Underberg House Concerts

CD Liner Notes

The original version of the Great Mississippi appears on Kevin Danzig’s "Free the Poet" CD. Kevin, a North Carolina based singer/songwriter has made frequent appearances in Cape Girardeau playing at clubs, coffeehouses, house concerts and festivals, solidifying his position as one of Cape’s favorite musicians. Kevin invariably included the crowd pleasing "Great Mississippi" in his live shows owing in large measure to the influence the river has exerted on his own songwriting as well as his belief that the Mississippi was one of Cape’s most majestic attributes.

The ethos of "The Great Mississippi" seemed to capture the character of Cape Girardeau. The director of publicity for Cape’s Libertyfest 2004 committee, Don Jung, suggested that the song might be used in City promotional efforts. The idea appealed to Kevin who agreed that some "Cape specific" modifications on the tune would enhance the song’s local appeal. The City’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau endorsed the idea and the project was about to get underway.

Larry Underberg was brought on board to oversee the production. As the project took shape, it was clear that in addition to celebrating Cape’s river heritage, the song should also be a tribute to the fine musicians in the area and the notable public support for live music that was turning Cape into a thriving musical venue. Underberg discussed the plan with Kenny Keller of IBS Studio who agreed to record the project in his studio. Local musicians Jerimy Obergoenner on drums, Kenny Keller on bass and Jill Prince-Watkins on back-up vocals were enlisted as the core band. On March 30-31, 2004, the three entered the studio with Kevin and the basic tracks were recorded. Additional harmony vocals by Bruce Zimmerman would later be added to the mix.

The next step was to invite members of the community to participate in the project by constituting the chorus you hear singing "Old Man River" at the conclusion of the CD. Thirty two local musicians and friends of folk music descended on IBS studios on May 10 and 11 to record the song’s final chorus.

The finished product was delivered to Q. McBride whose newly established Q Works recording studio offered state of the art graphic and duplicating capabilities. This final step seemed appropriate and symbolic of the character of the project since Q’s studio was initially established to encourage and cultivate local artists. It was fitting that the nearly forty individuals who volunteered to appear on this project would see their work brought to fruition by community minded local studios like Q Works.