The Original Harmony Ridge Creek Dippers

Dipping a toe (and more) in the waters...

The very name of this band, the Original Harmony Ridge Creek Dippers, is about as good a summation of their music as you'll find. It's homespun stuff, made for the sheer pleasure of writing, singing, and playing. Which means that for two of its participants, ex-Jayhawk Mark Olson and his wife, singer-songwriter Victoria Williams(known on the records as Mabel Allbright), it's a big change from the commercial treadmill. Along with multi-instrumentalist Mark Russell and a few guests, they've put out two album, the self-titled debut and Pacific Coast Rambler. Both were recorded in the living room of the house Olson and Williams share in California's Mojave Desert (a place that's fast becoming a hotbed of creativity, no pun intended).

"We all got together for Victoria's Musings of a Creek Dipper album, to record a few things. We did a few songs, as demos, and then we suggested Mike came back and we'd do it properly," recalls Olson. "The three of us playing together was so much fun. It seemed to jibe, and Mike plays a lot of different instruments, so he can add something different to each song. So he came back, and we did the first record then. It's easygoing and fun, and I love the simplicity of it, which is reflected in the music."

"We're going to get someone to help here with the label, which will free us up. The next thing we have to do is record Vic's new album, and then we'll put out our record, and we'll see."

From such humble beginnings, the band seems to have taken on a life and identity of its own. The music is still basically three friends picking together (two of who happen to be very talented songwriters). It's laid-back, lazy, the perfect accompaniment to a warm afternoon.

"We've learned as we've gone along," Olson continues. "For me, the main influences have been Victoria and Mike, then Sixties country and folk - Willie and Waylon, and Bert Jansch. We sell some records, some people write about us, and it keeps going. We toured Europe for a month last September, and it seems as if there's a fan base there - Glasgow was really good. By touring and getting to know people at record stores in towns, it all helps."

Originally, the Creek Dippers albums were only available by mail order from Olson and Williams, but that's changed a little. "We have a couple of people who distribute us now (Direct in the U.K.). When we finished the first record, I thought about playing it for someone I knew at a record company. But it seemed like a good opportunity to do it on our own. It was a lot of leg work, but now we enjoy it. When we go on tour, we have to hire someone to keep the mail order part going. I enjoy saying I've got my own little business."

Of course, Victoria Williams has quite a thriving career, even though it's been set back a bit by her bouts with MS. There is some crossover between the musics. Hummingbird, from the Creek Dippers debut, appear on a Williams record, "and there might be more. It's open in that way, and if it happens, the song gets done very differently. We're in contact with her company about everything, and they've been cool about it."

If it happens could almost be the band's motto. If someone should stop by when recording is going on, they might just sit it. "We just had a couple of drop-ins," Olson says. "If someone's in L.A. and they know us, they give us a call - they want to see what this desert thing is all about. We're only a couple of hours away, but that's ample away from ‘civilization.' There's getting to be a little music in the coffee houses around here, that's it."

Soon, too, there'll be a brand new Creek Dippers album, currently titled Zola and the Tulip Tree. It's already complete, and, Olson says, "it has a similar feel to the first two, but there's a pedal steel player from Son Volt, which gives it a different feel. I think it's the best one yet, but that's relative." And the release might well see them back on the road. "We're going to get someone to help here with the label, which will free us up. The next thing we have to do is record Vic's new album, and then we'll put out our record, and we'll see."

Oh, and if you're wondering about the mysterious Ms. Allbright, it's because Williams "has another publishing she's used that name for. Her record company requested that we didn't feature Vic's name, so we decided to use the Mabel thing."

So when you're wandering by the side of the creek, stop and dip your toes in. It's one place where the water is warm.....

This article first appeared in Folk Roots

The Original Harmony Ridge Creek Dippers

"We're going to get someone to help here with the label, which will free us up. The next thing we have to do is record Vic's new album, and then we'll put out our record, and we'll see."

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