Episode 2.2 – Barton

Episode 2.2: Barton is now available where ever you listen to podcasts, including iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play. First time listening? You can start with Series 1, Episode 1 or you are welcome to start right from Series 2, Episode 1. It’s up to you. Subscribe to stay up to date as the mystery unfolds. After listening to Series 2, Episode 2, listeners are encouraged to explore companion materials below.

One of the tracks heard during this episode was composed especially for the program by New Hampshire musician Ross Boyd, a dedicated music educator, engineer, and composer. Ross’s creativity abounds whether in the teaching studio, the recording studio, or working on original musical projects. Check him out by clicking the image for his latest album below:

This is the first episode to recount the events that happened during my Barton High School 20th class reunion. During my next episode, things will get strange. Like I said in the episode, I am not sure I will ever understand what happened.

Thanks to my sister Thalia, Sarah Fillingate, Alfred P. Daniels, Jason Sentry, and Carol Smith for making this episode possible. Thanks also to Ross Boyd, Prom Queen, and Rudy Sims for providing the music. Thanks also Laura Scafati, Chris Klemmer of New Hampshirecast,  and Angel Smith for the support.

Let’s talk in two weeks.

Sincerely,

John Herman

Episode 2.1 – The Pineapple

Episode 2.1: The Pineapple is now available where ever you listen to podcasts, including iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play. First time listening? You can start with Series 1, Episode 1 or you are welcome to start right from Series 2, Episode 1. It’s up to you. Subscribe to stay up to date as the mystery unfolds. After listening to Series 2, Episode 1, listeners are encouraged to explore companion materials below.

As explained in the episode, this audio project was inspired by a mysterious pineapple that I discovered drawn on the hidden side of the index card that was fastened to a box I inherited from a missing acquaintance. The pineapple is a very common motif. In fact, there are countless images to be found on Pinterest that in some way resemble the pineapple alluded to in Episode 2.1. Click below to scroll through some of the pineapples people have collected.

One of the music artists featured in this episode is Tory Miller, specifically from his collaborative project Fo(u)r Hands, but Tory is fairly prolific, releasing both solo work and collaborations with other very talented musicians. Check him out at ToryMillerMusic.com

Check back to this site for more companion materials to the podcast as each episode is released. Future posts will include links and images to support your efforts to help me solve the mystery.

Thanks to my sister Thalia, Police Chief Ronald Talkens, Reggie Rogerstone, and Donhack Furniture for making this episode possible. In addition to Tory Miller, thanks to Rudy Sims, Prom Queen, and Ben Von Wildenhaus for providing the music.

Thanks also Laura Scafati and Matt Gold for the support.

Let’s talk in two weeks.

Sincerely,

John Herman

Episode 6 – Requiem

Episode 6: Requiem is now available where ever you listen to podcasts, including iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play. First time listening? Here is Episode 1. Subscribe to stay up to date as the mystery unfolds. After listening to Episode 6, listeners are encouraged to explore companion materials below.

Episode 6 is a reference to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem Mass, the famous composer’s final work. Click below for a performance of the work.

The cause of Mozart’s death is a mystery. Officially his death was attributed to “hitziges Frieselfieber” or a severe miliary fever. Researchers have proposed at least 118 causes of death, including strep throat, trichinosis, the flu, and mercury poisoning. Here is a brief video telling the story behind Mozart’s final days and the composition of the requiem which is even more mysterious then the brief telling that Tom Alligost offered.

Also referenced during this episode was Scotland’s Glamis castle, which is also known as Scotland’s most haunted castle. Glamis Castle is situated beside the village of Glamis in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and is open to the public. If anyone is listening from Scotland, then please be in touch with any thoughts.

 

Finally, as promised, here is a list of all the album slipcase covers that I now own as quadruplicates:

1. Whipped Cream & Other Delights by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
2. Nether Lands by Dan Fogelberg
3. Stardust by Willie Nelson
4. John Denver’s Greatest Hits by John Denver
5. Philosophy of the World by The Shaggs
6. An Evening with Mantovani by Mantovani and His Orchestra
7. Among My Souvenirs by Bing Crosby
8. Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins featuring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke

This project is a co-production with Partners in Crime Media. Thanks to Tom Alligost, Calista Kira, and my wife Carol for making this episode possible. Thanks also to Prom Queen, Ben Von Wildenhaus, and Rudy Sims for providing the music. Thanks also Jeremy Murphy, Erika Kestenbaum Skoglund, and Jordan Smith for the support.

Please take a moment to rate and review this program on iTunes so word can spread. Thank you.

Sincerely,

John Herman

 

Episode 5: A Blooming Flower

Episode 5: A Blooming Flower is now available where ever you listen to podcasts, including iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play. First time listening? Here is Episode 1. Subscribe to stay up to date as the mystery unfolds. After listening to Episode 5, listeners are encouraged to explore companion materials below.

Two weeks before the first episode of this podcast debuted, the world’s largest flower, which blooms about once a decade, bloomed in New Hampshire. The corpse flower, as it is called because of the putrid stench that accompanies its blooming, is pictured above at its Dartmouth College home. Read about the blooming here. While it is a mystery to what kind of flower is mentioned in the recording uncovered by Tom Alligost, the infamous corpse flower seemed like a suitable choice to feature.

In this episode a second quote attributed to Sir Lancelot Canning, a fiction creation of author Edgar Allan Poe, was discovered by a listener. The quote (below) was in the introduction to a literary journal, The Stylus, that Poe intended to edit.

——— unbending that all men Of thy firm TRUTH may say — “Lo!  this is writ With the antique iron pen.”  ~Launcelot Canning

Poe says that “the ‘The Stylus’ will include about one hundred royal octavo pages, in single column, per month; forming two thick volumes per year. In its mechanical appearance — in its typography, paper and binding — it will far surpass all American journals of its kind. Engravings, when used, will be in the highest style of Art, but are promised only in obvious illustration of the text, and in strict keeping with the Magazine character.”

Of course Poe died mysteriously before he could complete the project.

The intended cover to the journal is seen below.

Here is a music video for the song “Black and Blue” by Prom Queen which is featured in this episode. Of note, the version featured is an alternative acoustic version of the song.

And here is a video of Ben Von Wildenhaus performing “The Limping Axeman,” his song featured in the episode.

Additional music for this episode was provided by Rudy Sims performing on his iPad.

This project is a co-production with Partners in Crime Media. Thanks to Tom Alligost, Michael Brobitz, Alison Peruch, Rob Rhetlidge, and my wife Carol for making this episode possible. Thanks also Matthew Carano and Jeremy Murphy for the support.

Please take a moment to rate and review this program on iTunes so the word can spread about the project. Thank you.

Sincerely,

John Herman

Episode 4: Eventide

Episode 4: Eventide is now available where ever you listen to podcasts, including iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play. First time listening? Here is Episode 1. Subscribe to stay up to date as the mystery unfolds. After listening to Episode 4, listeners are encouraged to explore companion materials below.

Several record albums have been mention during the podcast including Whipped Cream & Other Delights (1965) by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Nether Lands by Dan Fogelberg, and most recently Stardust (1978) by Willie Nelson. Click on the album cover below to hear a track from each album respectively.

The coffee shop where I met Jessica Moreleck during this episode is one of my frequent haunts. It is called Crackskull’s Coffee and Books. If you stop by, then tell them John Herman sent you. I usually have the Chai Charger, medium, hot. Earlier in this post was a photo of how Crackskull’s appeared in the late 1800’s when it was a pharmacy. Below is a photo of how Crackskull’s looks today (photo by Roger Goun).

Finally here is Prom Queen performing “Good Cop, Bad Cop” live:

Music for this episode was provided by Prom Queen and Ben Von Wildenhaus. Thanks to Tom Alligost, Jessica Moreleck, Josh Strickens, and my wife Carol for making this episode possible. Thanks also to Karen Fei, Jeremy Murphy, Shawn Crapo, and Partners in Crime Media for the support.

Please take a moment to rate and review this program on iTunes so the word can spread about the project. Thank you.

Sincerely,

John Herman

Episode 3: The Garden of Earthly Delights

Episode 3: The Garden of Earthly Delights is now available where ever you listen to podcasts, including iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play. First time listening? Here is Episode 1. Subscribe to stay up to date as the mystery unfolds. After listening to Episode 3, listeners are encouraged to explore companion materials below.

Much of Episode 3 focuses on a medieval altar painting by Hieronymus Bosch commonly called The Garden of Earthly Delights. I found an incredible audio and video rich online experience for which you need to turn on your sound. Or better still: put on headphones. Click below to wander around the painting or take a guided tour. Again, you will really want headphones for this.

And here is a more traditional documentary titled The Mysteries of Hieronymus Bosch. It is a 1980 BBC documentary about the famous painter from the Netherlands. The narrator / researcher is pretty great.

Music for Episode 3 was provided by Prom Queen as well as Ben Von Wildenhaus. Enjoy the video for “Can’t Seem to Cry” by Prom Queen. The video was shot on location at Triple X Root Beer Drive-In and Fred Wildlife Refuge.

And here is a live performance of the same song…

And here is a video of a live performance of the song included in this week’s episode by Ben Von Wildenhaus and his Professional Band:

Thanks to Tom Alligost, Jessica Moreleck, and my wife Carol for making this episode possible. Thanks also to Jason Robertson, Karen Fei, Jeremy Murphy, and Partners in Crime Media for the support.

Please take a moment to rate and review this program on iTunes so word can spread about the project. Thank you.

Sincerely,

John Herman

Episode 2: The Mad Trist

Episode 2: The Mad Trist is now available where ever you listen to podcasts, including iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play. Need to catch up? Here is Episode 1. Subscribe to stay up to date as the mystery unfolds. After listening to Episode 2, listeners are encouraged to explore companion materials below.

Music for Episode 2 was provided by Prom Queen as well as Jon Briggs via his experimental music act Rudy Sims. Among his many works as Rudy Sims, there is an entire album centered around the sounds of the nose flute and another inspired by birdsong. All of his work can be found on his Bandcamp site. The track featured during this episode was Turdiform which I encourage you to purchase. Jon Briggs is the co-host of his own podcast titled The Muse Podcast where musicians play new, unreleased work live. Briggs and co-host Duncan Watt also talk to the musician about the creative process behind the work.

The song featured in the episode by Prom Queen is called Black Magic. Click on the image below to view the music video and then check out Prom Queen’s website for touring information and the upcoming new album.

This episode dealt heavily with Edgar Allen Poe’s freely available short story The Fall of the House of Usher. If you haven’t read it in a while, then you should… by candlelight! Or here is a link to the story being read by the late great Christopher Lee.

Thanks to Tom Aligost, Alfred P. Daniels, Kelsey Erickson of Deathcast, Eileen Ruttle, the University of New Hampshire, and my wife Carol for making this episode possible. Thanks finally to Jason Robertson, Michelle Boncek, Jon Briggs, Elliot Baker, and Jeremy Murphy for the support. Learn how you can support the show here.

Sincerely,

John Herman

Episode 1: A Death Declared

Episode 1: A Death Declared is now (or will soon be) available where ever you listen to podcasts, including iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play. Subscribe to stay up to date as the mystery unfolds.

After listening to Episode 1, you are encouraged to explore the episode companion materials below.

A Death Declared features music by Ben von Wildenhaus and Prom Queen.

Prom Queen’s song Mystery opens the episode. View Mystery‘s music video by clicking the image below. Also Prom Queen recently went viral with their inspired mashup of the Stranger Things and Twin Peaks themes, aptly titled Stranger Peaks.

How Prom Queen’s music got on the show happened quite serendipitously. Here is the screenshot from a Facebook conversation I had recently with the group’s lead singer  Leeni. Keep in mind that we live approximately 3000 miles apart.

In turn, Leeni got my podcast hooked up with the incredible Ben von Wildenhaus. Two Wildenhaus songs are featured in Episode 1 including Bad Lament 1 and An Nur off of his vinyl release, II.

How these two musicians met was covered in an interview by The Sun Break. Here’s an excerpt:

I also work with Ben Von Wildenhaus, who is this wonder to behold. He’s this amazing guitar player and amazing musician overall, but he’s also the most mesmerizing performer you’ll ever see. He does solo shows a lot and I always bring people out to see him because it’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever seen. It’s very David Lynch, moody, and cinematic. I met him because we were doing solo shows together. We played a show together in an art gallery and I asked him if he would ever want to play with Prom Queen and be in a band, and he said yes. So he was actually the first member of the band.

Check back to this site for more companion materials to the podcast as each episode is released. Future posts will include links and images to support your efforts to help me solve the mystery.

Thanks to Tom Aligost, Alfred P. Daniels, and my wife Carol for making this episode possible. Thanks also to Laura Scafati, Jason Robertson, Jon Briggs, Elliot Baker, and Matthew Carano for their support. Learn how you can support the show here.

Sincerely,

John Herman

 

 

Trailer

The Disappearance Podcast trailer is now available on iTunes. Click below, listen, and then subscribe to stay up to date with the latest episodes.

Stranger Peaks

Listen to this inspired joining of Laura Palmer’s Twin Peaks theme and the Stranger Things theme by Seattle’s talented Prom Queen who you’ll hear a lot more from when The Disappearance Podcast debuts October 3.