DEBRIS.COMgood for a laugh, or possibly an aneurysm

The studio blog I promised, like the process it would have documented, is running behind schedule. But it’s nothing that a few weeks’ worth of backdated entries won’t cure.

The initial idea was suggested earlier this year by ex-JAR bassist Andrew when he realized that the other two surviving* members of the band would be in the Bay Area at Thanksgiving for a mutual friend’s wedding. He had been working on a solo CD for three years and saw this as an opportunity to record some new material.

I loved the idea and committed on the spot to hosting the session. It would mean executing a plan I’d had for years already: to acquire sufficient gear to make professional recordings of my drum kit. It has never been hard for me to spend money, but for a change this seemed like a particularly good reason (although I said the same thing when I bought a plasma TV.)

Initially we decided to write two songs apiece. This would be a bigger challenge for me than the other guys, as I don’t play a melodic instrument. Even so, I managed to write one song (chronicled elsewhere), and for my second I pulled a previously-unreleased JAR tune out of the archives (a song called Bleed).

Steve, the guitarist, submitted one new tune plus one from his previous solo CD. Andrew submitted one new tune plus one from his in-progress solo CD (which I’d recorded drums for a couple years ago).

So, the final set list is:

1. Bleed (JAR)
2. Ode to Soup (matt)
3. Cincinnati Summer (Steve)
4. Best in Me (Steve)
5. Not Fair (aka “Bb Pop”) (Andrew)
6. Groove95 (Andrew)

“Groove95” is a working title. I believe Andrew named the song this because I’d taken to calling his previously submitted untitled instrumental “Ballerina Girl.”

My task list as of October 1 looked like this:

• buy a pile of recording gear
• re-learn the drum parts for Bleed and Ode to Soup
• write drum parts for Cincinnati Summer, Best in Me, and Groove95
• record drum parts for all five songs
• re-record the dulcimer part for Ode to Soup
• manage a 2-day recording session, allowing Steve to track guitar for six songs and vocals for four

(This story might continue…)

*The horn section died in a bizarre gardening accident.