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Don Hess: Mando-Medicine Man The struggle between musician Don Hess and physician Dr. Don has been raging for years. As a boy, he had dreams of becoming a folksinger. Family and teachers encouraged him to be a doctor. He took notice that while musicians were driving beat up VW vans, physicians were cruising in vintage convertibles. He decided that he was unwilling to gamble away his share of the American Dream. Following his head rather than his heart, off to medical school he went. During his off hours, he learned how to play authentic blues harmonica by soaking his harps in cheap beer. Young Dr. Don knew that medicine could never satisfy his heart's desire. A friend gave him a beat-up Harmony mandolin which he repaired. Even though it had awful intonation, he taught himself how to play because "somehow this mandolin resonated inside me." Exploring a variety of styles, he eventually developed a percussive technique employing Jethro Burns-style chords out of a Celtic tuning. He discovered his voice, began writing songs, and before long he was performing original tunes using the mandolin as sparse but elegant accompaniment to his singing. Don began to express music in all aspects of his daily life. Singing and playing harmonica while hiking the Loyalsock Trail, he provided the delightful sound track to Doc on the Sock, a film by acclaimed videographer Lynne Whelden. Rumor has it that as a percussionist for his church's praise team, Don once led worship while banging an empty pretzel can. His vocals and mandolin fueled the legendary acoustic power trio, Orphans No More, who played coffeehouses, public parks, and garlic festivals. He has even taken his music to work by performing custom songs for enthusiastic co-workers at a number of corporate healthcare events. As a solo artist, Don has been well-received in venues as diverse as country clubs and kindergarten classrooms. Don has furthered his true calling with the release of Orphan No More, his first full-length CD production. Story-songs of life and work, and an awe of God are recurring themes. A thinking man's lyricist, he up-ends existentialism and the complacency of wealth while celebrating his journey home. Produced by Johnny J Blair, the project has been a family affair, with Don's wife Jan contributing and their baby daughter appearing on the cover. The song collection blends neo-traditional American folk music with gospel, jazz, reggae, r'n'b and rock. Parts of "Orphan" have been compared to recordings by Pete Seeger, Bruce Cockburn, and Rich Mullins. Music critic Joseph W. Smith III describes Orphan No More as "pure and clear, with no attempt to be trendy or impressive. It's completely unselfconscious music - such a rarity nowadays that many listeners won't know what to do with it." The struggle is almost over for Don. He discovered that his day job and his night job are essentially the same. As a physician/musician, he desires that his songs "not only entertain; but also teach, perhaps even heal." Check out the artist's website: http://home.uplink.net/~dhess/ Track List: 1. Working Boy 2. Big If 3. Hungry, Thirsty 4. Soul Sludge 5. Rich Christian 6. Status Quo 7. Ecclesiastes Blues 8. Who Is This Man? 9. Dreams of God 10. River Train 11. In the Garden 12. Orphan No More 13. Who O God? 14. (Hidden Track) Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
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