By Gina Morton
DANVILLE — An old family coat and a passion for nature are the inspirations for a newly recorded CD, and a release party is scheduled for Saturday to unveil the tracks.
“I feel a real personal connection to this album,” said Van Wagner, writer and composer of the album. “I definitely tapped into a theme I haven’t with others. Even the title track is a song I wrote thinking about not only my family and friends’ families, but generational connections that people relate to parents and relate to grandparents.”
Wagner said he releases an album a year, and he wrapped up this one over the summer. The album, “Woolrich Coat,” contains 13 songs that are personal and oriented to his own family.
The Woolrich coat is something that Wagner relates to his father and said so many people can connect to the idea.
“It’s just amazing the emotions and memories that coat brings up to different people and different families,” he said.
Tina Avellino said her family can definitely relate to the coat, and Wagner’s music is something they all love to share.
Avellino, of Marion Heights, said her nephew, Brian Nicola, 20, of Atlas, is currently serving in the military overseas in Korea. When he was 12 and old enough for his first hunting trip with the men of the family, he didn’t have a hunting suit to wear. He was given his great-grandfather’s Woolrich coat — about three sizes too big — and wore it with pride.
It was decided the coat would be passed down through the family for each child to wear during their first hunting trip.
“The story of Van’s new album brings it back for us because my son, Matt, was ready to go on the ‘man trip’ this hunting season for the first time ... but we found the coat had found its way to Korea instead,” she said. “Brian had already sent for the coat.
For him it was the comfort he needed, the connection that helped to push on. Through the miles, through the tears, even though Matt didn’t get to wear it yet, the coat was where it belonged.”
In addition to the coat, Wagner said the songs tap into his passion for nature — mountains, valleys and fields of Pennsylvania. One song in particular on the album, “Hard Coal Navy,” he’s hoping the residents of Danville will identify with.
Wagner wrote the song about the era of the Susquehanna coal diggers — what he says is a significant part of the borough’s culture and economy.
A release party and dinner is planned for Saturday at Brews N Bytes. Reservations are required.
At the event, Wagner will perform a mix of songs on the album and local favorites.
He will also take time to mingle with those in attendance.
A Woolrich Field Coat will also be raffled to a winner at the event.
Jason Perez, owner of BNB, said tickets are $29.99 per person, and include a four-course Carib-exican dinner consisting of soup, salad, cream and red chile enchiladas, dessert and a drink.
“In 100 years, people will be referring to Van and his music and describing him as the musical historian of Danville and the Central Susquehanna Valley,” Perez said.
Wagner’s music can be found on his Web site at www.vanwagnermusic.com.
“My goal is to get (music) out there” Wagner said, “and continue to help local people be proud of heritage and be proud of who we are as a people.”
