Twilight on the trail

Musical composition


Mize, Jen and Sholtez, Mark. 2019. Twilight on the trail. Australia.
Title

Twilight on the trail

Type of WorkMusical composition
Creator/ContributorMize, Jen (Producer (Film)) and Sholtez, Mark (Producer (Film))
Year2019
Place of PublicationAustralia
Description of Work

Twilight on the Trail is a beautifully rendered collection of iconic cowboy songs from the golden era of American popular music.

This collaborative work from Jen Mize and Mark Sholtez takes a fresh look at the music of the great cowboy crooners (Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Sons of the Pioneers), and like the landscape that inspired these songs, the album is rich in musical detail yet remains wonderfully open and spacious.

Jen Mize grew up in a ranch house in the heart of the Mojave Desert with dreams of being a rodeo queen. A descendant of the Native American Lumbee people, for Jen the stories captured in these old cowboy songs often run parallel to her own story and her childhood experiences exploring the rugged terrain of the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains.

Sholtez however has a vastly different connection to this music. He came to know the old west through a Hollywood lens, and in the form of the singing cowboy. Ultimately, it was Sholtez’s ongoing fascination with these lonesome cowboy chronicles, underscored by a perfect Hollywood soundtrack, that inspired the recording of Twilight on the Trail. The late-night call of the cowboy crooner was not all that different from the sounds emerging from the big city jazz clubs of the time, making it an ideal musical meeting place for this collaboration.

On first listen, it’s clear that Mize and Sholtez are the real deal. Building on their existing bodies of creative work and drawing from their rich and diverse musical backgrounds, they bring new life and new meaning to this timeless material. From the playful to-and-fro of 'Lights of Old Santa Fe' and 'My Rifle, My Pony and Me', to the understated 'Wand’rin’ Star', and unapologetically heartbreaking 'Black Hills of Dakota', Mize and Sholtez’s vocal performances are charming, honest, and personal, highlighting both their commitment and connection to these songs. As a result, Twilight on the Trail feels equally nostalgic and unexpected.

MARK SHOLTEZ first came to the public’s attention with his chart topping, Tommy LiPuma (Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Miles Davis) produced debut Real Street (Verve/Universal). The APRA Awarding winning, ARIA Award nominated album may have seen him topping jazz charts, but Sholtez has always been first and foremost a singer-songwriter.

Mark’s second album, The Distance Between Two Truths (Warner), featuring production by Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman, Shawn Colvin), saw his dedication to songwriting craft bought clearly into focus. Since then Sholtez’ music has become increasingly hard to pin down to one genre, crossing musical borders to take in elements of 70’s pop, jazz, modern day Americana, and Laurel Canyon folk, making for a consistently intriguing listen.

JEN MIZE possesses the rare ability to live in a wide range of musical worlds with absolute authenticity. Her music can be both commanding and subtle, and draws on a diverse range of influences from Sarah Vaughan and James Taylor, to Bonnie Raitt and John Prine.

Since the 2014 release of her stellar debut album Fear, Pride & a Few Stubborn Angels, and her widely acclaimed 2016 sophomore release Warnings and Wisdom (lovingly produced by Shane Nicholson), Jen has been busy touring, recording, and earning the accolades that come with the hard work of being an Alt Country troubadour.

Through the success of her national radio program Three Chords and the Truth (with Paddy McHugh), this celebrated songwriter and recording artist is also recognised as one of Australia’s foremost authorities on Americana and Alt-Country music.

Selected Media Quotes:

“They tip their hats to the great cowboy crooners and iconic songs from a golden era of music. Mark’s jazz background melds into the saddle with ease and Jen’s diverse music studies from her time at Berklee to an independent singer-songwriter are both at home on the trail with these classics.”
ABC’s Saturday Night Country

“Mize and Sholtez both possess exceptional voices. Clearly schooled in not just country music, they draw on jazz, soul, blues, and folk which add to the timeless sound, whether they are harmonising on the iconic “Home on the Range” and “Cool Water” or taking solo flights on songs such as Mize’s soul-baring and moving rendition of “The Black Hills of Dakota” and Sholtez’s “Wand’rin’ Star”, which sounds like Chet Baker serenading last drinks in an empty saloon.”
Rhythms Magazine

“An exquisite collection of country songs from yesteryear, delivered with heartache and reverie. From dusty trails to lonesome saloons, Mize and Sholtez dial into the old-timey sound with sincerity, sensitivity and a stellar band.”
Post To Wire

“Twilight on the Trail is a truly beautiful record – a collection of tried and tested (but largely forgotten) songs expertly arranged and performed by two great singers and a great set of musicians from both jazz and country worlds.”
Country Capital News

ANZSRC Field of Research 2020360304. Music performance
360302. Music composition and improvisation
360305. Music technology and recording
Public Notes

Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions.

Byline AffiliationsIndependent Musician, Australia
School of Arts and Communication
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
Permalink -

https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q5461/twilight-on-the-trail

  • 238
    total views
  • 32
    total downloads
  • 5
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

Whitsundays Songwriter Festival 2023 - Concert and Conversation
Sholtez, Mark. 2023. Whitsundays Songwriter Festival 2023 - Concert and Conversation. Airlie Beach, QLD 02 - 02 Sep 2023
Zurich Jazz Orchestra, conducted by Claudia Döffinger, and featuring guest vocalist Kristin Beradi
Sholtez, Mark. 2023. Zurich Jazz Orchestra, conducted by Claudia Döffinger, and featuring guest vocalist Kristin Beradi. Zurich Switzerland 23 Mar 2023
Tear my stillhouse down: An exploration of collaborative studio practice in record production
Scholtes, Mark. 2023. Tear my stillhouse down: An exploration of collaborative studio practice in record production. PhD Thesis Doctor of Philosophy. University of Southern Queensland. https://doi.org/10.26192/z58xy
The Corrs Down Under 2023 (with Toni Childs and Natalia Imbruglia)
Scholtes, M.. 2023. The Corrs Down Under 2023 (with Toni Childs and Natalia Imbruglia). Australian and New Zealand 25 Oct - 11 Nov 2023
Twilight on the Trail – Music
Sholtez, Mark. 2023. "Twilight on the Trail – Music." NiTRO: Creative Matters. (48).
Jen Mize and the Rough n Tumble
Sholtez, Mark. 2023. Jen Mize and the Rough n Tumble . Australia.
What You Want
Scholtes, Mark and Berardi, Kristin. 2022. What You Want. International.
I’m Glad There is You
Scholtes, Mark. 2017. I’m Glad There is You. Australia.
EP - Mat Verevis
Scholtes, Mark and Verevis, Mat. 2021. EP - Mat Verevis. Australia.
Magnolia
Scholtes, Mark. 2020. Magnolia. Brisbane, Australia.
Practice-led research and the myth of rigour
Scholtes, Mark and Batorowicz, Beata. 2019. "Practice-led research and the myth of rigour." NiTRO: Creative Matters.
Outra Vez (A Question of When)
Scholtes, Mark. 2017. Outra Vez (A Question of When).
Whatcha Gonna Do About Me
James, Harmony, James, Harmony and Sholtez, Mark. 2015. Whatcha Gonna Do About Me. Australia.
Skin & Scars
Kennedy, Luke, Kennedy, Luke and Sholtez, Mark. 2015. Skin & Scars. Australia.
The Edge of the Known World
Sholtez, Mark, Sholtez, Mark, Sholtez, Mark and Woodward, Bruce. 2015. The Edge of the Known World. Australia.
Sting and the Sydney Symphony Australian Tour - Mark Sholtez
Scholtes, Mark and Woodward, Bruce. 2011. Sting and the Sydney Symphony Australian Tour - Mark Sholtez. Swan Valley, Australia 22 Jan 2011
Dark in my imagination
Scholtes, Mark. 2012. Dark in my imagination. Los Angeles, Ca, USA.
Too Late For Heroes
Scholtes, Mark. 2009. Too Late For Heroes.
Wendy Matthews and Mark Sholtez at the Sydney Opera House
Sholtez, Mark and Matthews, Wendy. 2013. Wendy Matthews and Mark Sholtez at the Sydney Opera House. Sydney 23 Nov 2013
Won't Let The Sun (Go Down On This Love)
Sholtez, Mark. 2009. Won't Let The Sun (Go Down On This Love). Australia.
Who I Am
Sholtez, Mark. 2013. Who I Am. Australia.
The Distance Between Two Truths
Sholtez, Mark. 2010. The Distance Between Two Truths. Los Angeles, United States.