Any way you slice it, Daniel Franklin Brewer is hard to get.  Good luck finding his telephone number, although it doesn’t much matter because he doesn’t pick up the telephone.  He rarely returns voicemail.  His public performance schedule has been dropping off like the leaves on an autumn tree.  And yet, when you finally do speak with him, his voice has a quiet, graciously-still quality that sounds bemused that you are out of breath from chasing him all over the digital universe.  After all, he’s been here all along, exactly where he should be.

And where’s that?   Well, dominating the Atlanta-area Indie-Folk charts, for one.  Besides Daniel and its ever-changing band permutations consistently hold the #1 or #2 positions on the indie charts, despite their selective performance schedule.  “There
was a time, not too long ago when my band and I were gigging all over the place, as many dates as we could do, and we got burnt out,” he says.  “I mean, really burnt out.  So we made the decision to stop, period.  It was the best thing for us.”

Since then, Daniel’s songwriting has evolved into something hauntingly purposeful yet surprisingly restrained.  And his voice?  This is the voice you heard singing on the day when you looked into the eyes of the beautiful stranger who you knew you’d never meet again.  This is the voice you heard when you actually picked up a daisy and counted off he-loves-me, he-loves-me-not.  This is the voice that’s reading your mind.  Daniel sings of what’s in this very moment, sunshine and rain, poppies and trees and companionship and waving goodbye.  And his own ups and downs, accolades and disappointments have all created a gentle wisdom that belies his youth.  We recently caught up with Daniel for some moments of reflection:

The Velvet Note:  When did the love of music start for you?

Daniel:  It started when I was young.  My pops was a construction worker and he would come from his manual labor job each day and sit and play the guitar.  It was magical to see my dad strum a few chords and create something out of it.  I would bug him every night to show me more.  Eventually, I got an electric guitar and played in some embarrassing high school rock bands, but I loved it.  When my grades would drop, my parents would motivate me by threatening not to let me play in my band.

What were you like back in high school?

In high school, I was extremely reclusive.  I grew up in rural Georgia—first Lithia
Springs and then Cobb County.  I was average and awkward and I wasn’t a good student.   But sometime around my junior year, I switched schools and my band got pretty popular and I came into my own.

Are you still that awkward, shy guy now?

I don’t think I’m shy, although I am reserved and soft spoken.  I guess I’m still working through some insecurities.  I’m content, though.  In social settings, I guess I just don’t take initiative.  I like to enjoy myself, with my friends, but it doesn’t get out of hand. I’ve managed to keep my feet on the ground.

Many of the lyrics to your songs refer to love.  Have you ever been in love?

(He laughs).  Yes, a lot of my songs are about love.  Alot of my 20’s has been marked by failures in relationships.  It’s a good breeding ground for songwriting.  However, I hope people who listen to my music can take away more from my songs than just relationships.  Now that I’m pushing my 30’s, I feel great not having the pressure of getting married.  It feels good to say that I’m single.  I don’t have the desire to be famous, either.  I’m enjoying my freedom, and right now, I just want to have the space to create music and have fun the resources to do it well.

Daniel’s masterful life stride doesn’t make him immune to the mishaps of everyday living, though.  He will be the first to tell you that his laptops get stolen.  His cars break down, often.  His schedule falls behind, just like the rest of us.  None of it seems to rattle him too much.  I suppose it’s because he’s listening to the music of this very moment and what it has to teach him.  And that’s exactly where he should be.

If you run fast, you can catch Besides Daniel at The Velvet Note this Friday, July 13^th.
Showtimes are 7:30pm and 9:30pm.   Tickets are $10.  For reservations, call 855.5.VELVET or book online at www.thevelvetnote.com.

At The Velvet Note, we are not only inspired by our exceptional musical talent, but also by the pride and joy of our outstanding service staff.  When you visit with us, the men and women waiting on you are truly “ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.”  Gracious, warm, conversational, efficient and responsive and accommodating, our staff has been trained in the principles of fine service, set forth by our legendary service advisor Mr. Stephane LeGouille of Patroon, New York City.  More importantly, The Velvet Note staff members love working in this dynamic, positive environment and attending to each person who comes through our doors.  Our mission is to ensure that you are comfortable throughout the evening and that we take special care to exceed your greatest expectations.   Photo Credit:  Fontaine Lewis Photography

Notes on the Secret Tradition of Gold Leafing

Gold Leaf is a traditional media which has been in practice some 5000 years, beginning in ancient India. Gold leaf is manufactured by hammering real gold into paper-thin sheets. It was widely used during the dynasties of Egypt, as well as in Eastern and Western Europe, evidenced by Byzantine icons and medieval altarpieces. It is still popularly used in religious art, in both the west and the east, due to the fact that its luminous hue and brilliance gives an enlightening appearance to almost any image with which it is paired. **

At The Velvet Note, the window lettering for our jazz club/acoustic living room is being designed and executed by artist William Bruce Mitchell of Squared Away Signs. We caught up with William during his weekend of lettering the Velvet Note door.
VN: You described the Gold Leaf process as an ancient art. What did you mean by that?
Mitchell: It’s a really old, traditional form of signage. The date of origin is debatable, but in terms of signage, its golden age was in the early 1900’s. At that time, it was used for signage for more affluent businesses. You still see it today, being used by banks and law offices.
The gold-leaf lettering technique is so specific that over time, it evolved into a borderline secretive technique, as those who knew it died off and were not replaced by a new generation. It kind of got forgotten over time as one master after another took the technique with him to the grave. Today, it’s very difficult to find a book in print that instructs you on the exact methods of how to do this. There is really only one way to do it and that’s the way it was done one hundred years ago.
VN: How long is it going to take you to complete the gold leaf window lettering for The Velvet Note?

Mitchell: Without any accelerated drying methods, it’s a three-day process. It’s basically a layering process and each step must have a 24-hour period to properly dry before the next step can begin.
VN: As an artist, why did you decide to learn this technique?
Mitchell: I was already doing hand-painted signage. Every once in a while, someone would request gold leaf lettering and although I had heard about it, I didn’t actually know how to do it. Then, I had a client who had paid someone else to do gold leafing and the person used gold-paint instead. My client came to me and asked me to do it, and I told him I would learn how. It was actually my client who directed me to www.archive.org to start looking for old, out-of-print texts on this topic. After a month of reading countless old books, piece by piece, I was able to put together my own method, and that’s basically what you will see when you come through the front door.

VN: Is the gold leaf art a reflection of any of your personal values?
Mitchell: I would have to look at myself hard in the mirror to determine whether that was true, but overall, I really like things that are hand-done and handmade, and I really like old fashioned things. You don’t get more old-fashioned than gold leaf. I really like finding old practices and old skills, and bringing them back to a new audience in a new time period.
I have seen a big shift in the art world with pieces being created to look like the materials that were used to create them. I would liken it to the emergence of organic food—less processed and less mechanized, but of higher quality. The people who hire me to do this work are some of the same types of people who would choose organic food. It also definitely seems that there is a corresponding parallel to the economy. I’ve heard that when people are not at ease financially, they fall back more on their traditions. I think a lot of that is happening now because of the instability everyone feels. I think renewed popularity of gold leaf is a great example of how people look back to history and tradition as a sign of stability going forward.

**  From “Golden Inspirations: Gold Leaf Painting”, at http://robinurton.com/.

We asked Jay Edwards, Host, Jazz of Jazz Tones on Jazz 91.9 WCLK, “What’s in Your CD Player?”

When did you first fall in love with music? I was about 9 or 10 years old and being raised in Catholic School in Harlem. Unfortunately, I was also failing 5^th grade math, so my mother sent me to my aunt to be tutored.  My aunt was a jazz lover.  Each day, she would give me a snack, put on some jazz music and then start tutoring.  After the session, I would ask her about the artist.  She played Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald…all the greats.  It was then that I realized that I was in love with music.

What was the first album you purchased? That same year, I saved my money and bought Kind of Blue by Miles Davis.
And what’s in your CD Player right now? Midnight Jazz Affair by Edy Martinez.  He is a Columbian-born composer,
arranger and pianist and he just recently moved to Atlanta from New York City.  When I hear his music, I think of the artists like Tito Puente, Chico O’Farrill or the big Latin band leaders.

If Jazz were a lady, she would be warm and inviting…sultry and seductive… easily wrapping her long, soft arms around you. When she touched you, the worries of yesterday and today would melt away like sweet cream butter.

If Jazz were a lady, she would whisper in your ear and her tender breath would linger as she caressed your aching soul.

If Jazz were a lady, the sound of her voice might last for only an evening, but your love for her would endure a lifetime.

By TK

The Velvet Note is happy to announce their new website. You will be able to browse our menu and music events.