This was worth all the effort you put in. Traditional blues is alive and well! Thanks.

[ Reply to This ]

very pro! excellent playing, flawless production. best of luck with the cd.

[ Reply to This ]

THANK YOU for the note on the production...i have mixed these tracks so many times, that I have lost my perpective. I put the whole project on hold for several weeks, to clear my head.

This mix sounds nice to me...but you really cant tell sometimes, so again, TY!

[ Reply to This ]

...but the guy who loaned you the guitar will be waiting for his autographed copy, if you get my drift...

This is a CRISP mix, Fran... the acoustic guitar is stinging, very bright and biting... You can more or less pick out the bronze alloy percentages as it goes by... Your vocal is very present... And the harp is also clear and forward...

Reminds me of Jonathan Edwards' old version of 'Lay Around The Shanty'... I think mostly in Scott's playing...

I think your basic tracks are beyond reproach. After that, it's all a question of the mix, and for that it's all a question of what sort of unifying acoustic space you're trying to emulate for the whole CD... Might be time to sell one of your classic Bentley's and invest in that top notch set of monitors you know you want... I hear B&O make a nice set...

The other thing is to play with subtle placement of space, both left and right and back to front, using a little reverb and stuff, so that it doesn't sound like everything is trying to be in the front... Everything's WORTHY of being up front, you have an embarrassment of riches in the performances, so it's down your decisions about how you'd like it to come across...

Think I recognize those railroad tracks... How many times do I hafta tell ya not to put your head on the rails? Huh?

Blues guys. Sheesh...

Ed

[ Reply to This ]

libby took the picture. she's got a great natural eye.

mixing this stuff, acoustic music, is really more complicated than the electric material I've done, for exactly the reasons you deliniate here, ed.

those little adjustments in presence and placement really show up and do make a lot of difference.

I HOPE this is the last mix, but you never know

warmest regards my friend

z

[ Reply to This ]

...that you didn't feel the connection 'till recently. Ya take to it like a duck to water.
I really like what you've done here. It's not like you're trying to copy somebody (the well placed *cough* or "lawd have mercy"). You're being yourself and doin' it right.
IMHO, the production, tune, performance are all cd ready. Lookin' forward to hearin' it.
GREAT job, z.
Bob

[ Reply to This ]

One last thing: it's very unique to have your own sound in the blues genre, nowadays. You've got it.
...and: real nice licks...

---
I live between the notes

[ Reply to This ]

that is a wonderful thing for you to say! It takes a life time to learn to play it like yourself. Buddy Guy says, you suck at blues if you arent at least 50....heheheh....maybe he's right.

It's true, the emotional kick I am getting from these old master recordings. When I started thinking about doing this cd, I started buying up and borrowing all the vintage stuff i could get my hands on. I have on friend who brought me a good 2 dozen cds to listen to...I fell in love with Son House. and slowly, i began to hear the nuances and uniqueness of these artists. I can only imagine what a great recording you could make with any one of them nowadays.

I soon found out that a lot, if not all of the crap I play on electric works very well on acoustic. It was daunting learning from the old records cuz they are very out of tune a lot of the time. So I really had to work on the guitar playing on these songs, because, even with all my years of playing, I had no experience to glean from. I learned TONS from vintage clips posted on YouTube and like places. If i can watch these guys, i coud pick up on what tricks they used to do what they did. Using this new perspective, I was able to begin to bring in the older elments and mix them with my style.

I am actively trying to cultivate my own style...my own spin on this sacred music.

It's nice to have people listen. I would make this music anyway, but it is nice to know some people listen. Thanks!!

best regards
z

[ Reply to This ]

Nostalgic sound.
Kindly heart.
A nice blues.

[ Reply to This ]

Sounds great on this! Its always been exceptional, but this track seems to be the perfect vehicle for you. You're gettin a great sound out of that guitar. Right in the pocket, feels like I'm sitting in the room. Well produced, but maintaining the spontaneous element.

Love listening to your stuff.


[ Reply to This ]

Can't tell you much I love this. One of my favorite recordings anywhere, any time. Really sweet. Is the album coming out via The Lost Records?

[ Reply to This ]

thanks tobin! that is a very kind thing for you to say. and i cant express my gratitude to scott for playing with me on these sessions. i think his playing on the tracks i've done is so PERFECT, so remarkably soulful and melodic, that he has added the extra dimension that I could never have acheived alone.

Scott and I have really spent our entire lives together, as his older brother is my very best friend. As a little kid, scott would hang around band rehearsal with his eyes popping out. He picked up harmonica at an early age, got good quick. He started singing as well...years flew by, and scott had this nice little blues unit together, and i would jam with them...ended up staying with them for 5 years.

Scott and I had sorta fallen out of touch, although he shows up at gigs and plays with me, we hadnt spent any real-time together for many years. When I started hanging with him again for these sessions, we re-kindled a very nice relationship that is extreamly warm and respectful. He is a wonderful guy. His singing and playing have gotten really really fine, thru gigs and vocal lessons, and he has worked his ass off on his sound. and man, it shows. I saw him live several weeks back, an watched him from the audience...and woo-wee...the blues was pouring out.

Yes, these will be on Lost Records i think. I am still researching these tunes as to their derivation...there are so many variations on songs like the ones i'm doing it's hard sometimes to nail down who actually wrote them. Plus, I change lyrics to my liking so all of them are re-written to some extent. But the permissions will be costly, even if most of the songs are original or traditional...i have some that i have done that i will definatly need to get permissions for.

Right now, the material i have recorded clocks in at about 50 minutes, but 1 or 2 of the songs still need to be finished.

why did I write all this? oh yeah...Thanks Tobin for the encouragement!

peace thru music
z

[ Reply to This ]

.. i would cover it with cream, put a big, red cherry on the top and get it right on down. yuuuuummmyyyy - big loves bb xoxoxox

[ Reply to This ]

I feel uncomfortable mentioning a minor nit in here, but I love this and do think it is ALMOST perfect... just one thing... when I listen in headphones, there seems to be a "hole" at about 10:00, where you've panned your voice to come in, so when you're not singing, there's a gaping hole there in my phones... the guitar and harmonica seem to be leaning slightly to the right (1:00), so it feels unbalanced to me... dunno if you can sneak some reverb tail from the harmonica and/or guitar over to fill that, and duck it during vox to pull things back to center. I like the overall placement, stuff sounds really clean and crisp, otherwise. Hope this is helpful... feel free to ignore it if you're done, this is minor. As usual, stirring blues, beautiful performance, no complaints on anything else here!
ttfn,
Drakonis

[ Reply to This ]

And this is a 10! Everything in this song is perfect to me, the vocal, the guitar, the harp, the lyrics, the length of the song... Thank you, thank you, thank you! /MIkki

[ Reply to This ]

the harmonica is a very good addition for this tune.

WAy to go z


[ Reply to This ]

MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ Reply to This ]

This is as good as any production I've heard here at MJ... completely cd ready... any radio any time... you are really doing great work... sincerly

there is nothing self indulgent about this.. sitting in the producer chair, you've made this all about the song... and there is sucjh life in it...

I'm knocked out by this

[ Reply to This ]

i listened to it tonight and all i heard was distortion....so I mixed it again...going nuts here....

thank you scott. always coming from you these kind words mean a whole lot to me. Thanks!!!!!

z


[ Reply to This ]

distortion, you say? sounds clean as a whistle to me. the lead vocal might maaaay be a tiny bit grainy, but it wounds amazing like that. it sounds very immediate and personal. any more polished and i think it would detract from the feel of the vox.

[ Reply to This ]

for the valuable input!!...i did manage to make it a bit cleaner, but i am also beginning to believe i may have blown up my beyers! did i forese this?? yes i did, and i am off to the store for a fresh set! praise be extended warranty!

thanks for the listen!

[ Reply to This ]

Fran, you and Scott really nailed this! Great playing and great, clean mix and production - as pro as can be my friend.
I really enjoy your electric playing as I think you well know, but to me, the acoustic is where you really shine. This track, and the others off the CD that I've heard would stop traffic anywhere - absolutely and undeniably outstanding! Your singing sounds perfect.
Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I suspect Scott might have used a harmonica ; )
Cheers,
Neil


[ Reply to This ]

... a big league blues tune if ever there was.

Standby everybody, the Ziti Blues Express is pulling into the station soon for your listening pleasure.

I echo Tobin's sentiments.

[ Reply to This ]

You ar a master of your art my friend and this is yet another fine example.
Outstanding.

[ Reply to This ]

This is just as breezy as the beautiful day flowing outside my window - it just floats out of the speakers and invites you to go along for the ride. Very nice!

[ Reply to This ]

Love the recording of the guitars, pure sweetness; and the harp is well, my goodness, that's a harp! Great classic blues sound.

[ Reply to This ]

...and I love that harmonica. You and your brother make a great team. I would love to see you guys live.

[ Reply to This ]

So fine...so very fine...My day has been officially "made." Rock on Fran! Nice job Scott!


Be well!

[ Reply to This ]

Wow. There's no need to say more!

-------------------

I did some diggin'...

YONDER COMES THE BLUES was written by FRED NEIL.

The song is Track 10 on his second album, BLEECKER & MACDOUGAL (Elektra, 1965), produced by Paul A Rothchild.

Music label specifics:
Elektra EKL 293 (Mono)
EKS 7293 (Stereo)
Originally released in May 1965.
Later reissued as EKS 74073 with the title LITTLE BIT OF RAIN (with a different sleeve).

You can order the album here:
http://www.amazon.com/Bleecker-Macdougal-Fred-Neil/dp/B0000088FE

Fred Neil Chronology:
http://www.home.zonnet.nl/jim2873/fredneil/chronology.html

Biography's on Fred:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Neil
http://music.aol.com/artist/fred-neil/2088/biography

Interesting bit I read:
Fred hated the music industry and its commercialism. He dropped out and didn't record for the last 30 years of his life or so, living frugally of the proceeds from "Everybody's Talking at Me", despite offers from Rock Giants to record duets again.

Original lyrics (copied from the internet, so who knows):

Yonder Comes The Blues
---------------------
Raindrops falling on a roof of tin
Oh bad news
Roof keeps leaking the rain pours in
I guess I'm paying my dues

Look over yonder
Tell me what do you see
Yonder comes the blues
Running after me

It keeps on raining all the time
Sometimes out but mostly in
I've been waiting for that sun to shine
Oh since I can't recall when

Look over yonder...

If your sweet mama treat you right
I think you better take my advise
Don't go pussy footing late at night
I know you better think twice

You're gonna look over your shoulder
You know I'm telling you to
Yonder comes the blues
Dressed in high heel shoes

Yonder comes the blues
Running after you


Hope this helps, Fran. Let me know how I can order your cd when it's time (or before).

Shimky.

[ Reply to This ]

as you can see...i re-did the lyrics a bit...but it is his tune. It is a pretty standard blues form..(variation #2,783 in the blues form dictionary) Ok...fred neil was an early favorite of mine...his music still resonates very deeply to me. Supposedly, he was a real bastard. But he gives me shivers. And on that very bleeker and mcdougal album was john sebastian, pre-lovin spoonful, playing great harmonica. that was the inspiration for inviting scott to play on these sessions inn the first place.

I will add this one to the list of tunes I will need to get the rights too for release of the disk...

thanks for taking the time shim!!!

[ Reply to This ]

wow man. sweet.

[ Reply to This ]

Wonderful.. Sweet .. So much enjoyed!

Wish I could talk only about my joy of listening to this, and after reading about all your mixing and remixing efforts I feel even more hesitant to say anything more than all that has already been said here. But since you are to release it and want feedback, I try to put on techno-critial ears, the little I have.

(headphones listening): I feel the acoustic guitars are panned too far out left and right, especially the left one. Maybe that is part of the reason someone commented on a hole in the middle. And voices and harmonica could be spread out a bit.

I feel the harmonica stands out too loud in this mix.

I think also you could get a more natural sound if the guitars wasn't so crisp. If they were somewhat muddled, like if recorded with dynamic mics, I think they'd work more as backing instrumtents and not sound like 'trying to be in the front' as Ed said.

(both monitor and headphone listening): Guess this is related to what Ed said. The sound space give me a dry impression. And it is like the instuments and voices doesn't have space around them (guess you didn't record each instument and voice stereo) .. So what does the pro guys do to make the mix sound as if the instruments were in a room (preferably the same room)? .. I know very little of these things, but my amateur guess would be a good stereo room echo on the master track, so that all the instruments get the same treatment.

Finally again: This is sweet sweet wonderful music!


[ Reply to This ]

me down as a devoted listener. My t fine!

[ Reply to This ]

Flows effortlessly onto the Soundstage, hiding all the effort behind the Capture.

Really got a joie de vie in the easy going presentation of guitars, harmonies, and harp.

Love this despite being a Basic Chicago guy in orientation.

FINE Work, here, Boys.

Best,
Coop

[ Reply to This ]

a big fan of the harmonica, and it is wonderful in this song. Great playing by all. Production sounds very nice too, but I'm no expert in that department. I really like the old-style blues myself. Sounds like you went out of your comfort zone for this one and it was well worth it! Cheers.

[ Reply to This ]

loved it, so relaxing... good to hear a true blues song in all its fullness

[ Reply to This ]

You're the blues master. This is great, by all measures I know! Thanks

[ Reply to This ]