ALL ABOUT PRETZEL HEART

Why, you ask?

Barbara Jean

In May of 2015, my mother passed away after a protracted battle with Parkinson's and dementia. I, being an only child, was the beneficiary of a small life insurance policy that she and my father had taken out in her name. It was obviously a gift (thank you, mom) and I considered what she might have wanted me to do with the money. Having been an

unblinking supporter of my artistic endeavors throughout the entirety of my life, the choice was obvious: I would finally record this record, which had existed in various demos for years, and dedicate it to her memory. I can guarantee you that my mom would have been so pleased and flattered. She was neither an intellectual nor an artist, but from music lessons to painting lessons to collegiate studies to touring musician to New York City dot-commer, no one was more

supportive of my swashbuckling, zig zag life than her. Being much alike in temperament and outspokenness, we were frequently not the best of friends, but this no doubt helped fuel my take-no-prisoners pursuit of goals, large and small. I owe much of my warrior heart to her drive, determination, and sarcastic sense of humor. I'm proud to begin the yearlong release of this record (one song per month) right here on what would have been her 81st birthday, March 20th. Happy birthday, mom. This one's for you. Every damn note.

Talented Friends

To say that I have talented friends would be the understatement of the millennium. So when I put the word out that I was finally going to record my pop record - a solo record no less - I was thrilled that they all threw their hats in the ring. After much wrangling of schedules, circulation of MP3 demos, charts and lyrics, and booking of plane tickets and studio

reservations, the core group gathered for rehearsals and basic track recordings in February and March, 2016, respectively. My stepkids were kind enough to stay with other friends and family, and we turned my suburban domicile into 'the band house' for a glorious few days. Since most of us have been close friends for 20 years or more, it became a litany of stories, laughs and

catching each other up on our lives, careers, and families. We brought all of that loving vibe into the studio - Plymouth Rock, here in Metro Detroit - and were greeted by the same warmth and heart (cannot say enough good things about Chris, Toby and Tim!). Basic tracks were finished precisely one year to the day of the release of "Sparkler". Even with overdubs being added elsewhere (the cast of characters continues to expand), I believe you can hear this spirit in all the songs.

Beauty

The Pretzel Heart cover art was created by my dear friend and accomplished mixed media artist, Linda Povey. I've always been a fan of her work, not to mention her creative mind and loving heart. It's an honor to associate my music with her art.

Gratitude

Thank you to my mom and dad for feeding my creative spirit. I'd never have had the guts to pursue my madness without their unwavering confidence.

Thank you to my musical crew, who continue to come through for me in making my music come to life and bringing so much love to the project. Special thanks to Mr. Matheny, who still finds time to add flesh to the bone.

Thank you to my wonderful Mrs., Lori, who makes my life worthy of song.

Thank you to our kids, for tolerating all that damn noise.

Thank you to Chris Breest, Toby Hyland and Tim Rais, the greatest studio guys a fellow could ask for. I wouldn't have wanted to do it with anyone else for any reason (and thank you, Ken Roberts, for pointing me in their direction). Talent + heart + weird senses of humor. Who could ask for more?

Thank you to Chris Shaw for finding the time in his schedule and taking it all to a new level.

Thank you to all the BOP(harvey) players, friends and family for giving me direction when I needed it most. Those shows were some of the greatest moments of my life.

Thank you to Mr. Disney, Mr. Geisel, Mr. Henson, Ms. Franklin, Mr. Jones, Mr. Marley, Mr. Mercury, Sir McCartney, Sir John, Mr. Coyne, Mr. Nilsson, Mr. Sumner, Mr. Copeland, Mr. Summers, Ms. Jones, Mr. Lynne, Mr. Squire, Ms. Fitzgerald, Mr. Wonder, Mr. Lennon, Mr. Parsons, Mr. Garcia, and Mr. Gilmour for the inspiration - alive and well in my heart of hearts.

And most of all, thank you to the cosmos for putting ideas in my head, fortitude in my heart, love in my life, and the ways and means to do my thing for each and every one of you. What's the point of having a song unless you have people to sing it to?