Saudade

This month, I had the pleasure of working with this girl, Victoria Alimonda Lovelady.  She is a lovely Brazilian singer/songwriter, and a talented one at that.  We did a quick session before she (sadly) had to leave the country.

I used the opportunity to experiment with some fun stuff.  The vocals on this song use only natural reverb, from a tile shower.  Also, I used a dynamic and condenser mic on the guitar in an experimental configuration.  It too uses only the natural sound of the room.

My opinion of the results is mixed, but I am a firm believer that experimentation is an important part of the creative process.  Let me know what you think.

     Saudade

     Chuva

Hopefully we will all hear more from this talented young woman in the months to come!

Dismantling Myspace

Since myspace is less and less useful every week that passes, I will be dismantling my page and using this blog more.  Here are a few older recordings:

The first two were both recorded at a bluegrass jam in Long Beach called the "Soup Jam" (pictured above).

Rough and Rocky

I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry

This next one was recorded at Molly Malone's with Secret Moustache.  It features Gavin Salmon on drums!

How Far Does this Highway Go?

December Shows!

Two exciting shows to announce for December:

December 12th with Anna Su

Featuring Kevin Milner on pedal steel and Zach Howes on fiddle!

Sloopy's Beach Cafe
3416 Highland Avenue
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

7-10 PM

Free!

December 30th with Rachel Vaughan

Viento y Agua Coffeehouse
4007 East 4th Street
Long Beach, CA 90814

7:30-8:10

Free!

Come join us!

The Making of Howling Tree

Some shots from the making of Anna Su's "Howling Tree"!

yOya: Nothing to Die

Awww man I bought this cd from these guys a week ago and I can't stop listening to "Bone Flowers" and "Come on, Kid".  Check out the video below to see what I'm talking about:



Other stand out tracks:  "Fireworks" and "Lovers On".  Enjoy!

Looking Ahead with Nate Miller

Now that work is complete on Anna Su's album, I am very excited to begin working with Nate Miller on a new project.  Nate has a unique approach to music, and this approach makes for some very creative and personal results. Recently, while trying out a new mic/preamp combination on my 1917 Ivers and Pond piano, I put him on the spot by asking him to sing something. Here's what resulted:

Even in an impromptu recording, his talent is undeniable.  He is a true pleasure to work with, and I'm excited to see where this project goes.  More to come!

Anna Su: Howling Tree

As some of you may know, I have been working for a number of months producing a friend's first album.  Anna Su is a gifted songwriter and singer with a truly unique ability to bring people together around her music.  Her music has been described as "gypsy folk", but it's really just music that brings together all the things she loves—travel, love, and community.

I had the pleasure of working with Anna to bring her music to life through recordings.  We worked in a number of different locations and on different formats, from overdubbing piano parts at my house to recording live to tape at a friend's house.  The result is something we are proud of, and we sincerely hope you enjoy it.

 The album will be released 10/10/10 in physical form, but you can preview it online (and purchase it digitally) here.  One of the tracks, "Return to Me" is available as a free download for a limited time.  Please let us know what you think!

Also, there are some pictures of the recording sessions here and here.  

Thank you all for your support over the past 8 months.  We so appreciate all who encouraged us to pursue this project.  Feel free to comment here with your thoughts, or send us an e-mail.