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Folky duo Berkley Hart will play two release parties at Swedenborg Hall for their new full-length Crow; July 8 (with pop duo the Lovebirds opening) and July 9 (with rock duo Bug Guts).
“We had originally wanted to call the CD American Crow,” says Jeff Berkley. “That's the title of the picture Calman found online that is the cover. There was something perfect about the way the picture fit the music. It was my 13 year-old daughter, Dakota Crow Berkley, who said ‘That picture is awesome, how ‘bout just Crow for the title?’ At that moment, all of the different meanings of the word ‘crow’ started to bubble up in our brains. In some cultures, the crow symbolizes despair and darkness, while in others it’s a harbinger of hope and light. This contrast seemed to fit the yin and yang of the songs on the album, both musically and lyrically.”
“Additionally,” says Calman Hart, “the title has personal meaning for Jeff, because it speaks to the Indian side of his heritage. His Osage family's surname is Crow.”
Both players say the essence of what they do will never change. “What the audiences seem to really love is the two of us playing our guitars and singing our harmonies,” says Hart. “We've happened on a magical combination of voices and songwriting that has worked really well for us. What's new is where we've taken it this time. This record is dark and rich and full of flavor, like a Guinness. Like Jameson Whiskey, it's got a bite to it, as well as a big warm embrace. It's different than anything we've ever done song-wise, and I know folks will fall in love with these new stories as we have.”
Jeff Berkley recalls for the Reader obtaining his first musical instrument. "A white upright piano. My parents got it for me when I was three or four. My father was a minister, and it was handed down from some old church -- all dirty, cracked in a bunch of places, and I think it leaned to the left. I messed around with that until I was old enough to set up boxes to play with wooden spoons, after I decided to become a drummer for a while. It didn't cost me anything. Since it came from a church, it was a gift from God."
Calman Hart remembers his as "A red-and-yellow electric guitar. I can't remember the brand, but it wasn't very expensive. It wouldn't stay in tune, and the action was too high. It wasn't until I got an acoustic guitar that I took it seriously, but I have pictures of me holding it and looking all rock and roll. I was 12. You'd have to ask Santa how much it cost."
Berkley ("I'm one of the rare native San Diegans") and Hart ("I moved here from Utah in the early '80s") joined forces as Berkley Hart in October 1999. Berkley thinks it's their third album, 2004's Twelve, that best captures their rootsy Americana sound.
"We built a new home studio, so that was our first entirely self-produced effort. I've been producing records for a while but never had my own equipment. Now that I'm engineering, I've been listening to a lot of older records and learning how the great bands got that actual sound you know them for." Twelve received a San Diego Music Award for "Best Americana Album."
In the gap between records, Berkley Hart has played some oddly themed shows. "We do it just to put a different spin on things," says Hart. "For New Year's 2001, we did '2001: A Berkley Hart Odyssey,' which was the film music with a smoke machine. There was the 'Harvest Moon Party' -- all Neil Young songs from that album with a bale of hay and a scarecrow onstage. We once played an entire album by Gregory Page, The Romantic Adventures of Harry, including an outtake that wasn't on the album. Gregory was there and played with us at the end of the night. We even did 'Berkley Hart Bingo,' where we put all our song titles on bingo cards. As we'd play a song, you'd mark it off and jump up and yell if you got bingo."
The duo is known for their recurring show called O Berkley, Where Hart Thou? in which they perform music from the film soundtrack O Brother, Where Art Thou? and similar classic Americana songs. Hart says, "We love that music and, as soon as we thought of the name, we couldn't resist."
O Berkley, Where Hart Thou? was filmed for a DVD and CD (released in 2006), featuring a live concert performance with special guests including the 7th Day Buskers, Eve Selis, Gregory Page, and more. The CD was also nominated for "Best Americana or Country Album" at the 2007 San Diego Music Awards.
Folky duo Berkley Hart will play two release parties at Swedenborg Hall for their new full-length Crow; July 8 (with pop duo the Lovebirds opening) and July 9 (with rock duo Bug Guts).
“We had originally wanted to call the CD American Crow,” says Jeff Berkley. “That's the title of the picture Calman found online that is the cover. There was something perfect about the way the picture fit the music. It was my 13 year-old daughter, Dakota Crow Berkley, who said ‘That picture is awesome, how ‘bout just Crow for the title?’ At that moment, all of the different meanings of the word ‘crow’ started to bubble up in our brains. In some cultures, the crow symbolizes despair and darkness, while in others it’s a harbinger of hope and light. This contrast seemed to fit the yin and yang of the songs on the album, both musically and lyrically.”
“Additionally,” says Calman Hart, “the title has personal meaning for Jeff, because it speaks to the Indian side of his heritage. His Osage family's surname is Crow.”
Both players say the essence of what they do will never change. “What the audiences seem to really love is the two of us playing our guitars and singing our harmonies,” says Hart. “We've happened on a magical combination of voices and songwriting that has worked really well for us. What's new is where we've taken it this time. This record is dark and rich and full of flavor, like a Guinness. Like Jameson Whiskey, it's got a bite to it, as well as a big warm embrace. It's different than anything we've ever done song-wise, and I know folks will fall in love with these new stories as we have.”
Jeff Berkley recalls for the Reader obtaining his first musical instrument. "A white upright piano. My parents got it for me when I was three or four. My father was a minister, and it was handed down from some old church -- all dirty, cracked in a bunch of places, and I think it leaned to the left. I messed around with that until I was old enough to set up boxes to play with wooden spoons, after I decided to become a drummer for a while. It didn't cost me anything. Since it came from a church, it was a gift from God."
Calman Hart remembers his as "A red-and-yellow electric guitar. I can't remember the brand, but it wasn't very expensive. It wouldn't stay in tune, and the action was too high. It wasn't until I got an acoustic guitar that I took it seriously, but I have pictures of me holding it and looking all rock and roll. I was 12. You'd have to ask Santa how much it cost."
Berkley ("I'm one of the rare native San Diegans") and Hart ("I moved here from Utah in the early '80s") joined forces as Berkley Hart in October 1999. Berkley thinks it's their third album, 2004's Twelve, that best captures their rootsy Americana sound.
"We built a new home studio, so that was our first entirely self-produced effort. I've been producing records for a while but never had my own equipment. Now that I'm engineering, I've been listening to a lot of older records and learning how the great bands got that actual sound you know them for." Twelve received a San Diego Music Award for "Best Americana Album."
In the gap between records, Berkley Hart has played some oddly themed shows. "We do it just to put a different spin on things," says Hart. "For New Year's 2001, we did '2001: A Berkley Hart Odyssey,' which was the film music with a smoke machine. There was the 'Harvest Moon Party' -- all Neil Young songs from that album with a bale of hay and a scarecrow onstage. We once played an entire album by Gregory Page, The Romantic Adventures of Harry, including an outtake that wasn't on the album. Gregory was there and played with us at the end of the night. We even did 'Berkley Hart Bingo,' where we put all our song titles on bingo cards. As we'd play a song, you'd mark it off and jump up and yell if you got bingo."
The duo is known for their recurring show called O Berkley, Where Hart Thou? in which they perform music from the film soundtrack O Brother, Where Art Thou? and similar classic Americana songs. Hart says, "We love that music and, as soon as we thought of the name, we couldn't resist."
O Berkley, Where Hart Thou? was filmed for a DVD and CD (released in 2006), featuring a live concert performance with special guests including the 7th Day Buskers, Eve Selis, Gregory Page, and more. The CD was also nominated for "Best Americana or Country Album" at the 2007 San Diego Music Awards.