The Live Record is Finished

It has been a very long six weeks. As I have mentioned in prior postings, I have been hard at work producing my band, Tung N' Groove's promotional CD, which I recorded live at a recent gig.

Now, the recording isn't the only thing that has been occupying my waking hours, but I would think that it is likely one of the more exciting endeavors I have been recently involved in.

The last time I wrote an entry about the recording, I was ranting about a critical mistake I had made in the recording process, rendering the bass drum track unusable. In order to save the recording, I employed a technique called sample replacement, essentially replacing all the bass drum hits with pre-recorded samples. It was an awfully long process, since I did it manually, and took me almost 20 hours to complete. In other words, three full work days.

I spent nearly the same amount of time into editing the audio. This can mean a great many things in the audio production world, but for the most part -- in this recording -- it meant stripping out unnecessary audio regions. This usually means background noise, hums, clicks, and undesirable frequencies can be filtered out before they cause a problem. This in effect can clean up the audio you hear in the end result.

Once the heavy lifting was completed, I began mixing the recording. I explained the process in an earlier post, though it's a little more involved that "making every instrument find its' place in the mix". Entire volumes have been written about the subject, and I hate to bore my readers with theory. In layman's terms: "I just turn the knobs until it sounds good to me."

What sound advice. It's like saying the strategy to winning a hockey game is to score more goals than your opponent.

It took some time, but last weekend, I finally managed to have the album mixed. I promptly moved the project into the mastering phase, where I put the finishing touches on the album. It actually took me two attempts, but I think I got it to a point where I can be happy.

So how does it sound? Have a listen for yourself.

Damn Murphy and His Laws

Anything that can go wrong, will.

I have been investing 8 to 12 hours per day working on my recording project, and have successfully managed to fix the errors as indicated in the last post. Amidst editing the audio, I uncovered one other major issue.

I am a singing drummer. It was something that I stumbled upon early in my career, and it has made me more employable than many of my peers because of such. Thus, the tracks that I recorded last weekend had me singling while playing drums.

This is the reason I uncovered another major issue. While listening to my vocal track, I discovered there was a lot of bleed from the snare drum into my vocal microphone. I would usually let this slide, however, the transient of my snare drum was much louder than my vocal, and it was coloring the snare track.

My first thought was to EQ the transient out, but this would have left my vocal track incredibly muddy and useless.

Given the time available to me, I decided on drastic action. I overdubbed my background vocals for about half of the songs in my home studio.

The truth of the matter is, that I'm not exactly happy about the situation. But in the end, I should have a product that will meet or exceed my expectations.

The Recording Process (Case Study: Tung N' Groove)

I am halfway into my third week of "semi-retirement", and contrary to popular belief, I am not going stir-crazy. I have been very busy with a number of personal projects -- one in particular I wished to discuss here.

The Problem

One of the bands, I play in, Tung 'N Groove, is going through some growing pains. We want to expand our "sphere of influence" by playing in a few more clubs than we already do. This essentially means we need a press kit.

Part of the press kit includes a CD which demonstrates the material the band plays during a regular performance. In bands I have formerly played in, this was often a cassette tape, recorded from a board mix. The fidelity of board mixes is mediocre at best, and often doesn't capture the full power of the band in a live situation. Being one who has an interest in recording, mixing and producing, I jumped at the chance to record the band at our performance at the Redcliff Hylton last weekend.

This has not been the first time I attempted this. In January, I lugged all my recording gear to the Redcliff Hylton in an attempt to record the band. MA and I spent the entire Saturday afternoon assembling gear, mounting additional microphones, and soldering cables. Hardware limitations would mean that I was limited to recording 8 tracks at a time, so a few compromises had to be made: The drums had to be submixed to stereo, and the vocals also had to be submixed to stereo as well.

When I got the recording home and listened to it, I realized immediately that the limitations of my recording hardware crippled the recording. There was nothing I could do to save the submixed drums. In addition, the submixed vocals were horrid, due to complexities I do not wish to go into here. The answer was of course, that 8 tracks would not be enough. I would have no choice but to expand the number of inputs my DAW can handle.

Lightning Strikes Twice

Thanks to eBay, I scoffed another recording interface, and integrated it into my hardware rack, bringing the number of inputs I could record at one time to 18. I also had to purchase a couple extra microphones, specifically a pair of Studio Projects C4's. I had the hardware, and with Logic Pro, I should have been able to record the band, with enough separation to create a mix which would meet my standards.

Of course, I would have to test it at home first. This was the first mistake I had made the last time I tried to record the band. I set up a new session in Logic Pro, armed 18 tracks and hit record. It worked beautifully. One other hurdle remained: I couldn't exactly take my 20" iMac to the club in order to run the recording software. I needed to bring my laptop. I have Logic Express 7.2 installed on my core duo laptop, but it's limited to recording 12 tracks at a time. GarageBand is limited to recording 8 tracks at a time, plus you can only record at 16-bit depth, so that option was out. I uninstalled and unregistered Mackie's Tracktion 2. I needed to install Logic Pro on the laptop.

Problem number 2: Logic Pro is a huge install -- a 40-gigabyte install (7 DVD-ROMs). My laptop doesn't have that kind of room anymore. I tried to find a way to do a minimal install, but to no avail. I fought with the damn thing for six hours before giving up.

I had one last option: Reaper. Though Reaper is making waves in the PC market, the Mac Version is in the beta stage. It is buggy and unreliable -- even the forums are dotted with a number of Mac users who have suffered kernel panics during critical recording sessions. Given the fact that I didn't want to use beta software in this session -- especially when I had only one shot at this -- I really didn't want to use Reaper. But it became clear I had no choice.

The Set-Up

Last Saturday, MA and I returned to the Hylton to assemble a huge mess of wires, and microphones for that evening's performance. We took a number of inputs directly from the mixer, though the guitar cabinets were miked individually, overhead mics were placed over the drumkit to capture the cymbals, and the Bass guitar signal was split via a DI box, and recorded direct. To capture the 'roar' of the band, we set up a stereo pair of microphones in the middle of the club, pointed at the stage. To prevent tampering, the microphones were suspended from the ceiling, well out of the public's reach. We set our recording levels, and returned to the club that evening to play the gig.

The Performance Session

Reaper worked beautifully. The software, hardware, and computer handled recording 18 tracks simultaneously for nearly three hours of audio without skipping a beat. I was pleased, and I could not wait until the next day when I could load the session and listen to the recording.

The Truth on Tape Disc

Listening to the recording the next day, would be comparable to a rude awakening. But then I am my own worst critic. I had to come to terms with the fact that we didn't play all that well, largely due to the fact that we haven't gigged in two months. But I knew there would be diamonds in the rough, and out of the thirty-five songs that were recorded, there might be a dozen that could make the cut.

Back Up Early, Back Up Often

Before I began doing any "destructive editing", I burned a backup of the session -- 7 DVD ROMs' worth. Once I had a permanent backup that I could go back to, in the event I messed something up, I went about chopping up the audio into individual songs. It took me nearly two days to extract 12 songs from the recording session.

A Critical Error Discovered

Now that I had 12 of the better songs extracted, I figured I could get to work mixing the audio. Nearly right away I uncovered a major issue with the bass drum track. During the first song, something came loose or moved on my drumkit, and I found an annoying rattle in the track. Even worse, is that this went unnoticed, and was present in every single song. My first inclination was that perhaps the rattle could be removed though careful EQing, but my attempt at this left me with a bass drum track that sounded terrible.

The solution -- which became immediately clear to me, is a technique called sample replacement. In short, this means replacing the recorded audio with programmed electronic copy. Now, if I had the cash, I would have resorted to an automated program such a Drumagog, which would detect the transients of the bass drum and replace with drum samples automatically. Alas, I am unemployed, and that means I would have to program the bass drum track manually -- and this would take hours to complete.

So yesterday, I began the long drawn-out process of replacing my bass drum track with samples. Recording the samples does not take a lot of time -- about as long as it takes to play the song from start to finish. It is in the editing process (ensuring all the samples are lined up, and in sync with the original track) which takes so much time. I would have sooner resorted to using loops, but we did not record to a click -- so that option was also out.

The first song took me 2 hours to program. And every subsequent song has taken me as long. I have spent the entire day today, and half of yesterday, to program some five songs. I expect to invest another twelve hours into fixing the bass drum tracks before I am ready to move on to the next phase.

The Next Step

I am pleased to say that the remaining tracks are in a position where I should be able to work with them. Everything else recorded well enough that I should be able to produce a recording which will meet my expectations.

I will need to listen to each individual track on each song, and listen for clicks, pops, and even wrong notes. If something can be fixed by editing, or even by overdubbing, I may have to consider that option.

I will have to administer plugins to the individual tracks. This includes EQ, compression, and reverb. Applied properly, this allows the individual tracks to "find their place in the mix". This is an exhaustive process which can take days, but the results are well worth the investment.

The next logical step in the recording process is called mixing -- this is where all the instruments are balanced with respect to one another to produce one cohesive sound coming out of your speakers. The mix is then "bounced down" to 2 tracks -- one file of all the instruments, instead of multiple files being played simultaneously. This is often thought of the format that most people consume music, but this isn't exactly true.

The Master

Before audio is distributed to the masses, a mixed file goes through a process called mastering. The mixed file undergoes a little compression, EQing, and other refinements, which puts a "sheen" or "glitter" to the final mix. It also ensures that there aren't any transients that might potentially blow the speakers out of their cabinets. The master is then burned to a disc conveniently called "the Master", which is the recording from which all subsequent copies are duplicated from.

Status

As you can see, there are 400 things that have to happen in order for me to get the band's demo out to club owners, and I am on number 8. If anything exciting happens in my travels between here and there, I expect to make a note of it here.

If you are still reading this, I sincerely hope that you have found this read to be informative and insightful.

The End of an Era

Once again, this winter I have to come to terms with the fact that a good thing never lasts forever. Once again the Savoys Blues Band has had to endure another upheaval. We have known for quite some time, but have kept it quiet, that our guitar player BG declared his intentions to leave the band. This last Saturday was his last performance, and thus, the last night he was a member of the band.

The band has clear intentions of moving on and finding a replacement, though our search is taking longer than we had hoped -- by a few months. In fact, due to this upheaval, we have sat on our haunches and haven't been looking for work, so at this point, the Savoys have no future performances, and the future seems uncertain, despite the best of our intentions.

What I find so perplexing about this situation, is that in one light, it appears as the end of something very unique to Southern Alberta. Our last few gigs have been very positive -- actually exceeding our expectations for crowd enthusiasm. The blues community in the Hat is very alive and well. So, in this light, I can see this as a time of rebuilding.

To further complicate matters both MA and I are members of Tung N' Groove, the new Classic Rock act that is gaining momentum like a high-speed train with a stuck throttle. It could be very easy for the two of us to focus all our energies into this new act; but if we did, we would be neglecting a side of ourselves that needs to surface. Our eclectic musical tastes just cannot be represented with one band alone. So the answer is clear; both bands must endure.

As for finding a replacement, we have our prospects which we hope to recruit. Issues surrounding this problem resides under the notion that it's not so much about liking the material or the people; it's a matter of who has the available time to dedicate to such an endeavor. The Savoys are moving away from being an old-school blues band into an act that will play everything from R&B to Soul to Funk to Big Band Swing, while retaining blues roots. We want to do more than have people sit and listen to our music; we want to pack dance floors, and we know that there is a great deal of work to be done if we want this dream to be realized.

But it all comes down to finding the right recruit for the job, and this job ain't for anybody. A great deal of dedication and perseverance will be required of the ideal candidate. A professional attitude and work ethic is integral, as the current bandmates are constantly trying to push the limits of our abilities.

So on that note, I'll send BG my warmest wishes and hope he is successful in his future endeavors.

How Many Drums Does a Drummer Need?

You know you are addicted to drugs, er, drums when you can't have more than just one. My first drumkit was an el-cheapo made-in-Taiwan no-name brand that had seen better days before I even purchased it for $100 in 1989. I likely sunk in some $400 just to get it playable, and it served me well, even through the days of my first band, Hot Chocolate Boy.

By the time I began to collaborate with JL and create The Anglers, I felt like I outgrew my cheap drumset, and I wanted a more professional instrument. I spent the entire summer of 1993 working my bollocks off so I could buy my new drumkit -- a 6-piece Tama Rockstar DX in a deep metallic blue finish. It was a huge improvement over my little blue sparkle jazz kit, and it served me well over the years, earning enough mileage to likely circumvent the earth at least twice. It also happens to be the only drumset that I purchased new.

I used that kit as my primary drumset throughout my career, including bands such as The Anglers, Left of Centre, ZanZee, Legacy, Mule Shoe and many countless one-offs, sit-ins and recording sessions. As good as it has been to me over the years, there is one nagging thing about my Tama Rockstars: They are classified as an "entry-level" drumset, and as such, have compromises in the quality of construction. It is not a professional-level instrument, but it is well enough for the working-class drummer or student. I kept it in shape and it still sounds good, even after all the gigs and the miles and the (one) car accident -- but I have heard some drums sound better, much better than my Rockstars.

When I began teaching, and gigging on a heavy schedule, I realized the limitations of having only one drumset, as I had retired my P.O.S. jazz drumkit, and later sold it to a relative. A second drumkit was necessary to teach; I could sit at one and demonstrate while the pupil sat at the other kit and copied the rhythms I had just shown them. Furthermore, as my teaching schedule got more hectic, there were some nights and weekends where I needed one drumkit in the club, and the other at my studio waiting for my next student.

It became imperative that I needed a second drumkit -- one small and portable; one that could be packed up in a pinch. Thus, in 2002 when my good friend and mentor Bernie Anderson closed his drum shop, I was lucky enough to buy a piece of drum history, a late 80's or early 90's PureCussion portable drumset -- one in his personal collection which he gigged with regularly.

The PureCussion kit is a wonderful instrument -- completely collapsible, and easily fits in the back of an MG. It sounds good -- for its' size, and for the fact that the drums are only single-headed. These drums have seen a lot of gigs, and (mostly) rehearsals, but I have used it for shows such as the Best of Broadway series at the Esplanade, Medicine Hat Musical Theater's Grease, Fut in the Hat's I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It On The Road, and the Savoy Blues Band.

Now that I play in two bands, I am beginning to see the limitations of having two drunkits,; I really would like to have one drumset living in cases, ready for the moment the telephone rings. I could essentially load and go to the gig, ready for anything. No packing, no hassle; just load and go. Furthermore, being a professional drummer, I still don't have a professional-level drumkit.

Until now.

Last week, I bid on a set of Canwood drums, and out of sheer luck, I was the only bidder. The seller mentioned that the drums had seen a lot of miles, and they would likely need some maintenance -- something I was prepared for.

Canwoods are high-quality hand-made custom drums built in Lloydminister, Alberta. They are comparable to flagship models of major drum manufacturers, including Ayotte, DW, Yamaha, Gretsch, Tama, Taye, and many others. We are talking top of the line here.

On Saturday, my new Canwoods arrived at the local Greyhound station, and I could not wait to pick them up. I brought them home, eagerly opened the cases and began to assess what kind of shape the drums were in. As you can see from the photos, the drums were a little beat up; the finishes were scratched, there was some rusting and pitting on the chrome, and the heads needed replacement. My objective was to give them a quick-and-dirty cleanup job and get them playable in a matter of a few hours. This required a trip to the local music store to buy some replacement drumheads.

I had the drums in a playable condition by dinner time, and I took them to the Blue Turtle to test-drive them that very night.

Not only did they meet my expectations, they exceeded them in terms of sound. In fact, they were the topic of conversation of the entire band. Even my folks came by to the club to hear them, and they were very impressed with my latest investment. These drums sounded fantastic, and they served me well that night. I fully expect these Canwoods will become my primary drumkit for the next several years.

I wanted to get this drumkit playable and sounding good in the shortest time possible, and I think I have accomplished that. The drums are currently sitting at my studio being used when I teach. They will return to their cases once I begin gigging with Tung N Groove in about six weeks.

The long-term project for my Canwoods is to go through an in-depth assessment and restoration program. This will include refinishing the drums. I hope I only need to redo the lacquer, since I already love the color. It may take me several months, even a few years, but in the end this will be a drumkit that every drummer will drool over.

So how many drumsets does a drummer need? At least three, but I have yet to determine if a drummer needs more than that.

Tung N' Groove Site Officially Open

The Tung N' Groove Website has been declared officially open. I had to move up my schedule, as it was brought to my attention today that Tung N' groove's debut has been moved up to May 18, 2007 at the Redcliff Hylton.

We have a lot of preparations to complete before we are ready to hit the stage that May evening, bit it's going to be worth it. It will be well worth the wait.

Welcome, Tung N' Groove

You knew it was coming; I knew it was coming: Another f***in' website to manage. I have no idea how I am going to keep so many websites afloat, yet in the same breath, it doesn't make sense for me to boast about my new band on here, when it should be perfectly kosher to do it on it's own site. A permanent link to the Tung N' Groove Website is now available on the Nav sidebar.

At this point, the site is barely active.... and I mean such. There are no posts, and I am uploading relevant material when time permits. That means, hopefully by 2030, the site should be finished, and by then, the band should have broken up more than twice.

The site will of course, cater to all thing relevant to Tung N Groove, should include upcoming shows, a biography, the song list is already up, and anything news related will be published on the site. Rest assured, I will allow all other members (DH MA and KR) to freely contribute their thoughts on the site.

After two years of incubation, 2007 brings you Tung N' Groove, Medicine Hat's newest slutty Classic Rock sensation.

Tung N' Groove Makes Another Step Forward

Our showcases at local clubs have paid off. The Blue Turtle and the Royal Hotel -- with only one showcase at each club, have booked Tung N' Groove into their clubs this summer and fall. We are very excited to be an official local act, and we are looking forward to entertaining crowds young and old.

The next task at hand is to learn another 30 songs before August -- perhaps sooner, if we can pick up some more gig dates in the summer at other bars and pubs around town. We will be examining the feasibility of playing the Redcliff Hylton, the Mainliner Pub, and the Silver Buckle. this year.

Acquiring a PA system for the band will also occupy our summer.

This is near-perfect timing, as the Savoy Blues Band is just wrapping up a few dates in the next few weeks, before going on our annual summer hiatus. MA and I are going to be gigging lots in the coming months.

Amidst all this excitement, I have one other nagging project. To create a website to promote Tung N' Groove. Looks like I will have to manage yet another webpage.

We Grooved

48 hours have since passed since Tung N' Groove played their "second" gig at the Royal Hotel Saturday Jam on St. Patrick's Day. This was the perfect time to "redeem" ourselves from the disastrous first performance at the Blue Turtle a few weeks back.

Since then, we have been hard at work, learning a whole pile of new songs, tightening up old ones, and working on the ever-so-important vocal harmonies that seldom makes (but often breaks) a band.

As I have mentioned earlier, we have been going to local jams periodically to "test-drive" the material we have been practicing. The reasons for this are plenty: Of most importance, is this allows us to present the material in a live environment, and we can see how it works on-stage. We receive feedback from other patrons and musicians, which gives us some indication if the music will "sell". It gives us experience, and even though most of us are experienced in playing clubs (with the exception of our bass player KR), every new band is different. We need to get a feel for we listen to one another on stage. You can't do that in a rehearsal environment.

Lastly, but not of least importance, is that attending these jams allows us to showcase the new act, generate buzz, and sell the band to club managers, so we can be hired in the future.

The plan is working.

After a number of delays, Tung N' Groove managed to get on the open stage around 4:30 Saturday afternoon. By this time the Royal was getting quite busy, and the excitement began to boil in our blood. It took about fifteen minutes to get our equipment hooked up into the host band's PA, and get our sounds before we kicked off our set.

We opened with the Judas Priest song "Burnin' 'Up", which was likely not the best of openers, but it was enough to grab the attention of a number of patrons and musicians lingering about.

The rest of the set consisted of Mr. Big's Take Cover, Robin Trower's Day of The Eagle, April Wine's Enough is Enough (which I sang lead vocal on), The Scorpions' The Zoo, Led Zeppelin's Livin' Lovin' Maid, and Foreigner's Juke Box Hero.

I think the band was a lot more relaxed than our first performance; We felt so much more comfortable at our instruments, and our playing showed. The music was solid; the vocals were not strained, and the harmonies clicked in as they have been at practice. I felt we played very well, and judging by the crowd's reaction, we hit a home run.

After our set, we settled down for a few beverages, and mingled with a few of the other musicians who were present. Their comments were, to say the least, very candid and warm. A few of them even said they were blown away by the level of musicianship, the professionalism of our act, and by the material we showcased.

I for one, can say that this was one of only a few jams where I sat at someone else's drumkit and actually played well. The host drummers' kit was set up in a way that I felt was uncomfortable, but for some reason I played solidly; and with enough of my personal flair that I felt I wasn't compromising my abilities.

Even the managers of the Royal Hotel poked their heads from behind the bar, and sauntered to the dance floor to check us out. This can only mean a high potential for bookings this year.

Yes, Tung N' Groove is here. And we mean business. Look for us in the coming months; it's going to be very exciting. When we first started MA and I agreed we wanted to raise the bar as to what people expected in local talent and live entertainment. It might be egotistical, but I think this act has what it takes to accomplish just that.

Second Test Drive on St. Patty's Day

The new band, now tentatively named (and spelled) Tung N' Groove, have been working diligently away since our first near-disastrous appearance at the Blue Turtle several weeks back. We have accumulated at least 8 more songs to our repertoire, which means we have more than a full sets' worth of material. To put it another way, we have more than one-third the necessary material we will need to play a live show.

At this point, we felt it would be advantageous to test-drive the second batch of songs, in a new environment, and in front of a different clientele. About 2 weeks back we set the date of the next performance, which happens to be tomorrow.

St. Patrick's Day. The third-worst day of the year to be at the bar (First and second-place goes to New Years' and Halloween, respectively).

Tung N' Groove will be at the Royal Hotel for the Saturday Jam, commencing at 3:00pm. Stop by, drink some (disgustingly green) beer, and enjoy some local talent.

Shot Nerves

I'm on vacation. I don't have to write in my little weblog if I don't feel like it. Truth is, I haven't felt like much of anything this week. I have been so burnt-out, that the only thing that makes sense is sleeping, playing video games, and the consumption of copious amounts of whiskey.

The Savoy blues band gigs tonight at the Silver Buckle. It should be fun; the Buckle has a certain vibe to it, it's cool, rustic, and laid-back. We will be debuting a few new songs tonight, specifically, I will be singing Tower of Powers' "Diggin' on James Brown". That should get all the patrons grooving in their seats.

Tongue & Groove's first so-called "gig" at the Blue Turtle on Tuesday was interesting to say the least. The jam was attended by some of Medicine Hat's finest musicians, so you might say it was a "tough crowd". There was another band's equipment set up on the stage, so right away, you might say we were already at a disadvantage.

Musicians generally don't like playing on other people's rigs. It's kind of like wearing someone else's underwear; you don't really feel as comfortable as you should be.

Overall, the band and our material, was very well-received. Even the bar owners expressed their enthusiasm and appreciation for the new act. The other musicians were quite impressed with the level of professionalism of the band and difficulty of the material. The bar patrons were cheering, clapping, dancing, and drinking -- doing what bar patrons should.

But that's not to say our performance was perfect. Far from it. For what mistakes we made (which were plentiful) we made up for in energy and stage presence. In my opinion, we played like crap. Call it first-gig jitters; call it what you will, but our set started off badly, and that set the tone for the remaining songs.

The stage sound was horrific, and the monitors were poor. I couldn't hear anything; not even my own voice. It was just a sonic assault that didn't quite sound like noise, or music, but something inexplicably in between. Looking and listening for our respective vocal harmonies was an exercise in ear training not quite unlike searching for your keys at the bottom of a murky pier, after accidentally dropping them.

So the sound wasn't that great. The vocals probably sounded like rush-hour traffic, our nerves were shot, we were on other people's equipment, and the adrenaline was pumping.

We never played better. That's probably because there was nothing to compare it to.

My thoughts on the matter is that this is the worst that band will ever sound. It will only get better and stronger from here.

Our first performance might have been a bit premature, but it had to be done -- and sooner rather than later. We now have a much better perspective on the dynamics and limits of the band. We know what works, and what doesn't, and we know what's happening, and more importantly, what needs to be fixed.

It's back to the rehearsal studio on Sunday, to prepare for the next round.

Tongue N' Groove to "Debut" at The Blue Turtle Tuesday

I am on vacation this week. Nonetheless, my week is already filling up, and I have my doubts that I can even get out of town for a couple days.

In my last post, I made mention that my new band, Tongue N' Groove has been rehearsing diligently in recent weeks. We are pleased to announce that we will be appearing at a few clubs in the next few weeks to "test drive" the material.

This Tuesday (that's tomorrow), there is an open stage at the Blue Turtle, beginning at approximately at 9:00pm. Tongue & Groove will be there, and we expect to play a half-dozen songs or so.

I hope any of you interested parties will stop by. I am excited to see how this new band operates from the stage.

We Have Liftoff...

Or, at the very least, countdown has begun.

Two years back, after I had been delivered my "walking papers" from Mule Shoe, I set out to create a new band, on my terms. After several interviews and quasi-iterations, I wound up with a three-piece lineup consisting of myself RH, and MA. We had about 6 "rehearsals" which really consisted of us sitting around with acoustic instruments, singing along to my iTunes collection, consuming copious quantities of beer. Inexplicably, RH stopped showing up for our practices, he never returned my phone calls, nor did he ever give me any reason why he lost interest in our project. But that's all in the past now.

MA and I continued forward, with a little less wind in our sails. As time went on, we did less practicing, and more drinking and goofing around. MA even stopped bringing his instruments to band rehearsal; it just became our night of the week to blow off some steam, and have some good laughs. We did some recording, and we picked new songs and dropped old songs from the repertoire.

It's really funny how things work out.

Fast-forward to this year, and Mule Shoe is no longer a band. DH agreed to record his solo album with me. MA of course, wound up being the new bass player for the Savoy Blues Band, and he turned out to be the perfect fit for our style of big-band blues and funk. DH knew about the Savoys and my little side project since we began recording. As the album progressed, it became clear that he would need a band to "back him up", and promote his recording.

Thus, the two projects became one.

DH has joined MA and myself in the new project. We even spent several weeks looking for a fourth member to round out the band. At this point, we found a barely-legal wizard bass player by the name of K. He seems interested and enthusiastic about our little band, even if he is a little quiet.

What I am pleased to inform you of, is that we have entered full-band rehearsals. This was something that never happened until last week. If I may say, the first few practices have turned out to be quite exciting. With a few rough edges aside, the band sounded like a band from the start. Everybody is doing their homework, and only a few issues are ironed out at practice.

And let me tell you, the material we have been picking are not particularly easy. They are either physically demanding, requiring all four of us to have complete command and control of our instruments, or the vocal arrangements are complex and challenging to sing -- even for a band that has three experienced singers.

There is nothing easy about this band.

As a teaser, here is a brief list of some of the material we will be performing.

• Say Hello - April Wine
• Jukebox Hero - Foreigner
• Too Late For Love - Def Leppard
• The Zoo - Scorpions
• Limelight - Rush
  

There is a lot more than just this in the pipeline.

We had our second practice this afternoon, and for the first time, we ran through Jukebox Hero and Too Late For Love. Both songs aren't terribly difficult with respect to instrumentation, but with respect to vocals, are quite challenging. But what I am pleased to announce is that all the vocal parts are there, in pitch, and it sounds huge.

You can expect to see us in bars, pubs, and clubs by April. I can't wait to see what the local response is going to be, which I expect it to be quite positive. I will be posting our appearances on the tour dates section when they come available.

In case you have been wondering, we are tentatively called Tongue N' Groove.