Music from Brian Dyer Stewart

Pammy's and my 40th anniversary is later this month and I wanted to share L-O-V-E, written to celebrate our 20th in 2000.  As we close in on winter and face such turbulent times, it does my heart good to feel the basic, profound joy of love and family.  I may turn to a weekly offering of love songs through the holidays to help reach the Solstice with a full heart.  Joyful Trio recorded this with Kenny Pierce on guitar and Leonore Hildebandt on percussion and vocals.  Kenny does some really wonderful guitar work throughout, but especially catch the solos.

Dear family, friends, and fellow travelers,

The song this cycle is Until You Wake Up the Angels, written earlier in the summer and recorded last night with a little synthesizer exploration.   It's a song that encourages me after a dark night or when facing difficult times. 

The song this cycle is Be Now the Voice, co-written with Catie Curtis in 2018 at her song writer's retreat in Maine.  In such perilous times we need each other more than ever and 'tis no easy task to find our compassion and heart, though they are the light we need to go on.  This song encourages me - I hope it works for you as well. Leonore Hildebrandt and I recorded it in 2019, with Leonore on vocals and percussion.  

Dear family, friends, and fellow travelers,

The song this cycle is Together in a Dream, written in early summer.  My friend, Randall, said "This could be in the Great American Song Book" - a love song, yes, and of that style and don't we need some loving these days. 

The song this cycle is Safe Beneath the Stars, written in the beginning of May.  There are so many of us who are refugees - fleeing war, disasters, poverty, violence; so few who can find any welcome.  This song is a lullabye of sorts, a moment's reprieve or the wish for one...

The song this cycle is Phoebe, written earlier this summer.  For many years phoebes have nested in the eaves of the house, just outside our upstairs window.  I thought they had moved on for the year, but one landed on the garden fence yesterday and visitied a while.  Here's to you, little phoebe! And here's to all of you...

The song this cycle is The Question Now, written in 2019 and just recorded.  Such times, such challenges - this song was written in the middle of a winter night and seems ever more relevant.

The song this cycle is The Light Goes On, written in 2019 for my daughter Mahala and her husbnd Tim for their wedding here in Harrington last August.  Just guitar, a little keyboard bass and the vocal.

The song this cycle is Late July, recently written and recorded a couple of days ago. I perennially notice the Solstices, the lengthening and shortening of the days, the brief moment of stasis.  I often get somewhat nostalgic as summer peaks and the days begin to shorten again.  Here in Downeast Maine, I think of the peak being now, in late July.  Recorded solo with guitar and vocal and a little added keys.

The first is a song from almost 20 years ago, Sage Advice, recorded live with Leonore Hildebrandt on percussion and vocals, Kenny Pierce on guitar and me on keyboard and vocals. I wrote it for my 50th birthday!