Sunshine abounds on the Salt stage

By Glynnis Jones BYRAM — On a recent Thursday night Jonathan Edwards took the stage at Salt Gastropub barefoot, in black jeans and t-shirt, with a smile on his face and a guitar in his hand. He entertained the sold-out audience for hours with his music and stories behind the songs. Accompanied by Charlie Rose on stand-up bass, pedal steel guitar, and banjo, and Tom Snow on piano, the three men harmonized well together, each performing brief solos to showcase their talent. Some songs swayed like a lazy drive on a country road, while the pedal steel guitar and harmonica gave sassy country twang to others. The audience helped with backup vocals on favorites like “How Long,” with its Bluegrass banjo pickin’ that gave the night momentum, “Don’t Cry Blue,” and his big hit, “Sunshine.” A touching tribute to his friend John Denver came in the song “Johnny Blue Horizon,” while tales of love were told in “Emma” and “Crazy Texas Woman,” a humorous ode to relationships. While "Sunshine" and "Crazy Texas Woman" were two of Edwards' favorite songs on the set list, his story of family lost and then found again resonated with the audience and was the backdrop to a song that his daughter Brenda wrote called “One Day Closer.” Edwards’ formative years were spent growing up in Virginia listening to popular music of the time. His musical tastes ranged from rhythm & blues to country to rock’n’roll. He attended a military high school where he learned to play guitar. During college, at Ohio State University, he began to form impromptu bands and play in front of audiences. Edwards switched to electric guitar as he became more familiar with artists like Woodie Gutherie, Bob Dylan, and Peter, Paul, and Mary. Roaming the campus dorms, he plugged his guitar in to play for whomever happened by. He then headed to Boston and continued playing shows. Through word of mouth Edwards landed his first recording on the Capricorn Records label. The initial song list for that first album had been set, but fate had other plans. During the recording sessions one of the tracks was accidentally erased, leaving an empty slot that needed to be filled. Edwards had already written the song that would fill the slot and in less than two days the band learned and recorded one of his most beloved songs, “Sunshine.” This song is part of one of his most memorable performances from 1971. During a May Day Anti-War demonstration on the grounds of the Washington Monument, he was scheduled to play early in the morning. As the sun began to rise and the police began to arrest protestors, Edwards serenaded all by playing his number one hit. During the early years of his career, Edwards’s super-stardom had him performing up to 200 times a year. In 1973, he decided to return to a more normal life and get reacquainted with his family and nature. The paved roads led to a dirt road where he found a farm in Nova Scotia. During this time he wrote the song "Surrounded," a song finally released on his newest album, My Love Will Keep. Edwards has lived in many different locations throughout the US and currently resides on the coast of Maine. The only gap away from the spotlight in his 40-year career was a 10-year stint in the Caribbean that he calls his "lost decade." However, while in the Caribbean, Edwards gained an understanding of reggae and calypso music. Edwards said he appreciates people spending their hard-earned money to leave their problems at home to come out to listen to his. “Life is too short to spend in a van if you don’t feel like you’re doing somebody good,” said Edwards. For those who may not be familiar with his 16 albums, ranging from folk to country to rock, he said, “I’m in the one-hit-wonder club, but that’s fine because one hit is better than none. But it’s nice to have your whole body of work heard.” Edwards' political inclinations can still be heard as he is a staunch supporter of the Occupy Wall Street movement. “If I was 30 years younger I would be part of the leadership," said Edwards. "The time has finally come for people to speak out about the economic climate, the bailouts, wars that got started, and the difference between the haves and have-nots.” He showed his support for the movement by stopping in D.C. to perform at an Occupy rally there. Last year’s tour schedule included Israel and Palestine when the US State Department asked him to take part in a music exchange in the region. He and the band stayed in Jerusalem and made daily trips to the West Bank to play shows. Edwards said that playing "Get Together" to the locals there seemed so appropriate and it is now part of his current repertoire. Future plans include a "best of" compilation. The project is requiring him to listen to his entire catalog of music to see how he has grown and become a better artist. “There are love songs and leaving songs, songs written about life and how my generation sees society,” said Edwards. His lyrics still resonate with many some 40 years later. Edwards' tour schedule is available and his albums can be purchased through his website, www.jonathanedwards.net. Edwards' sense of humor is still intact too. “Make sure you go to '.net,' not '.com,'" he said. "That other site is some guy that likes to talk to dead people.” Salt Gastropub is located at 109 Rt. 206 in Byram and hosts regular performances by a range of artists. For an upcoming schedule and more information, visit www.saltgastropub.com.