Songs From The End Of The Road

Songs From the End of the Road is a compilation of new work by four individual songwriters: Rodd Ambroson, Janis Carper, Carolyn Lochert and Heidi Muller, and is inspired by big sky and snowcapped mountains of Wallowa County, Oregon. The project grew out of regular gatherings to critique each other’s new songs. It presents themes of rural life, relationships, inner strength and social commentary, written with vivid imagery, insight and twists of humor. Each writer has a distinctive style, ranging from the contemporary folk of Ambroson and Muller to Lochert’s smooth jazz grooves and Carper’s bluesy country-rock. Lochert, Muller and Carper sing lush vocal harmonies, and Carper shows her versatility by playing lead guitar, Spanish guitar, dobro, banjo, bass and percussion. Supporting musicians include Daniel Rhiger and Rahmana Wiest from Sky in the Road on harmonium and vocal, Roger McGee on Native American flute, Rich Shirley on upright bass, Lisa Robertson on fiddle, and Bob Webb on electric cello and mandolin. In addition, Carper’s sister, Julie Turner of Houston, Texas, played piano on a song written for her. Carper and Webb recorded, mixed and mastered the project. Janis Carper and Heidi Muller are well-known performers in the Northwest. Award-winning songwriters and Kerrville New Folk alumni, each with six CDs, they were part of the vibrant Seattle music scene in the 1980’s and 90’s that included Grammy-winner Eric Tingstad, TR Ritchie, Kat Eggleston and Annie Gallup. Carper, currently with The Alibis, has performed with the trio 29 Toes, toured nationally with the Missouri Repertory Theater and sung backup for David Bromberg. Muller, who lives most of the year in Charleston, West Virginia and performs with multi-instrumentalist Bob Webb, is known in the Northwest for her “Good Road” theme song from the Inland Folk public radio show. Carolyn Lochert is a popular blues-jazz performer who studied jazz composition with Portland trumpeter and composer Rob Blakeslee. She has sung and recorded with jazz combos including the Full Moon Ensemble and the Tone Sharks. Rodd Ambroson has played fingerstyle guitar and written songs for over 30 years, but is best known for his original, lifelike bronze sculptures that have gained an international reputation. Both Carolyn and Rodd are currently recording their first solo CDs.