DEBRIS.COMgood for a laugh, or possibly an aneurysm

My good friend Andrew Thomas has released his first solo CD, Then… and Today: nine original compositions and one cover featuring 11 great musicians and me, too — I contributed drum tracks for seven of the songs, and hammer dulcimer for one.

The songs represent a variety of styles and influences, from pop-punk to fusion to smooth jazz. There are three vocal tunes, five instrumentals, and two bass solo pieces.

The bass playing is top-notch; Andrew elevates his bass(es) to the front of the mix, deftly pulling off cool grooves and catchy melodies. All the guest musicians turned in nuanced, passionate performances. And the production is completely professional; Evan Rodaniche’s mixes really shine.

Click through to the MP3s to hear the first four songs on the CD.

The sixth song, Not Fair, deserves special mention, not only because it features all three members of JAR. It was recorded and re-recorded by at least seven people in four studios over about five years’ time, but the result sounds like three guys in a room. I don’t know how we did that, but I love it.

(Related story: I wrote previously about tracking the dulcimer for Domino, now called This is How It Will End).