I'm super psyched about and proud of this new record I wrote, played and co- produced with Dana Fuchs! We recorded it in Memphis with Kevin Houston Engineering and Producing. I wrote all the Tunes with Dana knowing we were doing it Memphis ... so I really dug deep into the well of Otis, Hi Records, Al Green, Ann Peebles ... of course all filtered through the Stones, Joe Walsh, Lucinda, Bobby Bland etc.. etc...
It's really kind of full circle - I spent years slugging it out in NYC at those long gone Blues and R&B dives: Dan Lynch, Mondo Kane, Manny's ... playing Ann Peebles, Otis Bobby Bland , James Brown backing up Dana Fuchs, the late Frankie Paris and Mo Holmes, my pal Jerry Dugger...
...and finally last May I got to go to Memphis and record tunes I wrote inspired by all that music . The Band was off the hook: Charles Hodges who played Organ on ALL the great Hi Record's tracks with Al Green, Ann Peebles - all of them. Charles is an incredible gentleman and an unbelievable and singular musician! I can not tell you the thrill of kicking off a tune that I wrote with Charles' late brother Teenie Hodges in mind, and hearing THAT organ! I mean THAT ORGAN man! it was like a dream.
And Steve Potts on drums! Holy shit - I don't think we discussed the tunes with Steve for more then 2 minutes in 4 days! He took his notes listening to the demos then it was like "1-2-3" boom ... 1 or takes and .. next song. Really. No thinking - just grooving.
In attendance was our longtime NY Crew: Jack Daley on bass - the BIGGEST bottom - Jack's played on countless records: Joss Stone, Little Stephen, and he toured with Lenny Kravitz for years. An amazing player person and producer in his own right. And on Piano, wurli and mellotron was NYC/Canadian avant-roots genius Glenn Patscha. Glenn is soulful genius - always plays the rightest, coolest, stealth-est part. I can tell you he was thrilled to play with Charles Hodges who's one of his heroes!
We all played LIVE in the awesome Music & Arts Studio in Memphis - plenty of room, plenty of iso booths for amps, piano, vox etc...
OK ... I gotta go to bed. Look for part 2 soon and we'll continue the story