If you could do a tribute cd featuring music of your favorite singer, what artist would you honor? For Marius Swart, the answer to that question is a simple one and has remained the same from the time he first heard his favorite artist as a young boy. Jim Reeves speaks to him as no other vocalist ever has. How did he come to know his music? Why does it mean so much?
In June of this year, Marius completed a tribute CD to Jim singing songs recorded throughout his career. How did Swart bring this monumental undertaking to such a satisfactory conclusion? How did he choose the songs and find a studio in which to record them? How does one go about determining which songs best fit and what considerations are part of those choices? At the start, with more than 400 songs from which to make his selections, , Marius faced an enormous task in deciding which songs would make the final list. With one CD successfully completed, will he do another?
On our next Books And Beyond, please note the special time and date, we will hear how this dream became a reality. I hope you will find time to join us. We will hear selections from the tribute CD as well. Below you will find background information about Marius and details to acquaint you with how you can attend this very special show.
I was born on January 12, 1969, which means that during the first five years of my life I've had to deal with the landing on the moon, Woodstock, Vietnam, and Watergate! lol.
From a very early age I developed a love for music, and it was my grandmother who introduced me to the music of Jim Reeves. I guess she had no idea what she had started in me with just those two records.
While in high school I played in a band along with two other guys, and at one stage I had it in the back of my mind to become a professional musician. However, as the saying goes: life is what happens to you while you're making other plans, and after school I started working at the Braille production unit of the local school for the blind, and I've been there ever since.
Apart from a Braille production unit, there's also an audio department with soundproof studios in the same building. A few years ago, another blind person who owns his own sound recording business, hired two of the studios for recording purposes. Last year when my friend Len (a professional gospel singer) recorded his CD there, I went over there to see how it was done and generally make a nuisance of myself. lol. When Len needed a background singer for one of his songs, I volunteered and so I got my first taste of CD recording.
In February this year I finally gathered the nerve to talk to the owner of the recording studio about recording my own CD. Since I've always been a Jim Reeves fan, I decided on a Jim Reeves tribute CD. After a few discussions we worked out a deal, and the first recording session was held on April 7. The whole product was completed by the end of June.
Bonnie Blose, Host,
Books And Beyond,
E-Mail: bookmaven1@frontier.com
