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Smooth Water Liner Notes
Gentle breezes......warm sands......breathtaking sunsets......special places. It holds you. John Michael Gray delivers a serene ensemble of original songs. Allow yourself to escape!
Every February, when the Midwest winter is at its peak and the daily temperature hovers consistantly below freezing and everything we see outdoors is either brown or white......we break away and go south to the Florida Gulf Coast.
It always amazes us how there's such a sharp contrast between deicing the wings before we takeoff and having the air conditioning just right before we land.
We suddenly see green. The sky appears to be a blue reflection of the water below.
The first priority is to bare our feet and get to the beach.
The sun is so warm, the air so fresh and the sand sifts between our toes like flour.
At the water's edge are billions of shells......in places, piles of them. We always find at least one that looks like we've never seen before.
The sailboats in the distance are a blur and seem to be in another world.
Seagulls float just overhead, against the wind like kites without strings. An occasional pelican glides by on its way to the next rooftop.
The cabanas mark the spots of the day for worshipers and sleepers.
Islands in remote view offer mysterious curiousity.
The gentle waves are cool and salty and never ending.
This must be paradise.
Yes, the Midwest winter is gone......we rest on our balcony as slight breezes bring the sounds and smells of the surf, and the sun gradually sinks into the Smooth Water.
Special thanks to: Jennifer, Chris Witt, Coleen Fowler, Mark Gravlin, Angie Steineman, Larry Waldhoff, Al Janetka, Randy and Dave King, Yamaha, Ron Ramano, Dick Young, Asbury United Methodist Church, Samuel Music, Eric Norris, Fred Fedder, Mike Birr, My family, friends, fans and all the stores who continue to give their constant support.