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Resonance, Part Two: Drafts and Tracking Acoustics

My Eastman E-22SS/V-SB As I set out to record the more acoustic singer-songwriter album Resonance , I took a good long time developing the songs. I wanted to create simple arrangements that would include some musical ear candy but also allow me to replicate the songs live and in person. I wanted to be able to play the song fully with just one guitar and have limited embellishments on the album version. For the most part, that worked out with very little orchestration on the tracks. I will talk about each one of them in an upcoming post. I spent a long time deliberating whether I should try to record guitar and voice in one take. Throughout my recording of other albums, it was always apparent to me that one take throughout the whole track is better than copied and pasted bits and pieces, even when those bits and pieces are played perfectly. There's a certain continuity about a seamless take that sounds better, even when the subtle mistakes are left in. There is a variety, intonati
Recent posts

Resonance, Part One: Origins

This blog post marks the beginning of a series discussing my new album, Resonance. My latest release, Resonance , was a big change from the electric guitar (and even the occasional synth) infused rock and roll that my other releases showcased. And the reason was simple. Keeping it simple meant that I had a better chance of getting my music out in live situations. Since leaving djambossa , I have not played out regularly. I just don't have the practice space to get a whole three or four band up to speed to take the BMP music out into the clubs. And at the same time, I longed for the chance to play live again. On recent trips to places like Iceland and Nashville, I witnessed many solo acoustic singer-songwriter performances that sparked an idea. I realized that by transforming my music into a more acoustic guitar-centered style, I could make a comeback with original songs. This would tick off a lot of boxes for me. I could keep focusing on my songwriting and singing. I have always fe

Revolver

Today the Beatles released a remix of their 1966 album,  Revolver . The re-release contains new outtakes and recovered tracks that will please fans of the band and especially those who liked the recent documentary  Get Back .  The album was remixed by Giles Martin, the son of great Beatles produce George Martin, and Klaus Voormann. Voorman was also the designer of the album's distinctive cover.  I don't know about you, but this is right smack in the middle of my favorite Beatles era. Revolver and Rubber Soul are the sweet spot for me when it comes to Beatles songs. There's just so much good stuff on this album like "Eleanor Rigby", "Taxman", "She Said She Said", and "Got to Get You into My Life." There's also some of the first traces of Indian music influencing the Beatles on tracks like "Tomorrow Never Knows."  You're going to listen to one thing this weekend, I can't imagine there's anything better than t

Obsession, Part 3, My 1979 Ibanez ST-50 #J704333

T he Ibanez guitars in my collection always have had a special place in my heart, and I will show you my small collection in chronological order.  I would say that by far they are the most outstanding player grade instruments that one can buy. The market is slowly catching on to some of them, like the Les Paul copies and other direct knockoffs like the Modernist Series (Gibson Flying V, Explorer, and Moderne copies). In my quest to get more vintage Ibanez guitars into the stable, I started looking at what the had to offer a player that was not looking for a pristine and expensive wall hanger. I think the Studio models of  the late 70's and early 80's are the perfect place to start. HERE is a link to the original Reverb listing of my guitar. My Studio 50 (ST50) is one Ibanez models from the beginning of the post-lawsuit era. The serial number indicates it was built in October 1979. I would assume that it was built in the famous FjiGen Gakki factory in Japan, a place known for

Obsessions, Part 2 Why I Love My Ibanez, Greco, Burny, etc... Guitars

W ith my Ibanez 2350 in hand, I tried hard to learn everything about guitars and playing that I could. Trudging to lessons every week and trying to learn to read basic music was pretty frustrating. I found that I started memorizing the simple melodies and cheating. If the teacher were to point to a bar and say "Take it from here," I would be trying to think through what the part actually was, sort of like scrolling through the ABC's in my head. He finally realized I wasn't reading very well, and we moved on to  him showing me how to play the lead riff from "Day Tripper." That was really cool, and I still remember that even with the barre chords and lead section throwing me off, I loved playing the guitar.  So, that Ibanez was now my most prized possession, and it took quite a while before I even realized what it was. The fact that it was a copy of another instrument made zero difference to me at the time. The Japanese fascination with American culture has b

Obsessions

  I 'm not sure when the obsession began, but I think it had something to do with a bored kid who had access to a lot of Beatles records and store catalogs. I can remember sitting at the kitchen table of my parents' home listening to the old "red" and "blue" Beatles compilations and flipping through Sears and Brand Names catalogs with a few really cheap guitars, likely Silvertone and Kay stuff. I wanted one so badly, even though I had no idea what I would do with one. We just weren't a musical family. We were more a family of musical listeners, with Beatles and Herb Alpert albums and 70's spoof 45's like " The Streak " and " In Heaven, There is No Beer ." Not necessarily artsy stuff, but the hooks of those songs have remained with me to this day. I was absolutely determined that I wanted, no NEEDED a guitar.  Eventually, my brother brought home a really cheap acoustic guitar and when his interest waned, I signed up to learn