Quality Americana

Today we look back at the Terlingua Sessions, a two part series recorded in the Far West Texas desert.

“Those are basically live sessions down there,” Christen said, “with just guitar on top, you know. That’s the old style of bass, and the drums, and the acoustic guitar and the harmonica all live and in one take.”

Don Pedro

“I worked forever on that,” Christen said. “I went through all these chord progressions, I looked for co-writers, I read up on him. He was a Texas healer back in the 1880s.”

Christen recorded the song in the Terlingua ghost town church and had a small shrine set up inside with candles and pictures. 

“At the end of the song right on cue the wind picks up in the desert and rings the bell,” Christen said. “It’s in the recording. The same thing happened on ‘I’m Yours Tonight.’ Both of those songs the church bell rang on cue right at the end of the song.”

You can also hear the local spoon player tapping along in the sessions. 

Coming to Texas

Christen was born in Utah, and came to Texas just before his teenage years. He was a military brat that eventually settled in Dallas. 

“My dad took guitar lessons with me for like two lessons or something,” Christen said,” but then he dropped off. I started when I was about nine years old.” 

He taught himself the craft of songwriting throughout his teens, and quickly joined local bands. Christen now hosts a songwriter showcase and song swap in Dallas every month, and usually performs with guitar player and producer on his studio recordings Don Maracle.

Terlingua

The Terlingua Sessions was recorded in March of 2024 with the initial releases of “Don Pedro,” “Terlingua Moon” and “I’m Yours Tonight.”

“I’ve hiked all of Big Ben for years and years,” Christen said. “I just love the area. I’ve been going there for so long that I’ve built all these friends down there and established myself down there as one of the musicians. There’s some really talented guys down there.”

The first sessions were done with Scott Walker on guitar and finished just before Christen proposed to his wife in the West Texas desert. 

“I got married at the end of that session,” Christen said. “I asked her the night before in one of the bars there in Terlingua.” 

Walker happened to be an ordained minister and could officiate the ceremony.

“She’s my ride or die now,” Christen said. “At the end of the recording session we got married in the ghost town church.”

If You Were a Bluebird

Christen returned one year later to record part two of the sessions, which he’s releasing as singles. It includes the “Train Song” and “If You Were a Bluebird,” a wonderful interpretation of a Butch Hancock song. 

“That’s a Flatlanders tune,” Christen said. “I told him I was going to cut that Bluebird song. That’s some true Americana there.” 

Hancock is a local resident in Terlingua where he often performs in town alongside his son Rory. The sessions featured Walker on guitar, Moses Martinez on harmonica, and it was produced by Bill Palmer.

“I hope I can do it a third time and be as lucky,” Christen said.

Support the Artist

More information about Dave Christen can be found here.

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