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Dear Friends,
It
has been ten years since I embarked on this journey that took me out
of a secure public school teaching career and onto the uncertain road
of the traveling musician. Sometimes I think I must be the most
fortunate person on the planet to be able to do what I love. Of
course, it wouldn't be possible without you. Coming to concerts,
purchasing CDs, letting me stay in your homes, feeding me a meal or
two all helps to make the road a bit smoother. I cannot say “thank
you” enough.
After
releasing three solo
recordings, I have decided that it was time to do
another. This recording will be a bit different from ones I have done
in the past and I am pleased and excited to tell you that I am
working with world-class musician and drummer Dave Mattacks, who has
agreed to produce the new album.
Dave
Mattacks
Dave
has an impressive resume and brings 40-plus years of recording and
performing to this project. He joined the influential British
folk-rock group Fairport
Convention in 1969 and has worked with such
prominent musicians as Paul
McCartney, Elton John, George Harrison , Mary Chapin Carpenter, Richard
Thompson, XTC, and Jethro Tull. Now
living in Massachusetts, he teaches at Berklee
School of Music, does an occasional gig with Rosanne Cash and is involved with
session and production work in the Boston area.
The
Process
Last
year, I had asked Dave about producing a CD and we decided that we
would work on three songs, start to finish. This has probably been
one of the most amazing experiences in my music career. Do you
remember when you were in school and you had a teacher that truly
inspired you and you seemed to bask in the sheer joy of learning?
That has been my experience in working with Dave. The process of
arranging and recording the songs was not only a great learning
experience, but having a “guide” to give feedback and direction
made the process extremely efficient.
Your
Help is Needed
As
you might imagine, making a full-length, high quality recording is an
expensive endeavour. Studio time is expensive and musicians need to
be paid. In addition, there are also the CD cover and insert
graphics, the manufacture and duplication of the CDs and royalty
licenses to pay. All of this adds up. Our
budget for this recording is $25,000 . Yes, that is the correct
number of zeros with no decimal point. I would like to raise this
amount by Summer 2008.
There
are a number of ways you can help:
-
£15
buys an autographed advance
copy of the new recording.
-
£35 buys
three
autographed
advance copies of the new recording.
-
£70 buys
#2 and both of my other
CDs, “The Long Grey Line” and “Dad's
Dinner Pail”
-
£275 buys
you #2 , #3 and your name
in the credits of the CD
-
£500 and
up gives you all of the
above, plus a very special live recording that has not been released.
-
You can also “sponsor” a song
or
some other process of the recording: graphics, duplication, mastering. Contact me for the details
if you are interested in this option.
All pre-orders include shipping
and
postage fees.
You
might even have a few friends that you can get together with and pool
resources. Of course any amount will be welcome.
We are
shooting for a completion time of summer 2008 with a planned
release in early 2009. That means that YOU get your copy way before
anyone else does. Now isn't that just so very cool?
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