Long-time Bigfork acupuncturist Don Beans is embracing a new career. Or rather, rekindling one of his passions of youth, that of making music. Growing up in Great Falls, Beans tried out lots of instruments, and went on to study music composition at The University of Montana for a short while. He’s also written musical scores, starting as a teen.
The singer/songwriter has a collection of original songs out, and the recording is spare, with just Beans on guitars, bass and vocals, and producer Forcone kickin’ ass on drums and percussion. Beans sings in a light country vein with an adept baritone-to-tenor vocal range. His story-songs are mementos of his life, and cover various country styles.
“Hook, Line and Sinker” is a toe-tappin’ jitterbugger, while “Beacon in the Night” has a moody, spooky feel.
“Rise In Love” is a pretty ballad, in which Beans sings harmony as well as lead. “I’m Given’ Up,” co-written with Bob Marsenich, is a man’s swan song to his love. It has a snappy melody that contradicts its prophetic words: “We fought the good fight, we fought the long fight, I’m given’ up because my body’s giving out.”
“Hippie, Shuffle, Swing” is an amusing look back at “freedom dancing,” that loose and ungainly antithesis of organized dance that all of us youngsters practiced in the old days, and some still do. “How did it get started?” Beans sings, “It was really organic, we saw the kids at Woodstock, we didn’t panic … So let us dance, with reckless abandon … ” What a crack-up!
There’s lots more here, and good production to boot. Visit Beans at www.donbeansmusic.com.
– Mariss McTucker
Recorded, mixed and produced by Marco Forcone at Renegade Ridge Studios, Whitefish, MT, 2014.