Laurence Baer

“Across Love” (2018) is Laurence’s 3rd project and his second collaboration with Justin Pokrywka, who sings lead in all the songs except “To Bring A Mermaid Home” which really needed an Irish vocalist. Larry Hogan of Dublin arranged the song and provided the lead vocals with Justin singing harmonies.

On three songs, “Bandolin Cafe”; “Long Way From Eden”; and “You and Me and God”, Clair Stein provides crystal clear vocals creating three beautiful duets.

Like “Across Time”, this new project is also organized very intentionally, beginning with “Don’t Ever Doubt That You Are Loved” which expresses God’s original dream for each person; and followed by “Song of Cain” which portrays our separation from God.

What follows are a range of beautiful, meaningful, compelling, and sometimes funny, but always uplifting songs chronicling our experiences of love in a world not yet reunited with God. Finally in the last two songs, which are bookends to the first two, we hear “When He Guides Us Home”, a beautiful song conveying the completion of history’s work towards reunion between God and Man; and “You And Me And God” conveying the experience of our Heavenly Parents (yes, God is both Masculine and Feminine!) when God can finally share the fullness of love with His/Her children.

This CD too, has already won recognition in song competitions, receiving 4 awards in the 2018 Mid Atlantic Song Contest as well as an Honorable Mention in the International Acoustic Music Awards.

All songs written exclusively by Laurence Baer except:

Bandolin Café (music Shelby Eicher, lyrics Laurence Baer);

Everything’s Changing & My Sweet Sweet Beautiful Wife (Co-write: Justin Pokrywka & Laurence Baer);

Out of Nowhere (music Mark Mazengarb, lyrics Laurence Baer); &

I Hate Goodbye (music Laurence Baer; lyrics Gamaliel Baer);

All vocals exclusively by Justin Pokrywka except:

Bandolin Café (Clair Stein & Justin Pokrywka);

I Woke Up Today and My Heartache Was Gone (intro countdown – Shelby Eicher, vocals Justin Pokrywka);

Long Way From Eden (Clair Stein & Justin Pokrywka);

To Bring A Mermaid Home (Larry Hogan & Justin Pokrywka);

You and Me and God (Clair Stein & Justin Pokrywka).

Songs

1. Don’t Ever Doubt That You Are Loved: Mark Mazengarb – guitar; Brad Albin – bass; John McTigue – drums
2. Song of Cain: Shelby Eicher – fiddle, guitar, and mandolin; Nathan Eicher – bass; Rick Bentley – banjo
3. Bandolin Café: Shelby Eicher – fiddle, guitar, and mandola; Isaac Eicher – mandolin; Nathan Eicher – bass
4. Everything’s Changing: Mark Mazengarb – guitars; Loren Barrigar – bass; Rickie Simpkins – fiddle
5. I Woke Up Today and My Heartache Was Gone: Shelby Eicher – fiddle, rhythm guitar, and mandolin; Nathan Eicher – bass; Rick Bentley – banjo; Loren Barrigar – lead guitar
6. Far as I Can See: Mark Mazengarb – guitar; Loren Barrigar – bass; Chris Dorr – drums
7. Coming Home: Jack Bond – guitar, bass, and percussion
8. Long Way From Eden: Mark Mazengarb – guitar; Nathan Eicher – bass
9. Renew: Mark Mark Mazengarb – guitar; Loren Barrigar – bass; Shelby Eicher – fiddle
10. Out of Nowhere: Mark Mazengarb – guitar; Loren Barrigar – bass
11. The Miracle We All Are: Mark Mazengarb – guitar – Loren Barrigar – bass
12. To Bring A Mermaid Home: Larry Hogan – guitars , vocals, bass, keys; Shea Fitzgerald – low whistle , high whistle and mandolin; Shelby Eicher – fiddle
13. I Hate Goodbye: Mark Mazengarb – guitar; Loren Barrigar – bass
14. My Sweet Sweet Beautiful Wife: Justin Pokrywka – all instruments
15. I’m Gonna Be a Grampa: Shelby Eicher – fiddle and guitar; Isaac Eicher – mandolin; Nathan Eicher – bass
16. My Favorite Girl: Richard Smith – guitar
17. When He Guides Us Home: Loren Barrigar and Mark Mazengarb – guitars; Loren Barrigar – bass
18. You and Me and God: Mark Mazengarb – guitar; Nick Vayenas – trombone and trumpet

Recorded and Engineered at SubCat Studios, Syracuse by Jeremy Johnston

Graphic Design by Leslie Johnston

Special thanks to:

Justin Pokrywka Studio, Preston, MD/Justin Pokrywka for recording vocal tracks for every song and instrumental tracks for Everything’s Changing, Renew, and My Sweet Sweet Beautiful Wife;

Slack Key Studios, Nashville, TN/ Randy Kohrs for recording tracks for Don’t Ever Doubt That You Are Loved;

Dublin Studio Hub, Dublin, Ireland/Larry Hogan for recording tracks for To Bring a Mermaid Home;

Severn Records, Annapolis, MD/David Earl for recording tracks for Bandolin Café, Long Way From Eden, and You and Me and God;

Shelby Eicher Studio, Tulsa, OK/Shelby Eicher for recording tracks for Song of Cain, Bandolin Café, I Woke Up Today and My Heartache Was Gone, Long Way From Eden, Renew, To Bring A Mermaid Home, and I’m Gonna Be a Grampa;

Tunesmith Studio, Nashville, TN/Richard Smith, for recording tracks for My Favorite Girl;

The Basement Studio NYC/Nick Vayenas for recording tracks for You and Me and God

Rickie Simpkins Studio, Upper Marlboro, MD/Rickie Simpkins for recording tracks for Everything’s Changing;

Jack Bond Studio, Silver Spring, MD/Jack Bond for recording tracks for Coming Home

Chris Dorr Studio, Denton, MD/Chris Door for recording tracks for Far As I Can See