From the November 2004 Idaho Observer:

by Don Harkins

This article is a long time in coming. Well over a year ago our good friends Don and Doris Parkison sent us two CD's from a Seattle area folk singer/songwriter named Jim Hinde. They discovered Hinde at a folk festival and, according to Hinde, "Bought copies of everything I had."

The Parkisons were so moved by the lyrical content of Hinde's music they sent us "Hindesight" and "The Shadow Song." Tunes like "Smells Like the Bill of Rights is Burning," "This Land," and "Frank, Dennis and Me (a beautiful ballad about Hinde's experiences in Vietnam)" began to fill our house-thanks to Don and Doris. Another track on Hindesight is "The Devil Walked Away with the Moon" which contains lyrics that are now part of my daily thought patterning: "You best be counting your blessings while you still have some blessings to count. If your blessings are few my suggestion to you is, perhaps, you should learn what to count."

Then Hinde came out with another CD-"Shout Down the Wind: Songs of Peace, Protest and Patriotism" which includes the title track and "Doin' the Perp Walk"-a tune that sketches George Bush's crimes and how Hinde really wants to see the president in handcuffs, waistchains and leg irons.

The music and lyrics of Jim Hinde have been good for my soul. His collections of songs contain a balance of eloquently stated and on-point criticism of our lives and songs that celebrate what it means to be loving, honorable and compassionate children of God.

If you have access to the Internet, go to www.folkbone.com and hear a sample of Hinde's music. You can also email him at folkbone@mindspring.com.

Jim Hinde is a folk singer/songwriter from Seattle who puts scathing socio/political commentaries to music. He also reminds us of those moments where the goodness in ordinary people shine.