by Bob Reece
CUCHARA- What began as a simple gathering for a couple of friends… “to christen the back deck at All Seasons…” turned into an amazing night of song, storytelling and reminiscing from one of the rock music world′s most versatile songwriters and musicians.
Last Friday evening, Steve McCarty returned home to Cuchara and performed before a standing room only crowd at the All Seasons Real Estate Office in Cuchara village.
Steve McCarty is the songwriter who, together with Steve Miller, wrote a little song called “Fly Like An Eagle”, along with many others for the Steve Miller Band throughout the 1970′s.
McCarty met Steve Miller when he was teaching guitar to Miller′s younger brother. Soon Miller and McCarty were collaborating on a variety of projects. The two worked on the album Fly Like An Eagle for nearly two years, before finally deciding the album was good enough to release in May 1976. Shortly thereafter, Fly Like An Eagle went platinum, and has since sold over 16 million copies worldwide.
Jimbo and Terry Wetsel of All Seasons have known Steve and his wife, Trish for many years. Steve′s family owned property in Cuchara and he enjoyed coming to the Valley many times in his youth and throughout his young adult life. Earlier this year, Jimbo invited Steve and Trish to come back home to Cuchara. Steve accepted and agreed to bring his guitar.
You know the music he played- hits like Fly Like An Eagle, Jet Airliner, Take the Money and Run… great songs from the 70′s that are emblazoned in music′s history books.
What made the event so special, was the little bit of Cuchara Magic that was sprinkled on top. Take an impromptu crowd of friends and neighbors, throw in a few pizzas generously provided by the Dog Bar & Grill, add a variety of wines and drink and you have the perfect setting for Steve McCarty and his acoustic guitar, sharing stories of how these songs came to be written and about his life inside one of the world′s greatest rock bands.
We might be seeing more of Steve and Trish in the future. Steve still owns the property that his dad bought back in the day and they are now working on plans to build a home here in the valley.
Other projects fill their time as well. Trish is the Founder and CEO of the Starshine Academy, an organization based in Phoenix that creates “transformational schools for at-risk kids” thoughout the world. Her work has been honored by the United Nations, the Arizona Department of Education and the Los Angeles Music Awards. Steve continues to work on new music and enjoys collaborating with other artists.
Last Friday evening with Steve McCarty was one of those magical moments in the Cuchara Valley. A moment when time stands still… if only for an instant.
Bob Reece is the editor of CucharaValley.org, a daily blog about life, events and the people of the Cuchara Valley. An accomplished web designer and marketing specialist, his passion is letting folks know more about our little corner of Colorado. He lives with his wife Dona and their Labrador, Kloee in Cuchara.
