NEW! - I just released a new single on February 2, 2019 in addition to the new album. I came up with a song I called "Yard Art" and recorded it for my next album due late summer 2019. But this song came out so good, I couldn't wait, so I released it as a digital download singal. I rea;;y like this song, and I hope you will too. It's funny, and has a nice `60's style beat to it. Instead of the usual guitar solo, you get a very `60's sounding organ solo. Check it out! https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/tomsmerk4
The new album is finally available. It should be available from at least 50 Internet vendors and streaming sites including Amazon, iHeartRado, Napster, Spotify, Google, Pandora and YouTube and others. If you like to buy on Amazon, you can find it HERE. If you want it as a CD and not a digital download, you can find CDs for sale on CD Baby at: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/tomsmerk3.
You can buy the whole album or just the songs you like (I hope you'll like them all!) CDBABY.COM has some CDs available. Click on the album photo below and it will take you there. You can listen to samples of each song on this site. Lately, I've been preferring to download the music (it's cheaper that way!) and burn my own CD, so this works for me, for now, if it works for you.
After you hear it, please leave comments on my Facebook Page "Music by Tom Smerk and Friends". Be honest - I can take it! Any comments will help make my next CD even better! Remember, this is all original material (13 songs) that I wrote going all the way back to 1966, one from 1969, two from early `70's, and the rest from 2003 to present.
A long time ago, I set out to define a new style for myself. I wanted the new style to incorporate elements of classic rock, folk, country, blues, hard rock, progressive rock and jazz. I think I have reached my goal with this new CD. The style is hard to describe or compare - it's sort of progressive hard rock with some country and folk-rolk thrown in. You can read more about it at the ablove link. Scroll down to "About this album" and click on "Read more..." I hope you will find the tunes refreshing and entertaining.
The instrumentation is mainly vocal (some with harmonies), lead & rhythm guitar, piano and/or organ, drums, bass, and whatever else is needed for “flavor,” such as the synth in "Closer to the Moon" or the pan flute, oboe and horn section on “Where Does the Sun Come From?” (No, I don’t play these instruments any more (I did in college!) – it’s a Yamaha keyboard that has some very realistic instrument sounds built-in.)
Get it now at: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/tomsmerk3 on on Amazon HERE
Here is a little information on the 13 songs on the CD:
Notes about this project: This was my 7th album since the turn of the century. With the exception of a live recording (Elan) and another project recorded in a friend's studio (Rightside), my recording projects have all been created in my home studio which I call "The Audio Barn" in memory of the original studio that I lost in a fire in 2007. I haven't been completely happy with certain aspects of some of my earlier work, but each new CD is a learning experience, and by now, I have finally figured out how to capture the sound I am seeking to present. I also acquired a nice selection of microphones and other audio equipment along the way, and this has improved the sound quality. I'm taking my time on this new project, making corrections as I go. It will not be released until I am totally happy with the project. I believe this will be my best recording ever, and I can't wait to share it with you!
Scroll down to see what will be happening later this year and next year!
I am experimenting with video editing, so I set up the camera in my rehearsal studio, grabbed my guitar and microphone, and recorded one of my favorite songs that I like to sing at coffee houses, "If I Were A Carpenter." The audio quality is a little less than perfect and there is an unexpected "click" at the end, but I never intended for this to be a professional clip. I just realized that it's been a long time since I shared any of my music with you, so I wanted to do this informally. I hope you enjoy it. You email comments are always welcome!
I was going to record a CD, "Still Folkin' Around," in 2006. After listening to a test pressing, I found numerous things I wanted to change in order to greatly improve the album. Some songs will be remixed and others will have to be rerecorded from scratch. It was to contain many familiar folk songs, mainly from the early `60's when folk music was at its peak. I believe that folk music is coming back in a big way, and I had hoped that this CD will be an important part of the folk revival. Well, for unknown reasons, this CD got put aside and I worked on four other CD projects instead. Two have been released in 2010 and the other two will be a smooth jazz CD and another CD of Guitar Instrumentals (Apache, Honky Tonk, Lonely One, Sleepwalk, etc.) plus some surf music (Walk, Don't Run, Pipeline, Journey To The Stars, Penetration, Vandrell Stomp, etc.). Maybe these can happen sometime in 2019. Keep in touch!
If you enjoy the music, come to one of my live performances! Click here to find out where I'll be performing.
By the way, I'm currently looking for a few venues in San Diego county where I could perform 2 or 3 nights a week as a "single" (solo entertainer). My stage act is a variety of jazz instrumentals and traditional American Folk music (vocal) with acoustic guitar accompaniment. I can also throw in some Counrty & Western or some Gospel music as well as preforming some of my original songs.
If you know of a place that featuring this mix of music (or would like to), please have them check out the tunes on this page, and then email me tom@tomsmerk.com for more information. Thanks!
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