Just handed over my third version of a mix of "Saab Story" to be
included on the next NorthernBlues sampler CD. I had a track on the
last sampler and it did get me a little attention...still there's no
substitute for having an actual album out there. Got to finish up these
tracks from Montreal and get the whole thing mixed. Wouldn't mind going
back to Montreal to mix it...somehow getting out of Toronto seems to
make me more productive...less distractions, that's for sure. I'm also
going to have to make some tough decisions about which tracks we're
going to drop from the album to make room for the new ones. These
Montreal sessions will give the whole album a new flavour - not
necessarily more blues, either. And the track for the sampler is the
least blues of the bunch. Some of the new tunes with fiddle & mandolin
might be called "bluesgrass". And "Saab Story" is as jazzy as I ever
get.
Distractions of the day: A pleasant little gathering put on by SOCAN to
celebrate Lenny Solomon's "Fernanda" topping Canadian Music Network's
Bravo! Video Countdown chart on September 29, 2003. The single was
recorded by Lenny's group Trio Norte. Guitarist Bill Bridges was part
of that group and I hadn't seen him in years. After that I heard
Abdelli, an Algerian Berber now based in Brussels, who plays a
guitar/lute thang and has a group that really rocks - amazing female
multi-instrumentalist and the percussionist was quite amazing. On the
way home I stopped in to hear the last bit of the Soulive show at the
Opera House. They were playing their encore and it was like walking
into a Sly and The Family Stone shows in the seventies. It was pretty
intense, but chatting afterwards with my friend, Dr. Rick, he said
"that was the 'cool-down' song". How am I supposed to work on my own
music when all this great shit is going on all around me?