The Henrys (with Mary Margaret O'Hara) - Chasing Grace (1996)

This is the album that got me through the winter of '97. 

In the summer of 1996, I took a trip from my native D.C. to the West Coast, to decide where I wanted to live. L.A. was too much like D.C., just with more sunshine -- everyone rushing around in mindless obeisance to a fame-money-power-based dominant industry, and no real local character to the place. San Francisco was just too damn expensive for my economic situation at the time (OK, and, uh, today too). Seattle was too bloated, having exploded in size over the previous decade with no clue as to how to manage little things like traffic, development, environment, etc.; besides, it reminded me of a sprawling East Coast city, just with more trees. But when I got to Portland, I always describe it as my "Goldilocks experience" -- it felt juuust right.

And along with the good friend I visited there, that weekend I went up to the lovely Vancouver, B.C. (also a sprawling metropolis, but reminiscent, rather, of a European city) to attend the sublime Vancouver Folk Music Festival, which was a real eye-opener as far as what can be achieved through music and community. My one life-changing discovery there (besides all the great Portland people I met, which sealed the deal of my moving there the following year!) was the amazing singer-songwriter Dan Bern. More on him another time, perhaps. But another favorite act I caught there was The Henrys, a quartet performing oblique and wittily-titled instrumentals centered around Don Rooke's Hawaiian guitar. 

That winter, I was back in D.C., feeling very far away from my newfound Portland friends and the magic and fellowship I'd experienced there. So I was surprised and delighted to come across The Henrys' CD in my local secondhand shop -- it was like a secret message from the summer before. Especially when, a week or so later, I came down with the flu, and was in bed with a high fever for a few days. Something about that loopy Hawaiian guitar and the weirdness of Mary Margaret O'Hara's wordless vocal contributions made Chasing Grace the perfect soundtrack for my fever dreams. It reminded me of my friends and the festival, and of the fact that I'd be returning to Portland to live that coming summer. I've been here ever since.

I hope this unique band helps you, friends, get through the winter of '11 -- but hopefully not the flu, too!

Best,

Jeff

P.S. Gotta love that cover photo!

Mary Margaret O'Hara LIVE on the BBC, 11/16/1989

After a busy first week, we've ended up taking a week's hiatus here on TRS. Now let's get back down to it!

This isn't the post where I make the case for how great Ms. Mary Margaret is and how urgent it is that you get to know her only album, the unique, loopy gem Miss America. This post is mostly for those who already know, and already have so gotten, though it's also a fine place to begin your acquaintance.

And since Miss A. is Miss O's sole full-length release, aficionados will delight to discover this great, full-length concert from London's Dominion Theatre, as broadcast on the BBC. I found this on a torrent with the following credit: "Capture, Transfer & Artwork by JTT" who taped this off BBC radio and shared it. So thank you very VERY much, JTT! However, it's not to be found elsewhere online, so it deserves its spot here on The Rare Stuff; I hope Mr. T doesn't mind. The Miss America album itself is out of print and starting to climb in price (though still affordable used), but it's a bit more widely available online. If there are enough requests, though, I could make it available here as well.

Anyway, we've finally broken our string of moody, wordy white British men -- with a quirky white Canadian gal! Fun fact I just learned -- Mary Margaret is the sister of SCTV comedienne and actress Catherine O'Hara!

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ON5EJYH1