Mark Iler's New CD: "It's About Time"

Purchase Information

CDs are $15.00 apiece or… 2 for $25.00

For purchases of 3 or more CDs, the cost is $10.00 per CD
Please add $2.00 for Postage and Handling.

Checks can be made out and sent to…

Humor & Heart Music
2401 Bristol Ct SW
Suite A103
Olympia, WA  98502


Or Purchase Now:



Musicians, Bands, Affiliations & Instruments…

Mark Iler (Grey Hawk Productions, Humor & Heart) - Hamilton Parlor 6 String, Martin 5-15 6 String Tenor, Taylor 514c 6 String, Ibanez 12 String, Harmonica & Vocals 

All Songs Composed by Mark W. Iler
Humor & Heart Music © 2015 

Produced by Mark Iler & David Lange 
Steve Ackerman - Mandolin 
Julie Bennett - Bodhran & Brushes on a Box 
Barbara Collins - Fiddle 
Hank Cramer - Guitar & Vocals 
Paul Gabrielson (Kingston Trio) - Upright Bass 
Greg Hendrickson (Kevin Jones Band) - Electric 5 String Fretless Bass 
Greg Hill - Electric 5 String Fretless Bass 
Orville Johnson - Dobro & Washboard 
Kevin Jones (Kevin Jones Band) - Dobro, Electric Guitar & Vocals 
David Lange (Pearl Django, David Lange Studios) - Accordion & Piano 
Jess McKeegan (Jessica Jensen Law) - Irish Whistle & Vocals 
Tye Menser (Oly Mountain Boys) - Banjo 
Obe Quarless - Steel Pan Drums 
Matt Rotchford (St. James Gate) - Upright Bass 
Steve Smith (Seattle Drum School) - Drums, Conga, Triangle & Egg Shaker 
Doug Williamson (Kevin Jones Band) - Drums 
Turn Studios, Enumclaw, WA 
Recording Engineer: Kevin Jones 
 
David Lange Studios, Edgewood, WA 

Recording & Mixing Engineer: David Lange 

Nyburg Mastering Studio Mastering Engineer: Ross Nyburg 

Graphics, Copy & Packaging…  
Cover Photo - Julie Bennett
Watch Photo - Mark Iler  
All Other Photos - Kit Cramer & Lisa Rickard
CD Graphics, Covers & Liner Notes, Layouts - Kit Cramer  
Proof Reading - Maureen Maskew 

Jess McKeegan - For your continued Love, Friendship, Professional Legal Counsel and support of not only me, but for my musical adventures and for insisting that this project be only my own original songs. Good Call Sweetheart! I could not have asked for a better Partner - Musical or otherwise! 
 
David Lange - For all your insight, experience and hard work on this project. I couldn’t have picked a person with better ears or a better place to record! 
 
Hank & Kit Cramer and Ferryboat Music - For making me a part of the Ferryboat Family - AND for all the CD Graphics, Marketing Advise, Gigs, Studio Time, Travel, Stories, Music and adventure! 
 
Kevin Jones - For your continued friendship, music and encouragement over the years - AND for your musical and recording talents! 
 
Roger Hamilton - For building me the best guitar I’ve ever owned. You told me I had better “Play the Hell out of it” and I can proudly say that there is NO Hell in that guitar (not there ever was) and (unfortunately) you can tell by looking at it… 
 
Darrell Prowse - For the use of your 1930’s era Vintage RCA Ribbon Microphone. All the Harmonica parts on this project were recorded with that mic! 
 
Other Most Honorable Mentions and Dear Friends
Let us not forget Kat Simmons, Phil (Bags) Belfiori, Elaine Osborn Robinson, Scott Iler, Su Ross-Benson (and the Parrotheads Of Puget Sound), The First Friday Musicians, Victory Music, Chris Lunn & Ancient Victorys, my Grand Parents and Great Grand Parents, The 3RFS Tumbleweed Music Festival, my Michigan Friends and whoever it was that sent me the email about the dead Blues Musician - None of this would have happened if not for you all! 

The Songs & Musicians

Mark - Hamilton Guitar, Harmonica & Vocals 
Orville - Dobro & Washboard 
Paul - Upright Bass 
Jess - Chorus Vocals 

Though we’re no longer married, Elaine is still a dear friend and my Web Master. And, yes - she had a bit of a shopping habit at the time that I, quite frankly, did not discourage (we DID have fun!). No worries - she likes the song...

Lyrics

Caribbean Daydream (St. Somewhere) 
Mark - Hamilton Guitar & Vocals 
Steve - Clave 
Obe - Steel Pan Drums 
Greg H. - Electric 5 String Fretless Bass 
Doug - Drums 

I was sitting in my office one February, looking out my window as the rain melted the snow and started to think about Palm Trees and Sandy Beaches and the ability to wear my Flip-Flops. The only thing that prevented me from buying a fun ticket to Key West was the work I had already scheduled…

Lyrics

Mark - Hamilton Guitar (Lead & Rhythm), Harmonica & Vocals 
Kevin - Dobro / Slide Guitar 
Paul - Upright Bass 
Steve - Drums 

I received a bunch of musician jokes in the email. Question: “What does it say on a Blues Singers Tombstone?” 
Answer: “I didn’t wake up this morning” 
I thought... What a great opening line to a song! 
**BLUES DISCLAIMER! This is NOT a real Blues song. This is a song written in the Blues Style. Let’s be real here folks… I have no right to sing the blues. I live with a beautiful woman in a lovely home with all the modern technical trappings like Cell Phone, Computer, a Big Screen for watching Movies, a Nice Car, Chickens and Ducks in the yard for fresh eggs as well as lovely Vegetable & Flower Gardens - plus I have a great job. I have nothing to sing the blues about. I just like to write goofy songs…

Lyrics

Mark - Hamilton Guitar, Martin 5-15 Terz Guitar & Vocals 
Barbara - Fiddle 
David - Accordion 
Steve - Triangle 
Greg Hendrickson - Electric 5 String Fretless Bass 
Doug - Drums 

It’s amazing what a cold sloppy winter day in the Northwest can bring out.  I actually got to go there on an Audio job in 2001.  I had planned on extending my stay by about a week so that I could really check the place out (I had never been there), but had to have an emergency Appendectomy 2 days before the job.  My doctor said I could still go only if I didn’t have to lift anything more than a dinner fork - and only if I came home as soon as the job was done.  At least my hotel was on Bourbon Street, but that’s all I saw.  I need to get back there…

Lyrics

Mark - Hamilton Guitar, Martin 5-15 Terz Guitar, Harmonica & Vocals 
Jess - Harmony Vocals 
Kevin - Electric Guitar 
Paul - Upright Bass 
Steve Smith - Drums 

Back in the late 80’s I was working for a production company in Michigan and was traveling a LOT!  Even now when I’m on the road without Jess, I really look forward to seeing her smiling face when I get home.  She tells me that I have one foot out the door, but I remind her that I have the other foot firmly planted at Camp Olympia (the nickname for our Log Cabin Home).

Lyrics

Mark - Hamilton Guitar & Vocals 
Obe - Steel Pan Drums 
Steve - Conga 
Greg Hendrickson - Electric 5 String Fretless Bass 
Doug - Drums 

I attended a Jimmy Buffett “Parrotheads” Convention in Key West with some friends and I got inspired.  This is about that.  When I say Duvall, I’m talking about Duvall Street in Key West - The street where you’ll find most of the Bars, Restaurants and Tourist Shops in town.  Fond memories indeed.  Mix yourself a Boat Drink and get ready for some island time!

Lyrics

Mark - Taylor 514 Guitar, Vocals 
Jess - Irish Whistle & Chorus Vocals 
Hank - Martin Guitar & Chorus Vocals 
Steve Ackerman - Mandolin 
David - Accordion 
Matt - Upright Bass 
Kevin - Chorus Vocals 
Julie - Bodhran 

A true account of the Great White Hurricane of 1913 that affected the Great Lakes surrounding Michigan. I wrote this for my Great Grandfather Walter Cole Iler (In his voice) who was the Captain of the George G. Crawford, a Great Lakes Ore Freighter and one of the longest Ore Boats on the Lakes at the time.  Over 25 ships were lost over 3 days on the Great Lakes and his was 1 of only 2 that survived on Lake Huron that day.  It was storms like this, I’m sure, that added many years to my Great Grandmother’s life in just a few days.  This song originally appeared on a CD by Hank Cramer and Constellation’s Crew called “Back To Sea”… an excellent CD to have in your collection!  I updated the song by replacing the fiddle part with Jess’s whistle part (apologies to David Hakala who is a wonderful fiddle player), re-singing the main Vocals and adding Kevin Jones to the Chorus Vocals.

Lyrics

Mark - Rhythm & Lead Hamilton Guitar, Harmonica & Vocals 
Orville - Dobro 
Jess - Chorus Vocals 
Greg Hill - Electric 5 String Fretless Bass 
Steve Smith - Drums 

**See the above BLUES DISCLAIMER…
Inspired by our First Friday Jam Musicians after putting out on the snack table these tasty but potent treats sent to me by my dear friend Kat who had the experience described in the opening line of the song...
 

Mark - Hamilton Guitar, Martin 5-15 Terz Guitar & Vocals 
Jess - Chorus Vocals 
Tye - Banjo 
Paul - Upright Bass 
Julie - Brushes on a Cardboard Box 

Written for the 2013 Tumbleweed Folk Festival Songwriting Contest in Richland, WA.  The theme was "Bridges”.  I never entered a Songwriting Contest before and I got in as a finalist - I didn’t win, but Jess and I had a great time playing it!

Lyrics

Mark - Vocals, Hamilton Guitar & Harmonica 

Written for the 2012 Tumbleweed Folk Festival Songwriting Contest in Richland, WA.  The theme was “Crossroads”.  Kit Cramer suggested that I Make it “Cross Roads” - meaning upset, mean, nasty, etc.  I ended up having to work the weekend of the festival and never entered it in the contest.  It pretty much sounds like this when I play it live - like it was recorded with 1 microphone ala early Bob Dylan. I like to think it won…

Lyrics

Mark - Ibanez 12 String Guitar, Harmonica & Vocals 
Jess - Irish Whistle & Chorus Vocals 
Paul - Upright Bass 
Kevin - Chorus Vocals 
Hank - Chorus Vocals 
Julie - Bodhran 

Back in the late 70’s, I found out that my Great Grandfather was the Captain of a Great Lakes Ore Freighter in the early 1900’s - then I thought of my Great Grandmother and what it must have been like to wait for him to come home.  This one’s for her.

Lyrics

Mark - Ibanez 12 String Guitar, Hamilton Guitar (Capo 5), Harmonica & Vocals
David - Piano 
Jess - Lead & Harmony Vocals 
Paul - Upright Bass 
Steve - Drums 

Written back in the early 80’s for a friend’s wedding.  I ended up playing this for quite a few weddings back then.  Jess and I share the Lead Vocals on this one.  Though I didn’t write this for us in particular, it certainly applies!

Lyrics

Mark - Martin 5-15 Terz Guitar 
Paul - Upright Bass 
Steve - Egg Shaker 

Written while waiting for 5 hours at the San Francisco Airport for my flight to Frankfurt, Germany.  I was flying there to see my friend Phil (Bags) Belfiori and go for a bicycle ride along the Main & Rhine Rivers.  I played it for him when I got there and mentioned that I couldn’t come up with a good name for the piece. He said, “Why don’t you call it “Bags Of Friends”?”.  My first thought was “Perfect!”.  Thanks Bags!