Kristi and I have arrived safely at home in Tacoma. These first few days are very dreamlike, although we are struggling through, and getting a few things done. It feels like we are slightly ill. That's jetlag, and I think it's getting worse for us as the years roll along. It was definitely worth it to have jetlag though. We had a marvelous time in the UK. The ash from Iceland's volcano kept us in the UK, but that was a positive in the end as well.
Last night we were in the studio for the first time since getting back. We are working on a solo album for Kristi. It is a western swing project for the most part. There are a couple of songs that are just country, and one that is country rock, but they are not totally incongruent with the project. Here's a list of songs we are working on:
Crazy - Patsy Cline
Right or Wrong - Bob Wills
Stay All Night - Bob Wills
Six Pack to Go - Hank Thompson
Detour - don't know who did it but it is a country classic
I'm an Old Cowhand
Don't Fence Me In
Crazy Arms
Waltz Across Texas
Swingin' In Tucson - Joe Wiehe
Just Because
My songs that made the project are:
Bow
Bats in the Belfry
Would You Hold My Hand (written especially for the project)
Country Dave Harmonson
We have put drums, rhythm guitars, fiddle, and now pedal steel on the project so far. Last night was a pedal steel session with Country Dave Harmonson. We remember Dave from Court C coffeehouse back in the early 80s when he was Johnny Guitar for the folk set. He went on to head up a couple of country bands in the Pacific Northwest, and was in one of the early roots country bands that played country with a rock n roll attitude, "Lance Romance". His last big top 40 country band was Stampede Pass, and they had enough of a following that you often heard their name on the radio playing here, or there.
Our producer on this project is an old friend, Toby Hanson. Toby plays accordion, and heads up a band he calls "The Smiling Scandinavians". You might have guessed that it's a polka band. Toby was in the Filucy Hootchie Kootchie band with us, and while he was doing that was attending Cornish Art School in Seattle learning all about music theory, and the business of music. I've gotta say, Toby was having way too much fun doing his job last night. The tracks are really coming together, and Country Dave was making them sparkle all that much more with his pedal steel. Oh yeah, one of the guitars last night was a triple neck steel guitar, no pedals, or levers.
It was interesting listening to stories of the road, and of course we had to swap stories every now and again as all of us are seasoned professionals. Dave has the most experience, and maybe the best stories. Both Dave, and Toby are seasoned country music fans as well, and had stories about the artists who graced the original versions of the songs we were working on last night.
We hadn't really had a chance to listen to the fiddle tracks that Paul Anastasio put on these songs before we left for the UK. It was great listening to him make love to the songs with his violin while Dave laid down his new steel tracks. I think sometimes last night that we had Dave play another track just because Toby and I were having such a great time listening to him. There were a lot of laughs, and it was a loose session in that regard.
Recording this new project is a kick in that we are working with top notch musicians, and it's something a little new to us. We'll be back in the studio after this is done recording a new folk project, probably folkier than anything we've done in the past if the songs I've been writing are any indication. In the meantime we're having some fun doing something a little different for us.
After we finished the last track, and I had saved everything onto another hard drive it was almost midnight. Kristi and I poured a drink and put a movie on. It was a thriller, and I watched it to the end just because I could, and because it had me on the edge of my seat all the way through. It was 2:30 am by the time we went to sleep. We stayed up because we could, not because it was a particularly good idea, which it wasn't. The day is starting late. We will go back to work tomorrow when we play a dance for the Bremerton Elks from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm. It will be wierd strapping on an electric guitar. It will be kinda fun watching everyone swirl around the dance floor. I'll probably think of some of you while I'm watching. All our best, Steve Nebel
