When I was a kid, "The Wizard of Oz" appeared on our black and white TV set once a year. From rural Minnesota I watched Judy Garland, in rural Kansas, dream of a place "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Now I'm living in the acoustic musician's mecca, Winfield, Kansas, and I've discovered that it's the closest thing to Oz a singer-songwriter could wish for.

In 2007, I recorded "Open Any Door," a grab bag of songs from several genres, inspired mostly by friendships in Kansas City, Missouri, and a ...