Kaleidoscope Heart...

Thank you!!!

I think it's really lovely, and I'm very proud. It's an earnest, well-conceived document of great songs, that was performed as an ensemble with a lot of dedication and heart.

JMJ

 

Really enjoying Kaleidoscope Heart. We have tickets to her show in Atlanta on Oct 7. Hoping you'll be there!

jeff

 

No, I'm not in her band, I'm just her musical director. Daniel Rhine, her longtime touring bassist, will be doing a stellar job.

Best,
JMJ

 

+1 for Kaleidoscope Heart. Nice songs, great bass lines. It sounds to me like you were really able to let it flow and give the lines some real character. That takes balls!

 

Thank you mjchmara!!

And btw all: This album just went to #1. Quite proud of that, I do believe it's my first #1 record. Fun!

JMJ

 

Being the MD were you responsible for selecting the players? I believe Matt Chamberlain played on this one.....and the combo of you two is just brilliant!

Well done sir!

As MD what goes into selecting players for the session?

 

Thank you so very much!

MD typically doesn't refer to the recording process in my world. The players in that instance were chosen by Neal Avron and Sara B.

My MD work w/ Sara is for her shows. Band interaction, tightness, effective rendering of the sounds, feels, textures on the record, bv rehearsals,FOH approach, staging, etc. etc.

Best,
JMJ

 

I love the new record. Congratulations on the #1! Its a good change from the first one, which was also great. How was it playing with Sara? She seems to have quite the heavy left hand.

 

Thanks, FatherDH.

Ooowee! Getting around that left hand was a big challenge! I love it though. And I confess to having a good deal of experience with that via three Tori Amos albums and two Charlotte Martin albums as well. Tough stuff, but a worthy pursuit.

JMJ

 

you sound fantastic on that record, justin! and what a tasty young man mr. chamberlain is.

 

Jerose: I would DEFINITELY concur that flats or half rounds fit better with the piano. The piano, with a heavy left hand, has just too much harmonic information sometimes to allow space for rounds, and vice versa. I used flats on about 60-70% of the record, probably. Then there's all the o/d's I did (keyboard-esque, guitar-esque noise/ambience) which are only rounds.

Tieftonservices: I agree on Matt...so good. Matt and Victor both completely SLAYED drum-wise.

We're having a record release party tonight to get the whole gang together, which will be a delight. Having a #1 is really quite a thrill.

JMJ

 

"let the rain" is fantastic! i even tried to teach my 6 year old (drumming) boy to clap to the 5/4, 6/4 chorus. love it. how the hell did you get the bass sound so deep? i know it's 19 inch-talk but the bass sounds unbelievable on that song.

 

congratulations for the # 1! all i can say is you can still tell the pros from the idol contestants.

 

Do you have any tips for working with/producing a pianist with a heavy left hand? I am starting to do demo work for a guy, and his left hand drives me bonkers. I just want to tell him to "sit on it" and I'll take care of that range.

 

There's always a way. Just listen, listen, listen. You will find a path through that monstrous, rumbling cacophony.

There's no secret, except an almost religious devotion to listenership and very hands-on, trial and error problem solving with the bass.

You will also find that sometimes you will best enhance the music by being a complete slave to the pianist's left hand, whereas on other occasions, you may actually see an opportunity to beat that hand into (willing) submission by force of will on your part. Usually the former.

JMJ

 

Just got the album - sounds amazing!

 

I grabbed the album a couple days ago and didn't realize you played on it until just now...I even watched the "Making of" videos on Youtube and didn't realize it was a hairless you.

I noticed in one of the videos you had a bass cheat sheet. Called Bass Fixer where you had measures and notes of fills to do. Does that mean you first record a "basic" bass track and then later go back and punch in ear candy?