Rippowam Cisqua School January 13, 2012
Bedford, New York is a picturesque New England town, founded
in 1640!
MacDuffie School February 24, 2012
The MacDuffie School is in an old monastery – a beautiful,
snow-covered castle in Granby, Massachusetts.
Northwood School March 28, 2012
I love Lake Placid, New York and cannot wait to play some shows there again this summer! Northwood was a
fun, rowdy crowd.
Greenwich High School March 29, 2012
I played at GHS as part of their special House Olympics Day!
Greenwich Country Day School April 3, 2012
I performed for the GCDS 4th, 5th, and 6th graders on April 3rd. What a beautiful auditorium! The kids asked some great questions and expressed their passion for music.
Gunnery School April 15, 2012
A beautiful, Sunday afternoon outdoor concert at the Café on the Green. Makes me so grateful for
Spring time (minus the mosquitoes that I couldn’t swat away because I was playing guitar)
Greenwich Academy April 16, 2012
It was wonderful to be back at GA. I played a lot of audience requests – Tim from
George, When I Fall in Love, and more.
April Play List
Hot in Here by Rascal Flatts – from their new
album, Changed. I admire Dan Huff’s
production; it is so lush and rich. This killer track has been stuck in my head
constantly.
Love Will Be Enough for Us by Dave Barnes
Sad Eyes by Trisha Yearwood – a beautiful
rendition of a Bruce Springsteen tune.
I Remember a Boy by Shannon LaBrie – a great
lyric.
Living in the Moment by Jason Mraz – from his
new record, Love is a Four-Letter Word. I’m
a huge fan of his great artistry, personal integrity and lightheartedness.
Even If It Breaks Your Heart by the Eli Young
Band – first-pumping chorus.
Springsteen by Eric Church – that haunting,
plinking piano followed by this great, percussive 6-5 change.
The Woman I Love by Jason Mraz – I’m a big fan.
Take a listen to his new record, Love is
a Four Letter Word.
I often get asked about my writing & recording processes
– since I write & produce all my music, the process is very organic and
evolutionary. I’d like to share with you the progression of a song called
“Kinky Lullaby” on my 3rd album and last of the Fallen Flower trilogy, Clean Dirt. (You can listen to Clean Dirt
HERE and purchase HERE). I have included 5 clips of the song at
various stages of production so you can hear firsthand its evolution.
I wrote “Kinky Lullaby” on the evening of May 29, 2010
(according to the records I keep – not that I’m precise or anything), and I recall
being slightly shy that I wrote such a raunchy song, but hey – I was listening
to a lot of old blues at the time and it inspired me to be almost primal in my
writing about romance. The first audio clip is of my original guitar/vocal I
recorded on my computer the night I wrote the song. (Clip #1)
A few months later, on August 8, I first recorded a guitar/vocal
of “Kinky Lullaby” (Clip #2). I put it down in the studio and sent it over to
the musicians – pianist Yuki Hirano, bassist Yasushi and drummer Jamieo Brown –
so they could learn it for the session. We recorded the track about a month
later with piano, organ, drums and bass (Clip #3). A few things you’ll notice
about this clip: I wanted the arrangement, especially the drum beat, very simple. I wanted a soulful dullness
– not a bright, slick or flashy sound. My vocal is live with the musicians, and
for some reason I sound very drunk, although I can assure you this was not the
case! The track at this point is very sparse, but it has the depth of soul and sensuality
that I envisioned.
Clip #4 dates October 6, 2010 – I played guitars and banjo
on the track and finalized the lead vocal. Incidentally, I ended up using the
vocal from the original August 8 guitar vocal – since I was originally shy
singing the song in the studio, this vocal is very subtle and understated, and
to me it is sexier in its coyness and demureness. I also added about 40+
background vocals to the song – they are all mixed deep into the mix - I wanted
to give it a gospel-y feel. Background
vocals are probably my favorite thing to do in the studio. I have a harmony
obsession and will layer and layer and layer when the song calls for it.
On October 25, I added dobro and steel guitar to the song,
played by Gerald Menke. The addition of these two country instruments completed
the song, as it brought to fruition the vision I originally had for the song –
country/blues (Clip #5). The song was then mixed and mastered, and now lives
on my most playful, sexy, album, Clean
Dirt, on which it fits perfectly. You can listen to the finished version of
“Kinky Lullaby” HERE.
