I am disorganized - possibly to the point of being described as “clinically disorganized”. There is never going to be a time when I am organized. It just ain’t going to happen. I think, though I have no concrete evidence since it is technically not derivable that I would have been a high achiever in the days when you had to hunt to survive. I’m fast, clever, have very strong teeth, and respond to the hunger messages banging around in my brain. I think that a high ability to organize would’ve been okay to have in that era, but not nearly as useful as speed and cunning. Today, though? My hunger drive merely leads me to over eat easily obtainable over-fat foods. My cunning is good for things like Sudoku. My speed gene only gets me pulled over for traffic violations.

I think they should have paint ball competitions where the winners eat well and the losers eat slop. If we ever do that, get on my team because I guarantee you will partake in a feast fit for royalty. Until that time, is there anyone out there for hire as an organizer for a clinically disorganized malcontent?

I'm heading to Winterland Studios in Minneapolis the weekend of November 14th and 15th to work on new recordings of "Transition Man" and "One Brother". These tunes have garnered interest by some folks I want interested in my music. I'm working on updating the sound and approach to try and push them from "I love these tunes" to "I must have these tunes". It's like using gloss with your lipstick or riding just right in your jeans. Going in for the kill. 

Winterland Studios has recorded an amazing who's who of musicians over the years, including Lenny Kravitz, Alanis Morissette, Elvis Costello, John Hiatt, Daughtry, David Archuleta, and Keane. So, "Yes, I think they can help", with getting this project completed to satisfaction. It's going to be cool spending some time in the area where my father was born and raised. And the Twin Cities has a strong network of people who have done a great deal promoting efforts near and dear to my heart - gay rights and abolishing racism.

It may seem silly, but recording music in a friendly tree house is much better than sitting in a hostile tree house hoping to get your feet back on the ground. It's good to me that this is going to be an opportunity to work with good people in a good studio in the heart of a great city. Good then.

I've made two CDs as a solo artist over the last several years. One was big sounding and rocked and rolled onto some of the best radio playlists in Indie radio in the Midwest. Alas, it was well recieved by all but booking agents who couldn't figure out how I'd get all that sound out of my piano. Okay, then....along comes CD number two - a stripped down affair that featured a more intimate, frequently solo performing approach. Well, it landed on somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 radio stations. Now, though, I've been asked to get back in the studio and put some production behind some of those songs to give them a chance to get licensed. Okay, then.....

 

Soon enough, I'll be back in the studio, this time with acclaimed producer Dave Weber at Airtime Studios in Bloomington, Indiana. Dave has done the last several Carrie Newcomer albums as well as producing the music heard by millions on the internet recorded by Straight No Chaser. Dave and I have begun to assemble the various pieces of the project, including the studio hours and top flight musicians used in many of Dave's projects at Airtime.

 

While I have many new tunes, the songs I'm redoing are: Transition Man (poppier version), and One Brother (bigger and with extended bridge). Others I've already recorded and probably doing new versions of include The Dream (full on production this time) and an old Burdons tune, Somebody Else's Arms (never actually recorded in the studio).

 

Other suggestions?