It brings me great pride to present, for the first time, these never-before-heard demos from my grandfather, Art Castner.

My Dad's family was from Nazareth, Pennsylvania, but my mother's family was from a short spit across the river, in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, and that branch of the family LOVED country music.

It wasn't until I was in my early 20's that I found out that Art was my grandfather.
The framework my young mind was raised under
was that my Grandma's husband was my grandfather. The real story... was that my blood grandfather was a hellraiser with a drinking problem, and so my grandmother left him for the bass player in the band.

By the time the family sat me down to finally unearth these heretofore buried skeletons, I'd become a musician- ignorant of all of this- but developing a keen interest in country music, due to listening and studying the Lemonheads and Johnny Cash discographies.

Genes are a funny thing.

This collection was recorded later in Art's life. By then, he had long since remarried, raised some more kids, and all the music he performed was done volunteer style, at nursing homes and bingo halls and the like. He made this recording for my Aunt Dianne, for Mother's Day.

What I know about my grandfather Art is sketchy at best. My parents were barely out of their teen years when I was born, and due to a divorce and a custody battle, it was thought best that I'd stay with relatives for a time. And so there was a time, as a baby, that I lived with Art and his wife.

My Dad tells me that my grandfather's acoustic guitar would have been the first live music I ever heard. He says, that when they'd go to visit, my grandfather was such an entertainer that it often became more about him showboating with his guitar than the baby.

I don't know much about Art's career. But what I've heard, is that he and his band were pretty popular during their day, in what I'm assuming was the late- 50s into the mid- 60s. Supposedly they were in the running to be on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, but the call never came. In those days when a person literally had to be by the phone to get a call, with no cell phones... and no answering machines... who knows what happened.

There are stories about parties they played that shut down whole blocks, and one notable event where they were presented with the key to the city from the mayor.

He was an incredibly gifted man, and he poured his heart and his soul into his voice and his instrument. You can hear the magic in these recordings. Even though this was undoubtedly recorded with the internal mic on a boombox, it somehow sounds like Hank Williams on the radio. I feel so privileged to finally be able to give this music to the world. Thank you to my beloved aunts Dianne, and Lynn Castner, and thank you to my family. Anyone who listens to this, especially anyone who shares it, has my sincere gratitude. Thank you. Jesse.