Jon Strider
talks about
'Strider Songs 4 Johanna B.'

 by Johanna B. Bodde

JON STRIDER
talks about
'Strider Songs 4 Johanna B.'
(New Sky Records)
Everything you need to know about him, is on his website: www.jonstrider.com 
Everything you need to hear is at: www.jonstrider.bandcamp.com
 
It doesn't happen very often, that an artist makes a special compilation for a radio DJ. In fact, over the 29 years of my career it only happened a handful of times to me and this disc, by JON STRIDER is definitely the best! He has a beautiful voice and he writes great songs - to a total of more than four hundred (!) already in a variety of styles. Although he lives in Sweden for quite some time now, Jon never really said 'goodbye' to the famous folk& countryrock from his home state California. If you still feel that longing for the seventies - then he's your man! He released six albums, so you can take your pick or you can purchase songs on the Internet > to make your own "Strider Songs 4 ....." compilation!!
 
Here is a short but impressive BIO:

Jon Strider has played with Van Morrison, Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, Eddie Money and many others (on keyboards/background vocals) and he is currently working on his seventh solo album (as artist/producer/arranger) with Skip Edwards (the Hammond organ and keyboard guy on all of Dwight Yoakam's hits and many other hit records).

As a producer/songwriter (based in Los Angeles for sixteen years) he has worked with the elite of the world's musicians from the bands of Dwight Yoakam, Merle Haggard, Little Feat, Paul Simon, George Thorogood, Jackson Browne, Don Henley, Lucinda Williams, Richard Thompson, Willie Nelson and more.

Last Summer (2013) he played the High Chaparral Country Music Festival (Sweden) with his trio (Jon Strider Band) and also solo - along with LeAnn Rimes, Jamie Meyer and Cookies'n'Beans. This Summer (2014) he is opening for Dave Edmunds from Rockpile, among other festivals.
In 2011 his first single "Apple Pie Song" from the 'Fresh Tracks' CD on New Sky Records (also produced by Jon himself), stayed in Swedish National Radio P4 rotation for four months. In 2011-2012 "You Need Me" rotated on the National radios of Ireland, France, Italy and Belgium. In the Summer of 2013 Jon had a song he wrote on the Swedish National Radio P4 playlist: "Sommarsang", recorded by the group Glimra featuring Annika Fehling (label: Rootsy).
Currently, Jon has a two song EP "Road Kill / Workin' Girl" (New Sky Records) out in Europe.
 
Strider Song Blurb Sentences
Jon Strider plays keyboards and acoustic guitar on all songs and the electric guitar solo on "Magnolia Tree".
 
1. "Midsummer's Day" (Strider) - Album: 'Fresh Tracks' (2010)
Midsummer's Eve and Midsummer's Day fall in the third week of June in Sweden. It's a Holiday almost as big as Christmas there. I had traveled far to spend those days with my girlfriend Elisabet in 2008. The day before Midsommar Day she went into a coma. Defininite motivation to write this song!

2. "The Bridge Of Redemption" (Strider/Garriock) - Album: 'Fresh Tracks' (2010)
I first came to Scandinavia in 2001. In my adopted hometown of Malmö, Sweden there's a two-tiered suspension bridge that connects that city with Copenhagen. VERY similar (except it's white) to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. I grew up in the Berkeley Hills and looked at the Golden Gate Bridge every day from our big windows. This song metaphorically tells the story of my immigration to Europe from the U.S. An immigrant's song. And yes, love brought me here.

3. "Daddy's Comin' Home" (Strider/Chrismar) - Album: 'Fresh Tracks' (2010)
This was written in L.A. around 1996. The co-writer and guitarist on this song is Steve Chrismar, from George Thorogood's band. He was aware that Rick Rubin was producing Johnny Cash, and we were both aware Johnny had been sick. Since Steve could hand-deliver the song to Rick we went into high gear and wrote this song for the project. Didn't make the album, but I always dedicate it to Johnny when I do it.

4. "Waitin' On Selma" (Strider/Bloom) - Album: '2000 Calling' (1999)
I produced an album for this great singer from Alabama, Jonathan Bloom. This song is about someone who revisits Selma, Alabama (where the civil rights movement started) in the 1990's, and nothing had really changed that much. To be fair to the South, a lot of things have changed for the better there in regards to race relations. It was just easier to write the song like it is. Black and white.
With Taras Prodaniuk (bass), Billy Watts (guitar), David Raven (drums).

5. "The Day They Killed Jo(h)n" (Strider) - Album: '2000 Calling' (1999)
Guess the three Jo(h)ns in this song. Pretty easy if you listen carefully for the first two. What about that third one?
With Taras Prodaniuk (bass), Edward Tree (guitar), David Raven (drums)

6. "Workin' Is For People That Don't Know How To Fish" (Strider/McGilpin) - Album: 'Fresh Tracks' (2010)

My co-writer and I were aware that the director of the Follow Your Heart national song contest, based in Nashville, loved fishing. We wrote, and entered this song, with this gentleman in mind. We won the Grand Prize. The other note is that I stopped fishing completely when I was 26. I hooked a trout in the eye-ball and I looked that poor fish in the other eye. That was it!




7. "Apple Pie Song" (Strider/Hole) - Album: 'Fresh Tracks' (2010)
Written for The Hole Company band in Norway in 2003. It became a 7 month B-rotation song on Norway National P4 radio with them. Then I recorded it and was run on Swedish National P4 radio in 2011 for 4 months.

8. "White Wings" (Strider/Bloom) - Album: 'White Wings' (2005)
Jonathan Bloom, a great singer from Alabama I was producing and co-writing with, was married to a talented painter, Lila Graves. She had been diagnosed with terminal cancer at age 23, given several months to live. She's alive and kicking to this day, 20 years later - with two kids and a divorce under her belt. This song tells how she pulled it off!

9. "At The Way Station" (Strider/Getz) - Album: 'White Wings' (2005)
This song was written in 2000. I had been living in Los Angeles for 16 years with someone and fell in love with someone on tour in Sweden. The conflict and drama swims through this track. "Gonna get out of Dodge!" and indeed I did. Been in Sweden for 13 years... A very personal song for me.

10. "Elvis Angel" (Strider/Bloom) - Album: 'White Wings' (2005)
Jonathan Bloom had a black and white cat named Elvis. Many of the folks in Alexander City (Alabama) believed that this cat was channeling Elvis Presley because he could sing so well. It was a very superstitious place! Anyway, Jonathan came out to L.A. to make his album with me and one morning I woke up and all the words for this song came out of my head. All in one piece. A gift. And a fun song.

11. "Geronimo" (Strider/Getz) - Album: '2000 Calling' (1999)
I really relate to Geronimo. I've always felt like a bit of a fugitive. Kind of Native American in sentiment as well. This song carries that feeling.
With Tom Conway (guitar) and Martin Espino (plains flute and cocoon rattles)

12. "Memory Train" (Strider/Burch) - Album: 'Kindred Way Vol. 2' (1994)
A story about Ben Farish, a successful cartoonist who used to hop trains during the Great Depression of the 1930's. That 'all aboard' towards the end of the song is Ben himself.
With Taras Prodaniuk (bass), Billy Block (drums), Steve Chrismar (guitar). Background vocals: Skyler Jett, Claytoven Richardson, Laura Ahlstrand, Sandy Griffith.

13. "Straight Talkin' Machinery" (Strider/Burch) - Album: 'Kindred Way Vol. 2' (1994)
Walter Burch, my collaborator, and I, were having a discussion about honesty and integrity. There's a big tip of the hat to Johnny Cash on this one stylistically. There's a spiritual allegory spinning through this tune. What it all means is everybody's guess.
With Taras Prodaniuk (bass), Billy Block (drums), Steve Chrismar (guitar). Background vocals: Skyler Jett, Claytoven Richardson, Laura Ahlstrand, Sandy Griffith.

14. "Magnolia Tree" (Strider/Boesen) - Album: 'Fresh Tracks' (2010)
Michael Boesen and I were sitting on his couch in Copenhagen wondering what to write about. Then a light came on. We had just been dumped by our girlfriends. Michael talked about meeting his first love under a magnolia tree. This song is about what you lose, and how it feels, when you've lost the love of your life. We were both feeling that.

15. "The Car Is King" (Strider) - Album: '2000 Calling' (1999)
I have always disliked automobiles! Very un-Californian that way. I haven't owned a car since 2001! Bicycles rock! Anyway, this song tells the story of the removal of the United States' urban railroads to make way for the automobile. A little, nasty, American 1 % screwing over the 99 %, kind of song.
With Kenny Gradney (bass).

16. "Shut Up And Eat Your Grits" (Strider/Burch) - Album: 'Kindred Way Vol. 2' (1994)
Something to yell at your kids when they bitch and moan. (Or anyone else for that matter.) Grits are this incredible white and gooey, completely non-nutritious cereal 'food' they eat in the American South.
With Taras Prodaniuk (bass), Billy Block (drums), Steve Chrismar (guitar). Background vocals: Skyler Jett, Claytoven Richardson, Laura Ahlstrand, Sandy Griffith.

17. "You Need Me" (Strider/Getz) - Album: 'Fresh Tracks' (2010)
Such a simple title. Such a beautiful song. It's been in four weddings and counting...

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Written by Jon Strider and Johanna J. Bodde - August 14th, 2014.
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