This is an archive of recorded performances by the Chanterelles.

It seems that no music should become completely lost. The Chanterelles were known to audiences around Bellingham, Washington in the mid-80s. They performed many of Forrest's original songs, along with covers of classic folk-rock and jazz tunes. LIstening back, they had a unique sound, especially in their carefully worked-out three part harmonies.

This page archives all the available recordings of the Chanterelles,.The sound quality is sub-par, given that the only record we had of this material were live recordings dumped off the sound board onto a cassette tape! No flash recorders back in 1985. Still, given that, something is captured here.  IIt's all raw, demoing some decent musicians figuring out their way, but there was a lot of heart, and my songs certainly were idealistic and sometimes funny. They shouldn't get lost, and now here they are.

The Chanterelles were Forrest and Lynnell with Steve Jensen on vocals and bass and Mark Kelly on saxophone and flute. There are some great sax solos from Mark embedded in these tracks. I hope he likes hearing them again. And I hope Steve enjoys this blast from the past as well.

Here are the covers. The originals are below.

And here are Forrest's originals.

1. Music is. A short concert opener for our "Mama Sundays' concert. It's in 5/4 and I'm out of tune at the beginning! Oh well, it's  what it is.

2. Roller Coaster. A song about the ups and downs of life, but more using the analogy of getting buzzed on coffee and then needing a few tequilas to come down. Those were the days.

3. Angelina. A story-song, based loosely on Lynnell's early life, but with poetic elaborations. Mima's favorite song! I've always liked the changes on this one.

4. Magic Show. I used to call this a "nervous love song," because it was written when Lynnell and I were first getting together and nothing was certain. I think it captures a bit of that universal feeling at the beginning of a relationship when it's all giddy but you don't know where it's going.

5. El Salvador. Remember the 80s? We on the liberal side of the politcal spectrum were pretty worked up about El Salvador. This was my musical response. I always liked the music to this tune, and the words still have meaning to us lefties! I remember that we really worked on getting more independence to our three-part harmony, treating more like counterpoint. A good arrangement.

6. Coming Winds. While we're at it, remember Star Wars and the Reagan missle defense. Every set needed a good anti-nuclear war song, and this was mine. Right in the pocket of the protest-song genre.

7. And speaking of left-wingers, my song Leftover Hippie was always fun. It was a re-do of a Mose Allison blues tune, but with a clear message that the counter-culture was not dead (yet). This was especially true in the Pacific Northwest in the early 80s when I wrote this.  It's still true in my heart!

8. Moon Tune. A gentle song based on a haiku I always liked: "The theif left it behind, the moon at the window." Fun layering of the three-part harmony.

9. Goin' to school. I taught public school outside of Bellingham, and before that I was a substitute teacher. One day as a substitute, my music class didn't show up, and I sat down and wrote out this song in about as long as it takes to sing it. I've always loved this little song, writ from the heart to all the children who have to endure the mind-numbing qualities of public school education. (Sorry for the terribly out of tune piano at this gig!)

10. I became a memory. The first successful song I ever wrote. The first verse reflects the letting go of youth, the second the letting go of love and the third the letting go of self. I was studying Buddhism at Naropa Institute at the time (1977) and had just broken up with my fiance. The tempo is really too fast in this performance, and the recording quality is weird and quavery, but we discovered some gorgeous harmonies on the second and third choruses, and for that it feels necessary to post it here.The harmony at the end on the word "world" still kills me.

11. Mr. Magoo. Magoo, the cartoon character, as zen master. I always liked this little tune, especially the last verse: "now I think you know something that most of us quickly forget. The more that we try to make things go our way, the worse it's gonna get, so don't you worry if you're feeling blind, just try to keep moving and try to be kind, and remember that guy on the TV show who always knew how to go with the flow."