Barbara Jo’s Debut solo album:

ONE SONG AT A TIME

1. I Can See Clearly Now (Johnny Nash)

Uptempo - 3:19

I begin my album with a song that makes me happy each time I hear it. I sing this classic reggae song in a bluegrass style with heartfelt enthusiasm.  It is my Mom’s favorite song on the album and the perfect opener.  Greg Blake and Mollie O’Brien join me with beautiful harmonies.

2. Choices (Billy Gates and Mike Curtis)

Mid-tempo/classic country - 3:53

I can’t think of a more descriptive song about the heartbreak of active alcoholism.  I know what it was like then, and I know what it is like now to be clean and sober.  Thank you Tyler Grant for the truth-telling Telecaster solos;  and Damon Smith for the expert and steady drums so essential to this song.

3. So Good (Peter Rowan)

Uptempo/americana - 3:05

This song has a beautiful melody, positive and inspiring lyrics, and spells out how I feel about my life today!  It is SO GOOD. Thank you to “one-take Jake” Simpson for his fabulous fiddling. 

4. Hard Promises To Keep  (Kimmie Rhodes)

Country - 4:43

A slow/classic country duet, featuring the smooth vocal tones of Greg Blake, that speaks to the delicate balance of strong emotions that couples can experience in long-term relationships.  Progress, not perfection!

5. In a Cabin on the Mountain by the Pine  (Robert Backlund)

Uptempo/bluegrass - 2:36

My good friend and bandmate, Bob, wrote this song in 1968, as a tribute to our beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains and his life experience during that time.  Thank you Andy Dunnigan for his incredible dobro licks and Jake Simpson, fiddle.

6. Medicine Wheel (Kate Wolf)

Folk - 4:52

This incredibly beautiful, slow tempo folk song helps me understand the connectedness of all things and the healing power of nature. I sang this song for my Dad when he was in ICU, hospice, and at his memorial service.  "Medicine Wheel" reminds me of the preciousness of Mother Earth and the gratitude I feel for my life. Thank you Charlie Rose for the hauntingly beautiful pedal steel track and Damon Smith for the tasteful percussion.

7. New Shoes (Caleb Klauder) 

Uptempo/cajun -  3:12

Tongue in cheek song about someone who is wondering if their partner is on the up a up!  Kind of makes me want to don my new boots and dance all night long!  Thanks to Sally Van Meter for her dobro prowess.

8. Bluegrass Melodies (Darrell Statler)  

Slower waltz - 4:07

A ballad about growing up in the mountains with a close-knit family that  played and sang about life, love, and loss - our universal human experiences.  Thanks to Mollie O’Brien and Greg Blake for the vocal harmonies.

9. Mule Skinner Blues  (Jimmie Rodgers)

Uptempo/bluegrass - 2:22

I see this song as very empowering because the woman is singing about doing her job as good as any man! This is a very fun song - I had a blast recording it and want to especially thank Charlie Rose on banjo and Jake Simpson on fiddle for their contributions to this track. 

10. The Winning Side (Barbara Jo Kammer)

Mid-tempo waltz/americana

Earlier this year KC Groves encouraged me to write a song about my recovery.  This is one of the first songs I’ve written and the first to be recorded.  I’m passionate about my recovery and while my journey to recovery took over 40 years, I wrote this song two weeks before going into the recording studio.  I celebrated my 10 year anniversary in sobriety this past July 1, 2017.  My inspiration for writing this song came through loud and clear as I walked my dogs around Waneka Lake near my home in Lafayette, CO.

Scenes
from the
studio