Every city or town has a ‘Little River’ or two, a neglected creek that runs through the heart of town that brings a strip of green, a touch of wild, between the rows of houses and cul de sacs. It’s usually polluted by parking lot run-off and the roots and shrubs are clogged with plastic bags and other trash. 

 

This new release is my homage to one such urban creek, Shooks Run, in downtown Colorado Springs. I fell in love with this lovely, neglected and abused little creek when I lived in the nearby Shooks Run neighborhood. It was one of my favorite hangouts and places to explore with my kids when they were small. We’d find old bottles and pick up trash and climb around on the gnarly old cottonwoods and elms. 

 

The guitar part for the song comes from the very first composition I ever wrote on guitar. It was probably influenced by songs I was listening to at the time, like Jorma Kaukonen’s Embryonic Journey. 40 years later I realized that lyrics I had been working on called ‘little river’ fit the meter and vibe of the song perfectly. At least I think so. I hope you like it too. 

 

Words and music by Malcolm Lucard

Vartan Baronian: cello

Gideon Lucard: vocals

Diego Gadenz: vocals, percussion, berimbau

Malcolm Lucard: vocals, acoustic guitar, sound recordings

 

Album cover: Gideon Lucard and Malcolm Lucard

 

Produced by Malcolm Lucard and Diego Gadenz. Recorded at Les Studios des Paquis in Geneva, Switzerland and at Estudio Planeta Musical in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Engineered by Gabriel Do Val in Geneva and Diego Gadenz in Brazil. Mixed at Estudio Planeta Musical and mastered by Marcos Abreu, Porto Alegre, Brazil.