Author Archive
Session date: 02/26/09
Artist: Lorrie Morgan
Producer: James Stroud
Label: Stroudavarious
Musicians: Shannon Forrest, Mike Brignardello, Steve Nathan, Brent Mason, Paul Franklin, Aubrey Haynie, Biff Watson
Engineer: Julian King (Jake assisting)
Lorrie Morgan really knows how to deliver a vocal. We did two songs today (I think she wrote them both) and there’s a good possibility Stroud will use the tracking vocals. The first song was very much a jazz tune, and I’ll say this - no one plays that stuff as well as Brent Mason. We were all marveling at the riffs he was coming up with. This particular group of musicians is one of which I have been a proud member for a number of years, and though I love playing with many of my friends, when it comes to a “band” this is perhaps my favorite. And it’s been a while since I’ve worked with the “Prez”, Steve Nathan. He’s still got it - all of IT.
I used my treasured Martin 00-18 on both songs - what a sweet guitar!
Session date: 02/24-25/09
Artist: James Otto
Producer: Paul Worley
Label: Warner Bros.
Musicians: Chad Cromwell, Michael Rhodes, Michael Rojas, Troy Lancaster, Adam Shoenfeld, Mike Johnson, Biff Watson
Engineer: Trina Shoemaker (PJ assisting)
This was a fun project - two days of great songs with a great singer and a great band - since we had rehearsed the material, the focus was on getting great sounds out of the instruments. Trina and Paul did a superb job of that. I was able to use a number of different guitars, and though I go to my Collings quite often, on these two days I played my Santa Cruz baritone on several songs, my Martin D-28 on one, the Gibson J-45 on a few, and a Boucher guitar that Pat McMakin (studio manager of Oceanway) asked me to try - quite good! I also met John Jennings of Royer Microphones, and we had a good discussion about mics and guitars.
James Otto has what it takes. He’s good for country music and deserves a very successful career.
Session date: 02/20/09
Artist: Keith Burns and Michelle Poe
Producer: Johnny Morris
Label: Country Thunder
Musicians: Tommy Hardin, Larry Paxton, Troy Lancaster, Gary Prim, Biff Watson
Engineer: Billy Sherrill
Studio: Westwood
Burns & Poe is a duet - Michelle Poe, who has had major label deals, and Keith Burns, most recently a member of Curb Record’s group Trick Pony. We recorded three songs in three hours - a pace that is becoming more common - at the Limited Pressing rate, also being used more frequently. I used my J-45 Gibson first for an edgy track and then my wonderful Collings for a ballad and a mid-tempo.
Then I stopped by Mr. Whiskers and gots me a bottle-o-wine. Not my typical Shiraz - no… I got a Pinot Noir, Mark West, so’s I can have a
HAPPY FRIDAY!
My friend Brittany Wells is competing for Miss Texas, having won Miss Teen Texas a few years ago. We’ve been talking about how to create one and a half minutes of music, yet allow her to sing a cappella for the introduction. So we conference on the phone to the track on iTunes, pick our edit spots, I ProTool a demo, mp3 it to her iPhone where she analyses it while sitting in traffic and singing along. Do THAT in the 20th century!
Then I had a great discussion with one of the brightest minds in show biz - Holly Gleason. Hold on tight, because she is a whirlwind of cause and comment, topic and thought, passion and perception. She can tear-up what I do and show me the way it really looks - all with a twinkle in her eyes.
I had to get my passport renewed for a tentative trip to China in May, with a line up of artists on Stroudavarious Records. I have learned that your passport must not expire less than 6 months beyond when you plan to leave the country, so for those of you planning to go abroad, consider that a tip! I’m hoping I can spread the word in the Orient about D’Addario strings, a company I have believed in for over twenty years and am now proud to be associated with. I even talked with Guthrie Trapp today about them - he’s another D’Addario artist.
Wrapped up the day working on a song that Nicole Witt and I are writing, getting it ready for Ed to mix. Joe Chemay came over and did a drive by BGV - always great singing from Joe!
And had a very interesting chat with my friend Brian Adams, the result of which I hope to share with you in the months to come…but I’ll just say that we both admire Amanda Williams, Jarad Blake and The Levees…
Biff
Session date: 2/16/09
Artist: Frank Giampaolo
Producer: Frank Giampaolo
Label: None (demos)
Studio: Tool Shed
Musicians: Steve Brewster, Craig Brown, Michael Rojas, Scotty Sanders, Jeff King, Biff Watson
Engineer: Joey
Frank showed me the first song, with a guitar tuning from low-to-high strings of Bb, F, Bb, F, Bb, Ab. This is, like, REALLY low on a regular guitar. I decided to use the guitar he had already tuned down - a beautiful Collings small-body acoustic that Chuck Cannon had loaned him. Needless to say, this tuning requires a light touch, which made things challenging because Frank wanted to rock out! Turns out there were several tunes with this tuning. And here’s an interesting twist - Frank is a tennis instructor, to the pros!
HAPPY PRESIDENT’S DAY!!
Session date: 2/12/09 and 2/13/09
Producer: Paul Worley
Label: Warner Bros Records
Studio: Soundcheck
Musicians: Chad Cromwell, Michael Rhodes, Mike Rojas, Mike Johnson, Troy Lancaster, Adam Shoenfeld, Biff Watson
Engineer: Trina Shoemaker
These two days we set up on stage to rehearse seven songs for the upcoming James Otto recordings. It’s a cool way to change things up a bit, by working up tunes in a stage band environment with the feel of a live show. However, we also ran everything through a Digidesign board, and recorded the rehearsal into a multi-track ProTools session, which was instantly available for playback. Kind of the best of both worlds! Paul Worley used the same procedure earlier in the week with a new act he is working with - The Family Band Perry - Kimberly, Reid and Neil Perry. Great, talented family!
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!
