Truth Jones album feat. Switch

TAOT album cover

Congratulations to Daniel “Truth” Jones for his new album, The Ascension of the Truth (TAOT). Truth’s rap vocal on SWITCH was initially recorded at Barn Jazz studio in Stoughton by Jim Hewitt. Very creative mix of styles, alternating English and Spanish (“switch”).

Check it out on Youtube. Search for “Switch (feat. A-Money 50/50)”

Live at Swallow Hill 2019

3-Legged Dog (LIVE) on Vimeo

Playing at Swallow Hill with Scupanon, performing Rob Roper’s Three Legged Dog. Denver, 11/14/2019

Hidden Gems in Hidden Canyon

Just completed a new CD for Grand Junction singer/songwriter Tammie Martin, titled Hidden Canyon (samples below). Tammie’s original songs are evocative of the mysterious expanses and loneliness of the red canyon country around Moab and points east and west.

Her vocal style transports me to the backwoods of Kentucky or West Virginia, delivered fresh and uninhibited, while the live in the studio instrumentation is strictly down home, laid back bluegrass. The songs are backed up by local players Bob Eakle (mandolin and dobro), Lisa Eakle (banjo), with Jessica Cooper on violin, and yours truly adding some overdubs on fiddle, viola, mandola, harmonica, and electric bass.

The basic tracks were recorded by live sound engineer, Chris Bollman, at the unique public recording studio located in the Mesa County Public Library in Junction. I was pleased to be able to mix and master the tracks and produce the final CD. Hidden Canyon is available directly from Tammie, but if you are unable to catch her performances in the area, you can contact Barn Jazz and we can arrange for you to get a copy.

Jim interviewed by the Business Times in Grand Junction

Read the interview here
Not my best picture though! 

New free library studio in GJ will likely benefit, not hurt, local recording businesses

I was at first very concerned when hearing, second hand, about a free studio that is being built by the Mesa County Library in downtown Grand Junction, CO.  I was so concerned that I wrote a letter to the editor after reading an article about it in the local GJ Sentinel. My biggest issue was the impact it would have on new bands looking for a place to record. Local, government funded agency completes with local businesses?  That’s a headline for sure. After speaking with both a library foundation board members and the library head, Joseph Sanchez, I have pretty much decided that this is not necessarily going to take away business, and in fact it may increase it.
  1. The library studio will focus more on video technology than audio recording, at least for now. That may change but the perception of this as an audio recording facility is inaccurate; a better description is a “multi-media” facility.
  2. Use of the studio for bands who have a local library card will be free, based on availability. While that may entice some bands to use the space in lieu of paying to record, my feeling is that it will draw more people into the process of making a record, and they will discover just how difficult it is.
  3. Complete production services may or may not be included, but based on the mission and focus of the library, it looks more like an entry level space, or “Maker-Space” in the words of Mr. Sanchez. Bands seeking more complete production services will still use local studios based on their needs for better gear and professional skill sets.
  4. The library will offer archiving of projects, and local musicians will be able to provide copies of their work to be placed in the collection “in perpetuity”. That means, 50 years from now, someone may just discover some music that would have otherwise died out much sooner.  With the permission of the artists, streaming of music will be offered on their web site, which will provide a way to get the word out for musicians seeking local recognition. It is still not certain if the library will pay a license fee for the use of the music, but that remains a possibility, according to Mr. Sanchez.
  5. Finally, the opportunities for networking among both musicians, private studios, and the public will be greatly enhanced. What that means to me is the possibility of referrals from musicians needing a more professional treatment of their tracks. While the library cannot formally endorse specific businesses, they can make available information on other services available locally.
So I am taking a wait and see attitude. Mr. Sanchez has asked me keep him informed if I find any specific instances of lost business for my studio. That shows me the library is taking an active role in promoting music production in the community, while at the same time treading carefully where they might come into competition. I am counting on this as being a Win-Win for everyone. The studio will open in early January, 2016.

New Studio Space

Work is progressing on our new studio space in Grand Junction, Colorado. We have acquired a house with a large, walkout basement are fitting it with acoustic treatment and sound isolation for the doors and windows.  The new studio does not have a name yet, but we are excited.  The space is twice as large as the previous Double Diamond Studio in Oracle, AZ.

tritraps_sSo far this year we have produced two CD projects for local singers and bands. There is a lot of acoustic music happening in the Grand Valley,  and I am excited to be a part of it.  Here is a shot of the far end of the room with some initial acoustic treatment in place, TriTraps (bass traps) from GIK Acoustics.

The Bone Tree CD was recorded in our temporary facilities in a rental house in GJ, so it looks a bit crowded. The new space will be a welcome change.  Bone Tree is from Whitewater, CO nearby.  Here is Bob Eakle of Bone Tree. Bob and Lisa made a great debut CD that is available from them at http://bonetreeblog.wordpress.com/

Bob and Mando