MUSIC THAT CONNECTS TO THE LAND

We are Don Charles and Deb Gessner, D-Squared. Residing in the central mountains of Arizona, we live with long vistas beneath high Western skies. Our music can be sparse and dry, and it can refresh like a cool desert rain. We write songs for the willows, hymns for the canyons, and cowboy pagan spirituals for a big sky full of dumb stars.

MUSIC THAT CONNECTS TO THE LAND

We are Don Charles and Deb Gessner, D-Squared. Residing in the central mountains of Arizona, we live with long vistas beneath high Western skies. Our music can be sparse and dry, and it can refresh like a cool desert rain. We write songs for the willows, hymns for the canyons, and cowboy pagan spirituals for a big sky full of dumb stars.

What Makes Us Special

D-Squared weaves a tonal fabric of poignant lyrics, earth-rooted melodies and stark, hypnotic rhythms. When Deb’s beguilingly voice meets Don’s dark baritone the effect can be mesmerizing. We are natural storytellers and attending a show is akin to joining a gathering of friends around the kitchen table.

MULTI-INSTRUMENTALISTS

The blending of harp and guitar in delicate counterpoint, and the use of other traditional folk instruments (accordions, banjo, concertina, and mandola) leads the listener through a lyrical landscape that bears witness to darkness and danger, but offers redemption and hope in return.

Our Inspiration

Don’s musical influences include Leonard Cohen, John Stewart, Bert Jansch, Trapezoid, Metamora, and old-timey American folk music. Deb cites Eric Satie, French dance music, Irish airs, and ancient traditional melodies as influences.

Our Inspiration

Don’s musical influences include Leonard Cohen, John Stewart, Bert Jansch, Trapezoid, Metamora, and old-timey American folk music. Deb cites Eric Satie, French dance music, Irish airs, and ancient traditional melodies as influences.

D-Squared CD's

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Matter of Life & Death (1993)

Our debut recording - "matter of life & death" - was released under the names Don Charles and Deb Gessner and reflected our deep connection with the land.

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Big Sky Full O' Dumb Stars (1997)

We became D-Squared upon the release of our second recording -"Big Sky Full O' Dumb Stars" - A personal cosmography with an expansive universal focus.

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Accidentally Live (2006)

Our third CD - "Accidentally Live” - captured a Smithsonian-sponsored performance honoring the Great American Desert.

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The Garden Wall (2014)

"The Garden Wall" - is a collection of all-instrumental tunes featuring folk harp, guitar, banjo, mandola, percussion and a saucy array of free reeds (accordions, concertina, bass harmonica) wandering together down the garden path.

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D-Squared Reviews

International Folk Harp Journal

"D-Squared has discovered a whole new breadth of expression ... Deb Gessner's harp weaves gracefully with Don Charles' guitar and vocals to create a stark and hypnotic landscape of sound deftly drawing the picture of the great Southwest, their home … Unusual, unclassifiable tunes keep the music haunting - familiar and avant-garde at the same time. It is this untenable mystique that makes this music worth investigating."

Dirty Linen

“Running the whitewater on a raft, the fall of rain on a parched landscape, a child playing at being a bee ... Don Charles and Deb Gessner craft some memorable images by drawing on their Southwestern experiences."

Victory Review

Don Charles is "one of the best folk songwriters in a long time."

Phoenix New Times

"They play and sing like Richard and Linda Thompson used to."

Mix Magazine

"... the ultimate convergence of artists, songs, and technology ... balancing the fragility of their sound with the power of their lyric."

ACOUSTIC SCENE

Deb Gessner's "faux reverent aura framed by her folk harp will trick you if you don't play close attention - her wondrous playing emits a glimmer of humor and hope."

D-Squared Reviews

International Folk Harp Journal

"D-Squared has discovered a whole new breadth of expression ... Deb Gessner's harp weaves gracefully with Don Charles' guitar and vocals to create a stark and hypnotic landscape of sound deftly drawing the picture of the great Southwest, their home … Unusual, unclassifiable tunes keep the music haunting - familiar and avant-garde at the same time. It is this untenable mystique that makes this music worth investigating."

Dirty Linen

“Running the whitewater on a raft, the fall of rain on a parched landscape, a child playing at being a bee ... Don Charles and Deb Gessner craft some memorable images by drawing on their Southwestern experiences."

Acoustic Scene

Deb Gessner's "faux reverent aura framed by her folk harp will trick you if you don't play close attention - her wondrous playing emits a glimmer of humor and hope."

Phoenix New Times

"They play and sing like Richard and Linda Thompson used to."

Victory Review

Don Charles is "one of the best folk songwriters in a long time."

Mix Magazine

"... the ultimate convergence of artists, songs, and technology ... balancing the fragility of their sound with the power of their lyric."

What We Do

Since 1992, we have been touring North America, performing at concerts, coffeehouses, festivals, and private venues. We have performed for thousands of K-12 students through school assembly and artist residency programs. We have conducted classes on songwriting, arranging, and performance. We have also done our fair share of community theater. While we no longer travel as extensively, we still get out to see the country, the venues, and the many friends we made touring.

Achievements

Our compositions have been featured in films, PBS documentaries, theater shows, compilation CDs, and other commercial projects. Our song “Row” was included in Songs and Stories from Grand Canyon by Smithsonian Folkways and our video “Little Iraq” charted in the top ten of Neil Young’s Living with War Today website. 

We have shared stages with Greg Brown, Robin and Linda Williams, Mary McCaslin, Bryan Bowers, Bill Morrissey, Peter Yarrow, John Denver, Chuck Pyle, Don Edwards and many others.

Listen to Our Music Today

Our music is available on most streaming platforms.

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