Happy Island Times
My friends can't believe it when I tell them I'm headed to the French West Indies next month for a two-week stay...well...a gig, really but I think it's probably gonna be hard to call it work when I'm playing music with a great band and living on a tropical island in the middle of the Caribbean, right? Right. So, yeah, I can't believe it myself but there it is and in a few short weeks, I'll board a plane headed for beautiful St. Bart's, where I'll be backing up a badass youngster whom I've known for a little while now, Jonah Smith.He can sing. He can write and he can damn sure play. Dig it,[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uzYGpvrD88[/embed] Should any of you fine folks happen to be in the neighborhood while we're there, come to the Baz Bar and say hi! Meanwhile, I've got sunshine on my mind...
Later.
San Fran, Is Too Cool
Four nights at the Great American Music Hall in SF this past weekend...what a great time we had. The crowds for the CRB were not only cool but very respectful of us. Not a single person got rude with their cell phone nor did anyone have to be thrown outta there for bad behavior, and over the course of that many shows, it's worth it to make note of that. The music, the energy, people dancing, the gorgeous venue & sound was just wonderful and we soaked it all up. I am quite literally exhausted.So, here's to all the beautiful folks who came to see us...thank you!
Off to San Diego for a two-night run at the Belly-Up Tavern.
It's Gonna Be A Good Christmas
This Christmas, my lovely gal and I will be traveling to Memphis together for the first time and I am delighted beyond measure. She'll get to meet my folks, hang with some of my dearest friends, see where I grew up and get a rare opportunity to see me preform with my long-time friends and musical comrades, The City Champs. The trio hasn't done a show together for more than a year and the three of us are definitely looking forward to dusting off those cobwebs. It'll be a gas.
Can't wait to play with these cats!
Get Set...
Hittin' the road again next week and I'm super pumped for this next run. Having had some time-off to be at home, relax, practice and be with my gal has definitely done my soul much good, preparing me for the work ahead.
New CRB shows posted, here...CRB Tour Dates
Stoked & ready.
Cleveland, Tonight!
So psyched to be rockin' once again in Cleveland, Ohio. The CRB will hit the historic Beachland Ballroom stage tonight at 8PM, so c'mon if you're comin'!
Solid.
LA, Memphis & El Paso
Just got home to Los Angeles after having been gone for a week and even though it's good to be back, I'm already missing my friends, family and all the crazy food we ate. My Candida Diet suffered a little bit while I was gone and I'm trying really hard to get back on track but it's tough. One or two mistakes here and there is okay but it's a slippery slope, (as my girl put it) especially when all I can think about are those delicious tacos we were eating in El Paso, Texas last week. Man, they were so good. Of course, there's a taco truck just around the corner from my house here and I've been really tempted to go but I have to wait a couple more weeks in order to make sure enough Candida have been killed off. So, it's quinoa salad for a few more days. What a frickin drag! Not really, though. Quinoa is pretty good, although not the same as a bean burrito!Anyhow, it was a fun trip.About a month ago, I received a phone call from my old friend Terry Manning, asking if I'd like to play a gig with him down in El Paso and that the band was gonna be comprised of several of my longtime comrades who would all be rehearsing together in Memphis for several days beforehand and then flying over to El Paso. Man, that sounds great, I said! He wasn't aware that I'd moved out west nearly three years ago but was more than happy to get me back there for this gig. I was jazzed. Terry is a great guy and if you're not aware of him, his credits are way too crazy to go into, so check out the link I've attached to his name and you'll get the picture. A total badass who's produced and/or engineered some of the biggest selling albums of all-time and he has, as they say, Been there, Done that with just about everybody who's anybody in the music biz. A very intense, talented and seemingly ageless man - who enjoys referring to me as, "The Polish Miracle" (my favorite nickname ever!) - Terry Manning gets the job done at whatever the cost. He takes his job very seriously and having worked with him in the past, I knew this would be a lot of fun.So, plans were set, flights were booked and a few weeks later I was back in Memphis…and for the second time this year. What joy to be home again and as expected (Memphis is never disappointing) it was as much fun as it's ever been. I got to see my mom & my wonderful sister Dawne, play lots of music, hang with some close friends, relax in a luxury condo and eat a little bit of BBQ. Not too shabby for only four days and before I knew it, I was back on a plane headed for Texas.
Originally from Oklahoma, the Manning's lived in El Paso for a short time where Terry attended high school, just a few years before they all made the move up to Memphis. He's still pretty well-known among the locals, as everyone seemed to know him and were well-aware of his accomplishments. It was great to meet so many of his childhood friends. His high school band, The Wild Ones, were a very poplar group in the early 60's.Anyhow, the gig was called the Border Legends Concert and featured many name acts from west Texas and the surrounding area. Various members of the Bobby Fuller Four, the great guitarist Rod Crosby and even the one and only Peggy Sue Gerron. Our group performed for nearly an hour and in all honesty, it sounded like we'd been together for years. My good friends Marc Franklin, John Whittemore & Jim Spake, all kicked major butt and my newest friends, Leo Valvassori, Christine Ganglehoff and Jen Harrison were amazing players and a wonderful bonus. Terry was absolutely amazing and of course in typical Manning-fashion...an eight piece band wasn't gonna be enough and he had to take it one step further with the addition of two go-go dancers at either ends of the stage. Dancing nearly the entire time we were playing. Ten people all rocking out together...it was really fun!
Thanks Terry and I can't wait till the next round!
Patty & Me
A few weeks ago, my buddy Dave Palmer called to ask if I'd like to join him on the Tonight Show to play a song with the great Patty Griffin from her upcoming new release, American Kid. I nearly dropped the phone. Would I? Well gosh, I'd be honored! Dave is an incredible piano player and local LA session guru, whom I've only known for a short while, so I was extremely flattered to get this call from him. The date was set, emails and info were exchanged back & forth between the parties involved, and the rest is (or will soon be) history. Wow.Once again, I sit in my room pinching myself.But here's the fun part...her new album was recorded down in North Mississippi at Jim Dickinson's world famous Zebra Ranch Studios, along with my very good friends and amazing musicians, Luther & Cody Dickinson So it's got this nasty, dirty, down home, delta swamp funk feel on it like only these Mississippi guys can do and I couldn't be more excited about it. I've been listening to this song every day and the groove is so ingrained into my bloodstream that I'm having dreams about it at night. Her voice is irresistible...
Oh, lucky me! Tune-in, May 7th to see us.
Build It!
That was a favorite phrase of my dad's, whenever we were on-stage together and he wanted a certain section to get louder or grow with intensity, like during a guitar solo. "BUILD IT!", he'd yell. So, I would play a big roll or something and come crashing down on the cymbals and the crowd would go nuts. It was a good lesson in dynamics and Dad was (is) such a pro when it comes to putting on a show. "It's all about the people", he'd tell me and he was right on. "Son, you look out there into the crowd and if they're shaking their butts and tapping their feet, then you know you're doing you're job." I'm so lucky I've had him around to show me what's really important in life. His words have had me thinking a lot lately, about where I'm at...in music, in life and living out here in Los Angeles.This place gets a bad rap sometimes cause it's so big and there are so many millions of folks out here, all trying to get a piece of the same pie and I've listened to a good many complaints. Of course, some of them have a point. It is definitely crowded, there are too many cars, it's very expensive and so spread out that it's hard to get around town. There's the crazy traffic, the smog, crime and on and on and on. Well, I can see all of that but I also see a place where folks are working really hard at their craft and trying to make something of themselves. Full of hope and passion and there are a lot of inspiring people here who are more than willing to share their art with you. I actually am beginning to love it here and I've realized that no matter where you live, you're going to find lots of things you wish were different but the good things are probably there too, just a little more tucked away. It's worth it to look around and seek them out. Or, just sit back, relax and be true to what you believe. The people will find you.Like this kid for example, whom I did one gig with and made an instant friendship... Trevor Menear ...a baddass young guitar player from Chicago. We're doing a residency at a small club in downtown LA, every Friday night this month. Me, him and a bass player. There are some originals and a few covers but also a lot of ideas that we're gonna try out on the crowd and on each other. Hopefully, we'll get some of it right and as long as everyone is having a good time, then they'll let us keep playing there. I'm looking forward to it and will be ready for those sections that need a little more intensity. When we get to them, I'll keep my dad's words close to me and when the time is right, I will build it!If you're reading this and you live in LA, check us out at The Escondite, 410 Boyd Street, every Friday in April. We play from 9 till 11PM.
End of the Year Blues
Yes, that's right. 2012 is nearly done and it's been one helluva nice ride for me and the CRB. Two records out, five tours and many miles around the country. What a time. This week we wrap it all up with a five-night run at one of my all-time favorite venues, the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.
Stay tuned...more to come...
Agop's a Lott!
My good friend, amazing drummer and studio guru, Sinclair Lott (or Sinc, as I like to refer to him) embarked on a journey with me this week, videotaping cymbals for Istanbul Agop's current catalog and we're having a blast working in his fantastic home studio. The cymbal company has been in the process of building a cool new website that will be launched sometime very soon and the videos we're shooting will be a big part of it, so it's quite an honor to work with them on this project. Having been an endorsee of their cymbals since 2000, I've personally gone through a good bit of metamorphosis as a drummer, changing the way I play, how I listen and even what I hear in the music. Yes, they really ARE that good and worth every penny if you decide to go down that road, but I should warn you...the sound of these cymbals can be very addicting. Just ask this guy right here...
A couple of weeks ago, I found another Rogers kit on craigslist and couldn't pass them up, as well as a gorgeous 1920's Ludwig brass snare from my friend Barry, so we're getting to use them all for these videos and the sound is amazing. Sinclair has a deal with Aquarian drum heads and when he contacted them to see if they were interested in getting involved, they didn't miss a beat, quickly sending us a box and outfitting my entire kit with new heads. Nice folks.
Tomorrow will be my last day of videotaping then Sinc has the wonderful task of editing them all down before they can go up on the new site. I'm super jazzed that he wanted to be involved in this endeavor and grateful for his time, effort and beautiful, laid-back disposition. It's been a pleasure working with him.
He's also a lover of coffee, just like me and every morning has some ready for us.
Stay tuned...
One Helluva Week
A good one, that is and I couldn't be happier. This recent CRB tour began last Tuesday and so far I've played four shows in three cities, had a new record come out, saw some family that I'd not seen in years, was awarded an amazing gift and got the chance to hang with two of my mentors. I'm still pinching myself and we've still got three more weeks to go on this run. How lucky I am.Here's the tale of my week, along with some back story...Two years ago in March of 2010, I was approached after a performance in Nashville by a young man named Jake who said he'd been following my career for several years and was looking to take some drum lessons with me. I was flattered to say the least and although I've never been much of a teacher, seeing as how this kid seemed sincere, eager and humble, I agreed to teach him and so we set up a time to get together in the coming weeks. At that point, I was living in Memphis and he was in Murfreesboro, TN, which isn't a short drive by any means and it took him several hours to make the drive east on the day of the lesson. But he made it and we sat at my friends' rehearsal studio for more than two hours, working on touch, technique and going over the finer points of developing and laying down a solid foundation behind the drum set. I turned him onto Idris Muhammad, Clyde Stubblefield, Levon Helm. It was a good lesson, for me too.He seemed elated afterward and wanted to know when I would be free for more lessons in the future, so I decided that since he'd driven such a long way to study with me, I'd treat him to a burger at Huey's in Midtown, where singer Di Anne Price just happened to be performing that day, along with the great reed-man, Jim Spake, bassist Tim Goodwin and fellow beat maker, Tom Lonardo. My reasoning was to give him an opportunity to see and hear some of what I'd just shown him in our lesson, even though I would never pretend to be in the same league as an elder statesman like Tom Lonardo.But Jake got the idea and was more than grateful we'd gone there. Not only was the band swingin' its tail off, but Jake also knew Tom's son, who lives in Nashville. Jake had been on a session where Tom's son was the bassist and so they both had stories to tell one another. Small world. Anyhow, it was a great day but I was exhausted and needed to get home to my own Sunday chores and things, so I shook Jake's hand and agreed to meet with him again very soon. "Before I go" he said, "I need to show you something". We walk out to his station wagon in the parking lot, he opens the trunk and pulls out a bass drum case. When he opens it up, I cannot believe what is inside...a mid-60's mint condition 20" Rogers bass drum in the identical finish as my own, blue onyx. I am completely floored as he relates the story of how and why he ended up owning the same drum set as me..."I wanted to be just like you", he says!How sweet is that?So, a few days go by and after much deliberation back and forth, Jake convinces me to trade him a series of drum lessons, offering the Rogers as payment. How could I say No? We made the deal and lessons began. I actually think I still owe him a couple, but more on that later. Here's a photo of the set, taken by the dealer in Chicago who Jake got them from...
Jake had always said that there was a crazy story behind these drums and I wanted to know it but he seemed a little unclear as to all the details, so I just put it out of my mind for the time being and considered myself lucky to be the proud owner of not one, but TWO identical Rogers blue onyx drum sets. Here's a pic of Jake and me, taken in Nashville not long after we made this deal...
Alright. Let's fast-forward to last year and me landing this gig. When I got to California, I quickly realized that I needed to have another drum kit at my disposal because the one I was going to be touring with, my other Rogers set, was going to be locked up in a storage unit when we weren't on the road. And since I left Jake's Rogers back in my rehearsal space in Memphis (to use for my trips home), I had to get on the ball finding a practice set to keep at home in my apartment in LA. Scouring the internet, I quickly found a dealer in Chicago selling a gorgeous 4-piece Rogers "Mercury" kit in blue/grey duco...I've already talked about this kit, but here's the photo of them just to remind you...
The set didn't come with a floor tom because, at the time they were being marketed to children and beginners, so Rogers had to make them affordable to folks just starting out. Pretty cool idea. Of course, I needed my floor tom and through the brilliant detective work of my good buddy Bill Maley at classicvintagedrums.com, I got one and here they are altogether...
Lemme backup real quick. I mentioned they came from a dealer in Chicago. Well, Jake's Rogers also came from a dealer in Chicago and it struck me one day that it was the same exact person, Brian Drugan of Drugan's Drums in Niles, Illinois. I couldn't believe that I owned two kits from the same person and it took me a while to figure it out. Anyhow, Brian and his brother Johnny have been buying, selling, repairing and collecting vintage drums for many years and are very soon opening up a large drum store near O'Hare, so anything you need, give them a shout. They are the best folks to deal with and extremely fair.I started this week off in Chicago and immediately had the great fortune of hanging with and meeting the Drugan brothers for the first time in person. Love these cats...
Then I remembered there being a story about Jake's Rogers and immediately asked Brian for the details of how he acquired that kit. Basically, he said that several years ago, he saw an ad in the Chicago newspaper...a lady selling a Rogers drum set, so he called her and made an appointment to go see it. When he got there, an older lady answered the door and took him into the room where the kit was sitting, all set up and with a blanket covering it. She took the blanket off and there was a gorgeous blue onyx kit that's in the above photo but (she said) there was just one thing wrong with them. One of the drum sticks was broken and she seemed very sorry about it, apologizing to Brian. Wow. That was it. A broken drumstick, sitting on top of a mint condition set of drums. Of course, he told her that it was okay, not a big deal and didn't hesitate buying them from her then bringing them with him to the Chicago Vintage Drum Show, where he set them up in his booth to be sold with the rest of his inventory.That same afternoon, Brian and Johnny met Jake, who before he became my friend and student, had been living in Chicago and working at a music store that was going out of business. One day he found an old snare drum while cleaning up and asked his boss if he could have it. His boss asked for twenty dollars and Jake took the drum home. Later, he decided to bring it with him to the vintage drum show but when he walked in with the drum under his arm, he was immediately accosted by several dealers offering thousands of dollars for it. Sensing he might be in possession of a rare drum, he waited to sell, keeping the hounds at bay, while he perused the rest of the booths at the show. Then he met the Brothers Drugan. I love this story.As luck would have it, the drum was a 60's Cleveland-era Rogers 6.5" x 14", wood Dyna-sonic in silver sparkle. One of the rarest snares on the planet and worth a good bit more than the twenty dollars Jake had spent on it, as the company only made a few wood Dyna's in 5" x 14" and even fewer in 6.5". Also a fierce negotiator, Jake wasn't going to let such a hot item go for cheap and knowing its value, the Drugan's made him a generous offer of any kit that was in their booth as trade. Well, low and behold...Jake's dream kit was staring him right in the face. Rogers blue onyx. The deal was made and that was that. Once he got them home and played a few gigs on them, he realized they had a sound he wasn't quite used to and ended up going back to using his Slingerland and Gretsch drum sets. Lucky me!While visiting the Drugans' shop, I came across that same snare and took a photo of it...
Brian and Johnny came out to see our show at Lincoln Hall this past Thursday and afterward, Brian came up and offered me and amazing gift...the broken sticks that came with my kit. Funny thing is though, they're not really broken!
I've just realized that I'm prattling on, so I'll be quick about the rest of my week. In short, the great Bun E. Carlos came to see us in Madison, WI and he's a super sweet cat. Showed me a photo of his immense collection that literally takes up an entire barn wall. I dug talking with him and he seemed to enjoy the band. On Tuesday, our second record came out, The Magic Door and so far the reviews have been more than favorable. That night, in addition to some very close Missouri family paying me a visit, one of my all-time drumming mentors and teachers also made it out to our show, Mike Cherry. The man who not only taught me how to play with brushes, but showed me how to play a proper double shuffle and is the reason I am able to do what I do today. He's been drumming in a group from Columbia, MO called The Bel Airs for many years now and I could not have been more elated to see him again. We'd met in San Diego when we were both living out there in the early 90's and I took to his style right away and he was always gracious with his time and knowledge, spending hours on end showing me how it's done. Everything from shuffles, to swing, funk and jazz.
It's really been one of the best weeks I've had in a long time.
Heartwarming
The CRB had an amazing night at the New Daisy Theater on Beale Street in Memphis the other night and I was overwhelmed that so many members of my family made it out to see the show. It was the first time in probably 30 years that we'd all been together in the same place, since many of us live in other states. I was moved, to put it lightly.
This was only half of my family who were in attendance and I dubbed them, The Hardcore Crew because they made it to the very end of our long, three-hour night of music. Totally amazing. My mother, who suffers from Parkinson's, gets tired very easily and usually goes to bed around 8 o'clock every night, so for her to stay up through all of that was wonderful to see. She was very excited, as it was the first time she'd been able to see me play in many years and having the rest of the Sluppick clan there kept the energy level really high. I too, was elated that she made it downtown. In addition to that, 10 or 15 of my closest friends from high school were there. Wow. I'm a lucky dude. Earlier in the day, my good buddy Craig scooped up the meat lovers of our group and drove us over to my favorite food spot in the country, Payne's BBQ. It's the one and only time since I started this crazy diet that I've made an exception to the rules. Here's why...[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKK11qUlzFs]Get the picture? Well, needless to say we got the day started off right and after the meal of amazing chopped pork and delicious beans, a very happy Chris Robinson looked at me and said that in all of his years of traveling, it was the best sandwich he'd ever had. Smiling widely, I told him that we know a little bit about BBQ in Memphis!The photos in this story are all courtesy of this gentleman right here...
Paul Pollmann, and he's from Amsterdam. He's a really great drummer, film maker and graphic designer and we met through this very blog a couple of years ago and keep in touch via email. We discuss vintage drums, our favorite drummers, etc. He even mentioned that his soul band at home in Amsterdam plays a couple of The City Champs' tunes, which was flattering to hear. It was a real joy to finally get to meet him in person. He was in Memphis, visiting the city and doing some work on an upcoming documentary film he's helping produce on dearly departed soul singer, Sir Lattimore Brown. What a cool dude.
Thank you, Paul! And much love to all of my family, friends and loved ones. My heart is full. So is my stomach. Now its back to the diet. Yeow!
Every so often...
life will throw you a curve ball and recently, there was a pretty wacky one thrown at me when I received a phone call last month from actor, John C. Reilly. He'd been given my number from a mutual friend who recommended me for the newly-open drummer's seat with his country-folk group, John C. Reilly & Friends. I was floored and he's exactly how you might think of him...kind generous and funny as hell, but on top of all that, the dude's got some pipes! Yes, he can actually sing and play the guitar really well, which came as a welcome surprise to me. We did two rehearsals, learned about 30 songs then hit the road for a three-day trip up the west coast to Santa Barbara, San Francisco and Santa Cruz. It was a blast and the shows were pretty much at capacity and extremely fun.After, he and the rest of the band all shook hands with one another and said their goodbye's (all eight of us!) he asked if I was free to do another run in late May, which happens to be this very weekend. Yes! The shows are in Portland, Vancouver and Gorge, WA...you can check my website for details...maybe I'll see some of you out there. Fortunately for all involved, I've had some time off from the CRB and have been available to play these shows with them and it's been a total gas. John is a tremendous talent and one helluva nice guy, so go see him, buy his music and watch his movies. He's hilarious!
Curve balls can be fun.
Catfish John
"Momma said, don't go near that river..."[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FjMeSK2IVk]This is still one of the best moments in my life...being on stage with all these guys and Phil Lesh standing over there, groovin his ass off right next to me. What a time! Very much looking forward to getting back out on tour with the CRB.Stay tuned...
Dead Days
Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Wavy Gravy, Betty Cantor...these folks hold a special place in the history of American rock-n-roll and are, by all accounts, now big fans of our music. How did this happen so fast? Those who were present this past week at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, witnessed history and if you saw the smile on my face, then you knew how completely elated the feeling was. I mean, sharing the stage with Chris Robinson for more than nine months and over 115 shows across the U.S. is an amazing honor, in and of itself, but when you add Phil Lesh & Bob Weir to that equation you have a whole other ballgame, entirely.Early into our last east coast run, while discussing possible guest sit-in's for our four-night stint at Great American Music Hall, CR mentioned to us that Phil might be sitting-in on the last set of the third show. Exciting news and for those reading who aren't aware, Phil was the bassist for the Grateful Dead and Bob Weir played guitar alongside Jerry Garcia. Both are still very active and doing quite well.Anyway, knowing how things go in this business, I tried not to get my hopes up too high in regards to possibly playing with Phil cause I didn't wanna be bummed if he wasn't able to make it. Well, he did and he played his ass off too, which came as a great surprise cause the dude is 71 years old.
The show was fantastic that night and one I'll remember for a long time to come. But to top it all off, on the last night, we were given the chance (once again) to jam with the great Bob Weir. Wow.
Really good time. Thanks, Bob!
For all four shows, Betty Cantor-Jackson, Grateful Dead archivist and longtime member of their production team, sat to the side of the stage, recording every note that was played. Her recordings of the Dead are as legendary as the shows themselves and to see her smiling next to us was an incredible moment in time. As honored and humbled as their kindness made me feel this past week, I have to wonder to myself...these folks are legends...has the CRB been given the nod from the Dead's royalty?Whatever the case, yours truly is certainly grateful.
Reflections
End of the year is near, one last tour of the west coast then its into the studio we go to record our first album. Pretty psyched about it all and looking back over the past 9 months or so, I'm reminded of all the traveling we've done to get to this point. Just over a hundred shows in such a short time, back and forth across the country several times, we've been really busy and although exhausting, it's been super fun. I'd like to think we're all a little bit wiser and have maybe even learned a thing or two about life, as well as music. Who knows, but whatever the case, we've certainly racked up a ton of memories.
Less than two weeks to go on this last run before we break for Christmas. Excited, tired and extremely grateful for this gig. We've come a long way, but we're just now getting started.
New Website
Two weeks into this tour and we get word that our new website is finally up as of today and totally rockin. Check it out here!
Her Voice, Those Drums
Los Angeles is a great town and I'm happy to be back here working during my time off, although my doctor says I should be taking it easy due to a pinched nerve in my neck that's still not yet healed. Ouch! But who can say no when a lady comes a-callin'? Certainly not me. Anyhow, yesterday I was in the studio with a wonderful singer songwriter, Julie Cain, a fantastic & unique voice that is really nice to hear coming through the headphones. It was low-key, easy and fun but I wish I'd had the presence of mind to snap some pics of the session, especially the drums. 24" Premier 1950's set with an 8 x 14 Slingerland snare that (apparently) used to belong to one of the many drummers from Jethro Tull...I didn't ask which one. Clive Bunker, perhaps? Killer sounds...woody, open but very dry. And with the timbre of this young lady's voice, was a wonderful mix. Producer, Sean Hoffman (American Music Club) is a joy to work with, as well. Fantastic musicians, both of them and judging from the results so far, once it's done, this is gonna be a great record.
Everyone should hear her sing.
The Girl Can Sing...
Came back home for a few days and did a great session with local Memphis singer/songwriter, Kait Lawson for an upcoming record...had a ball. This young lady has a bright future ahead and can definitely hold her own as a powerful voice. The songs were good, too! Two masterful cats joined me in the studio, my pal Steve Selvidge (The Hold Steady) on multiple guitars & the great Sam Shoup on upright and electric bass. I felt so lucky to have finally gotten the chance to record with these guys. What a treat. Anyhow, keep your eyes peeled for this one.
I tried a bit of muting and muffling this time, which yielded some nice results. A bandanna over the snare gave it really dry and punchy tone. The producer loved it.
This trip home has been productive, fun and pretty relaxing. Back to LA in the a.m.