Burgerville Announces Launch of Burgerville Records

Via Press Release -- On November 15th, kicking off with a launch party at their Hawthorne location and sold throughout the rest of the year at all of their restaurants, Northwest-based, locally supportive fast-food chain, Burgerville will launch Burgerville Records with The Shakers’ Sessions. 

The Shakers’ Sessions is a compilation of Northwest musicians singing songs written by Portland musician, and Parkinson's patient, Rob Barteletti. The album will see one-hundred percent of profits going to the Brian Grant Foundation, a non-profit organization that is an informational and inspirational resource for a community of people empowered to live unique and fulfilling lives with Parkinson's.

More than 1.5 million Americans have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a degenerative, neurological disorder that that gets worse over time. Parkinson's is a loss of cells in the brain that produce dopamine which is a chemical messenger responsible for transmitting signals to coordinate movement.

Every day, 195 people are newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s and it affects more than just the person who has it – it also affects the entire family dealing with Parkinson's disease.  One such person is songwriter (and former high school teacher) Rob Barteletti, who was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease in 2002.

He continued teaching for more than five years after his diagnosis, retiring in 2007 after 31 years.  After retiring, Barteletti, who realized the clock was ticking on his songwriting, his ability to play and write music on the guitar, dove into his music full-time, writing constantly.

Following a conversation with close friend, and recording engineer/producer Rob Stroup from 8 Ball Studios, the idea was born to do a benefit album for Parkinson's patients, with local musicians coming in and signing songs Barteletti had penned.

Phone calls were made.  Emails were sent.  Soon, Barteletti found Northwest musicians more than willing to participate, including Storm Large, Pete Droge, Fernando Viciconte, Ian Moore, Mike Coykendall, Casey Neill, Bart Ferguson, Steve Wilkinson, Ken DeRouchie, Rob Stroup, and even the one-time student of Barteletti at Jesuit High School, Nick  Peets.

Honored that so many Northwest icons were willing to participate in the making of The Shakers’ Sessions, Barteletti hopes to inspire others with the disease, educate those unfamiliar with its impact on lives, and ultimately raise money to help those living with the incurable disease.

The result is a 12-track collection of roots-oriented, folk-pop-tinged Americana, with each guest vocalist adding their own interpretation to Barteletti’s rustic Americana songwriting style.

The track listing:

1. Being Jesus Again - Rob Stroup

2. Queen of Sheba - Fernando

3. Mr. Heartache - Nick Peets

4. Ask Me Why - Pete Droge

5. The Box - Ian Moore

6. Voices - Storm Large

7. Fool that Is Me - Bart Ferguson

8. Bird on the Wing - Steve Wilkinson

9. Reckoning Day - Mike Coykendall

10. Wild Woman Blues - Ken DeRouchie

11. Under Icy Falls - Casey Neill

12. Her Man, Her Lover, Her Friend - Rob Barteletti

The record will be available exclusively at all thirty-eight Burgerville locations starting November 15th through January 1st.