Well, the record is fully tracked and we'll be mixing and mastering this month. What a long, amazing project this has been. I've learned a ton sofar and it's hard to believe this time last year I was imagining what it might be like to have my first album.
I'll be playing with a few different bands this Spring, trying to keep busy while the album gets its engine's running, look for a full tour sometime later this year.
keep in touch,
kj
Well, Jayme Aaron and I headed back into the studio last week to continue work on the record. We've managed to track banjo for 6 tunes, and have a ton of fun. I'll be back at it in a couple of weeks to finish the remaining 3 tunes, then it's on to mixing!
Whew! It sure feels great to be working on this project again, I can't wait to share it with you all!
Whew! That's a wrap on the new Will Knox album.
We've been tracking all week at the amazing Flux Studios in the Lower East Side. The tunes came together really well and I'm excited to hear the final result.
Headin back to CO tomorrow, and will be going back in the studio to finish my album in november, I can't wait and am diligently crafting my banjo parts. I am so ready for this record.
Many neat shows in oct so check the calendar, more soon, I've got a plane to catch!
So, the last week resulted in a 4 day 50 hour insane creativity frenzy...o man I'm tired.
The tracks are sounding AMAZING, I'm so thrilled with the way everything has turned out sofar. Everyone in the band really came together and made the songs come alive, I can't wait to share them with you all. Check out the "Look" section for lots of great pics from the sessions.
pretty exciting!
Thanks again for all of your support, and if you know anyone who would like to contribute to the ongoing effort, please have them contact me at kjameshauser@gmail.com
And for those of you in the Denver area, come check out a few new shows @ the Walnut room this month!
more soon,
kj
PS ~ Check out this live performance on Radio 1190 from last friday!
It takes a village...
As you may or may not know, recording an album is a huge financial endeavor! And with the record labels going the way of the dodo, it's a tricky time to find a solution.
"Record in your basement!"
You might say, but the truth is, in today's incredible, competitive music landscape, a new artist simply cannot afford to release a recording that's less than professional. EVERYONE has an album now, and audiences are inundated with material. So much so that if they hear something that isn't up to par, they will likely pass on it for good.
So the quandary becomes, how does a burgeoning independent artist find the capital to pay the steep fees associated with recording an album? Which include:
Studio Fees
Production
Mixing
Mastering
Duplication
Design
Promotion
Musician's Fees
Travel
The answer is, it takes a village. For the first time in history, we the people have an opportunity to take a hands on approach with the the music we believe in, from the bottom up. This record will end up costing well over $10,000 to complete.
With that in mind, I'm asking that you make a donation to help make my dream a reality! This money will go directly to the studio/musician fees I will incur this May, and will allow me to progress in this most important step of the album making process!
Rest assured all the money you donate will be used exclusively for the recording of this album, and I will be happy to provide you with a detailed expense report at your request.
Thank you in advance! And please forward this, and my website to any friends, family members, co-workers, etc you think may like to be involved!
Kj
Now...this week's episode:
I've never actually met ben face to face...not yet. But he's been a frequent companion for me over the last year or so, from his amazing solo work to the inspiring Sparrow Quartet album, Ben has quickly taken the seat as my favorite little cello rocker. I couldn't be more thrilled to have him on the record.
For a stalwart young artist who creates different means to an end, Ben Sollee has enjoyed a whirlwind year replete with remarkable success and warm, exciting music to match.
Sollee hails from Kentucky, yet sounds nothing like the colloquial music one traditionally associates with the state (or anywhere else for that matter). He eschews traditional singer-songwriter and folk boundaries, choosing a cello rather than a guitar as his divining rod, and utilizing unique plucking and percussive bow techniques juxtaposed against his blue-eyed soul meets Antony Hegarty vocal leanings. Ben enjoys collaborating with musicians as disparate as Otis Taylor and Bela Fleck, touring with indie rock royalty, and covering Sam Cooke as an homage to blues. When he ventures out of Louisville, sometimes he'll just strap this cello to his back and ride his bike rather than enjoy the comforts of a van or bus, as he did on his southern trek in the summer of 2009 -- playing intimate shows in every town he hits between his larger headlining performances. Yes, Ben's always done things a bit differently.
Perhaps that's one reason why his 2008 debut album, Learning to Bend, received such lauding from hardened critical ears. No Depression put the album on their top five of 2008, Paste listed him on The Best of What's Next, NPR raved and invited him to play a World Cafe set, and music blogs provided (and continue to provide) Sollee a steady torrent of praise and journalistic intrigue. His inviting and impressive debut, saturated with sweeping moods and a visceral maturity way beyond his 25 years, also landed him prominent spots on the festival circuit, including Austin City Limits and Bonnaroo, as well as a riveting set on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Not interested in slowing down, Sollee spends his spare time championing issues close to his heart, such as ending mountaintop removal through his volunteer work, playing benefit concerts for Kentuckians For the Commonwealth and Oxfam, as well as assembling the aforementioned bike tours to encourage greener living. Ben wears his conscience on his sleeve without proselytizing or taking away from what matters most, his imaginative music.
The next year looks to be just as exciting as the previous. Ben will release a collaboration with Daniel Martin Moore, also of Kentucky, on Sub Pop due out February 2010 called Dear Companion. The album was produced by My Morning Jacket's Jim James, making the whole project a family affair. Though the project promises to be one of the most prolific for both Ben and Daniel, they are donating their artist proceeds to environmental advocacy group Appalachian Voices.
Yes, Ben truly traces his own trajectory. And perhaps that's what will keep him both an engaging artist and person for years to come.
Well, i'm back from a fun trip out west. Good food, good music, lots of beer...mmm...beer.
Things are cookin' up nicely for the record, studio time booked, plane tickets bought, fundraising is a major concern...but one thing at a time!
I've got two great shows this week, one w/my buddy Ryan Brasher from Eleanor @ the Laughing Goat here in boulder, the other with another great friend and player Murph of Slipstream @ the Golden Hotel. Both shows are free so come say hello!
I'm also excited to be playing @ the Bluebird Theatre April 1st with The Contribution for their CD release! Made up of memebers of The String Cheese Incident, Railroad Earth and New Monsoon, this is sure to be a fun night!
And now...
Grant has been around this scene for a while I think...and by this scene i of course am refering to the most bad-ass guitar players around scene. Grant is a BEAST on his guitar, and one of the nicest guys I've ever met. Honestly, I'm continually blown away and inspired by his playing and am REALLY excited to see what he comes up with on my songs!
He's got a solo album coming out in a couple months featuring some other monsters of rock, including, Dominick Leslie, Paul Kowart, Alex Hargreaves, Jayme Stone and David Grisman. Oh yeah, did I mention Grant is Grisman's guitar player? No? Well...now I did.
Grant Gordy took up the guitar at the age of 13 in his hometown of Portland, OR. He now calls Denver home and has been a part of the national acoustic music scene for the last several years. He cut his teeth as a working musician playing all kinds of music at all kinds of gigs around Colorado. In 2006 Grant auditioned and was selected for Edgar Meyer's "Porous Borders of Music" workshop in New York City, the culmination of which was a performance at Carnegie Hall, where Grant debuted a number of his compositions. He toured North America in 2008 with Jayme Stone and Mansa Sissoko and the "Africa to Appalachia Project", including dates at the Montreal Jazz Festival and Calgary Folk Festival, and a featured performance on NPR's All Things Considered. Their album won a Juno Award (Canadian Grammy) for Best World Music Record of the Year. Recently Grant has become the newest member of the legendary David Grisman Quintet, which has played all over the country at concert halls and festivals including Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in June 2009. He has shared the stage with such luminaries of the acoustic music world as Mike Marshall, Edgar Meyer, Béla Fleck, Darol Anger and of course David Grisman. He is quickly becoming recognized for pushing and blurring the boundaries of acoustic music in his compositions and improvisation, his assimilation of jazz influences, and his exceptional facility with his instrument.
Moving right along, got some exciting shows coming up! Playing the Wildflower Pavilion in Lyons for the first time, nice place. Looking forward to getting on the road with my friends Holden Young, and Will Knox. More dates to be annouced soon. Come find us!
I'm also sitting on some big news...can't break the story yet...you'll have to stay tuned!
Now without further ado, i present this week's episode:
I met Ian @ some show...I can't really remember to be honest. But since then he's consistantly wowed me with his awesome tone, presence and intonation. From recording with Ayo Awosika to performing with Jayme Stone, he's a pretty bad dude. Can't wait!
Ian Hutchison is one of the busiest bass players in Colorado. Ian has played with several notable jazz artists including Javon Jackson, Peter Eldridge (New York Voices), Steve Barta, David Amram, and Darrell Grant. He has also performed with Darol Anger, Tony Trischka, Monty Alexander, Mike Marshall, Joe Craven (David Grisman), and Andy Stein (Prairie Home Companion). Ian graduated magna cum laude from the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music with a bachelor’s degree in jazz performance. In college he won several distinctions, including jazz student of the year and outstanding senior jazz recital. Ian also was awarded a two week trip to study at Lamont’s sister university in Nagoya, Japan. In 2007 he toured Argentina with the Denver Young Artist’s Orchestra. Ian performs regularly with TheSaurus, the Grant Gordy Quartet, The Expedition Quartet (2008 IBMA showcase), and Gypsy Swing Revue, the best Hot Club band in Colorado. Ian has opened for Tony Trischka, Punch Brothers, The Samples, Casey Driessen, Steep Canyon Rangers, and The Del McCoury Band.
The record is well underway and i've got lots of exciting news and developments! New songs, great players, neat shows, all great stuff!
This week i'm starting my series on introducing the amazing crew i've assembled for the album, every week for the next few weeks, i'll give the history of one of these incredible people. So, first up is...
I met Jayme on craigslist...and no it wasn't in "casual encounters". It was summer of 2007, i had just graduated from Berklee and was thinking about moving to colorado, but really wanted to find a teacher i could study with. Jayme's ad was the first i found, and after checking out his website, i realized i should probably for sure study with this guy. A few months later we were in full study swing and Jayme had, in short order, completely blown apart my playing, i was discovering new tone, style and technique that i had never seen before, and it was good.
About a year later i was trying to decide what was to come next for me, my living situation in Colorado was coming to a close and i was thinking of heading out to one of "the big 3" music cities. It was around this time that Jayme casually mentioned that he might like to produce my first solo record. Naturally I accepted and a few hours later had found a place to live in Boulder, where i currently live.
I'm extremely honored and excited to have jayme produce my record, he brings a wealth of wisdom, technique, experience and passionate hard work to the project that would be hard to match. Over the past two years he has become a monumental influence, a source of inspiration, a mentor and a friend.
Looking forward to it Jayme!
Jayme Stone keeps an ear to the ground. His curiosity and unlikely set of reference points started early with the quirky physics of the banjo, led to a mysterious librarian who stocked his local public library with a vast trove of banjo recordings, and landed him long-lasting lessons with a series of maestros, from Béla Fleck to Bill Frisell. Influenced by Japanese poetry and Brazilian literature and featuring what he calls a “tiny symphony that takes place inside an imaginary light bulb”, Stone’s album, The Utmost, won the 2008 Juno Award for Instrumental Album of the Year.
The most recent chapter in Stone’s musical travelogue takes place in Africa. He went knowing what’s still news to most: that the hide-covered instrument with an “extra” drone string we call the banjo actually comes from West Africa. He became particularly curious about the music that may not have made it across the ocean on slave ships headed west from Senegal and Mali in the 1700-1800’s. An eight-week trip to Mali was supported by a prestigious Chalmers Arts Fellowship and found Stone sitting in with Toumani Diabate and the Symmetric Orchestra in downtown Bamako, lost in circles of Wassoulou polyrhythms and in a rural Dogon village with no electricity where he inadvertently discovered a banjo predecessor unheard of in the West. The resulting album, Africa to Appalachia, is a boundary-crossing musical collaboration with singer and kora maestro Mansa Sissoko. Produced by David Travers-Smith and featuring celebrated ngoni master Bassekou Kouyate, the recording won the 2009 Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year.
Stone is at work on new album that explores music based on folk dances from around the world: hornpipes, mazurkas, straphspeys and sambas from Sweden, Scotland, Brazil, North America and more. The album will feature fiddle pioneer Casey Driessen, gravity-defying guitarist Grant Gordy, Gaelic songbird Julie Fowlis, nyckelharpa craftsman Olov Johansson, trumpet great Kevin Turcotte and others. Recording is set for spring 2010 with an album release in fall 2010 (Canada) and spring 2011 (US and Europe).
So the snow is back, whew, for a second i though it wasn't actually winter. Thanks colorado for not being able to make up your mind. I must admit though i do love it, its a really beautiful place. This week's life puzzle is how to make enough money to live, and only do things that contribute to the person you want to be...solution? well...sofar its been trying to book more solo shows...
I'm starting a swarm of booking this week, I've got some exciting things in the works including a west coast tour in march/april with mr. Will Knox, so stay tuned! And if you've got somewhere you'd like to see me perform, drop a line.
In other news, my dear friend Megan Burtt just released her first full length album! As someone in the process of trying to make this happen, i know how incredibly difficult it is to do(mainly financially), so great job megs! Check it out and maybe even pickup a copy here.
lets all make something this year, something neat.
my backyard...