (v2) (6:43)
6. Dreams of the Everyday Housewife (4:41)
7. Belief I Sing / Peace Be Your Song (6:11)
8. You Know How It Is, Too (8:22)
9. Long Summer Road (5:46)
10. Remembrance / In Wheat Fields / Banks Church Anthem (5:34)Compositions/arrangements by Jim Ridl (Little Ridl Music/BMI) except Dreams of the Everyday Housewife by Chris Gantry,and Green Meadow Waltz (v2), Czech folk song (PD).
Lyrics/words by Jim Ridl except Door in a Field (v2) by JD Walter, and Belief I Sing by Walt Whitman, Banks Church Anthem, by Jesper Swedberg, 17th c., adapted by Jim/Kathy Ridl -
“The Green River runs through my family’s land, a place that has always inspired me, maybe because of its natural beauty, both rugged and lush, solitary yet steeped in connection. The spirit of my ancestors is there, who broke the land as homesteaders, and my grandparents and parents worked and farmed and ranched and built and tended through intense conditions. My generation joined, learning and helping as we came on the scene. In this recording (Vol 2), you hear songs that musically express the freedom of long drives on country roads under expansive Western skies, whimsical dances on the prairie, families working together in the fields, the quiet bloom of new romance, the joy of the dance, and the depth of connection to land that was tilled by ancestors who came to America in search of a new life. The dances of life, varied and necessary.
These compositions are autobiographical tone poems. My ancestral family and the land remain a source of strength and inspiration for me even though I have thrived in cities for many years. It is a remarkable thing when musicians align to answer the common call of making music together unique to that day in time and place. I was blessed to have that convergence with my compadres; they entered the sessions with humility and virtuosity and created beautiful and poignant music.”
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Jim Ridl’s Door in a Field Volume 2: Songs of the Green River (audio cd/booklet)
Volume 1
jim ridl’s door in a field
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Jim Ridl, piano
Darryl Hall, bass
Mark Walker, drums
with
Diane Monroe, violin
Kathy Ridl, viola, accordion
Jeffrey Solow, cello -
Sun on my Hands (5:15)
Sweet Clover (6:24)
Caragana (3:42)
Six Hours Later (3:58)
Door in a Field (4:43)
Tenetree (5:41)
Discin’ (3:30)
Thirty Foot Ceiling (7:25)
Green Meadow Waltz (3:35)
All compositions/arr/text by Jim RIdl © Jim Ridl, Little Ridl Music (BMI) 2003
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liner notes by jim ridl
in honor and gratitude to my mother and father, true stewards of the earth, i dedicate this body of work. their combined efforts nurtured a family of five children and a beautiful farm and ranch in north dakota. i continue to harvest the abundant memories we all share, and each spring plant new works that await life’s ripening.
larger than self is God
manifest in the seed to the firmament
wind, rain and sun sculpt all things
forming our character and deeds
belief is free, faith is volunteer
we pulled up behind him in our car and followed as he drove the swather to the field where the july hay waited to be cut. he didn’t know we were there. the sun bearing down on his hands and hat, he steered with his left hand. he was filled with music. the sun, land and song, his family and farming were all in unison. the joy was pure.
gold from the sun, brown from the soil
the elements imbued my father’s hands, arms and face
for his lifetime
less a color to describe than the patina that was his skin
father, master farmer
bear down, alee, this wind will not deter your quest
tons of steel, the earth resists your plow
yet with such finesse you shape these fields
sun on your hands, guide the wheat high
green meadows waltz a czech song for you
the high plains are laconic in their beauty. it probably took only a few brushstrokes and a little gentle contouring, a sweep of the hand to broadcast some color, and it was done.
the shelter belts of spruce and pine, caragana, russian olive and elm shield us from the north winds and hold moisture from the rain and snow; the cottonwoods, box elder, ash and willow guide our waters; the vast fields of wheat, oats, corn, alfalfa, sweet clover, brome and prairie grass feed us and our livestock; the animals sustain us and give us comfort and companionship; the wildlife fills us with wonder and awe.
the disc turns the earth for seed to grow
rain and sun nurture the
seedling through adolescence
and time allows for the maturity
of full existence
her gift of mothering goes well beyond her children. she keeps a watchful eye on the newborn calves, for some will need attention beyond their means. the calves’ mothers, acknowledging my mom’s gentle and assuring way, allow her to restore their babies back to good health. it is welcomed and unspoken kinship between mothers, regardless of species.
flowers and plants yearn to grow taller so they can feel her touch. sparrows and chicadees wait nearby in the juniper trees as she fills their trough with seed. humble and aware, she’s engaging.
mother, bake bread
sun on your hands,
shape this wheat in your golden way
aroma, enchant is and fill us with joy
we forget our woes old and new
ocean sojourn, your parents sailed west
four diamonds flagging their mast
songs of norway you and three sisters sang
living anew, not in the past
the field lies before me
tractor and disc
round by round i go
each revolution makes my perimeter smaller
and my task a little shorter
my lungs take in the exhaust of spent gasoline
my eyes itch and my nose and ears fill with the residual dust
of the implements toil
will it rain
no matter the weather’s caprice, i’m duty bound
when i reach the center, my point of singularity, i expand
to the four directions
and finish the unworked commas of earth left by my corner turns
from above, perhaps it looks like i’ve etched
a two-toned figure of a butterfly
a resultant artistic offering
completed, I drive on to the next field and begin again…
in memoriam: Gordon F. Ridl -
Jim Ridl’s Door in a Field, Volume 1 (Audio cd)
