Holley Bendtsen and Amasa MiIller are well-known as New Orleans musicians with their longtime groups, The Pfister Sisters and the Charmaine Neville Band. They are also known as New Orleans songwriters, but very few of their original songs have been available to the public until now. Our Songs is their first all original project and contains new recordings of three long time favorites: Down at the Jazz Fest, Laissez Faire and Everybody Needs a Good Song, as well as a dozen other tunes that had previously only existed as live recordings or demos. Bendtsen and Miller have composed together for nearly thirty years. Many of these tunes came into the world as part of the New Orleans Songwriters' Workshop, which they founded along with collaborators Hack Bartholomew, Ron Cuccia, Phil Parnell and the late Kenneth Raphael. The idea was if several songwriters got together weekly in the same room, something good was bound to happen. This recording was made with the help and support of their collaborators: Hack Bartholomew, Emmet F.X. Sheehan, Leigh Harris, and Phil Parnell, as well as their New Orleans musical family. They hope you enjoy the results. This CD is dedicated to our colleagues who have gone home before us... Kenneth Raphael, Bernard "Bunchy"Johnson and Marva Wright. Holley Bendtsen and Amasa Miller have collaborated on music and songwriting for nearly 30 years in New Orleans. This talented duo are well-known for their tune, Laissez Faire, and have the of distinction of having written the first tune about New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, "Down at the Jazzfest." Offbeat Magazine described them in a review in Oct. 2008: “The version of Hoagy Charmichael’s “New Orleans” by veteran Pfister Sister, Holley Bendtsen, and veteran piano accompanist, Amasa Miller, is simply magnificent—one of the most moving versions of this classic that I have yet heard.” Our Songs, their new CD, is their first all-original project and features many members of their New Orleans musical family. Alongside Amasa in the rhythm section are George Porter, Jr, and Raymond Webre. They are joined by guitarists Detroit Brooks, Karal Winton and Spencer Bohren along with many of New Orleans’ finest musicians, including Charlie Miller, Loren Pickford, Rick Trolsen, Tom Fischer, Helen Gillet, Gerald French and Jon Gross. Hack Bartholomew, Bendtsen and Miller’s collaborator, sings several songs, including their Everybody Needs that Good Song. Pfister Sisters Debbie Davis, Yvette Voelker and Suzy Malone Jenner all appear. Suzy and David Malone’s son and daughter, John Malone and Darcy Malone Boye, both sing songs with Holley. Leigh “Lil” Queenie Harris and Charmaine Neville sing on their own tracks as well as make cameo appearances on the new version of Down at the Jazzfest. Both Holley and Amasa thank Mark Bingham and the whole Piety Street family for their guidance, support and assistance in making this long awaited project a reality. Threadhead Records is proud to support this latest endeavor of two of New Orleans most talented songwriter/performers.