HOW WE RECORDED THE CD

Tempo
I’m the arranger so I choose the tempo, set a click and lay down a starting pitch for everyone.  We use the key signature or tonic note for pitch, not the starting note, because we often begin on different pitches.  We do the same in performance with a pitch pipe.  We are all obsessed about pitch.  I write out every note but as we sing, the solos loosen up as they should.  A challenge of my arrangements is that the singer with the solo line must come out but then come back to the group part dead on time and on pitch

Singers
Each singer sings the part and doubles it.  Most songs have four singers but some have five, so we end up with either eight or ten group tracks.  Solos are recorded on separate tracks, usually in 2-3 takes.

Rehearsing
We rehearse the new charts together in order to “breathe” them (find the natural breaths), find mistakes, discover dynamics, fine tune, etc.

Finding Time
Once we begin recording, one singer records at a time to a naked click and a few guide chords.  The next singer hears the previous singer and the click, and so forth.  We do it this way out of necessity: if we waited till everyone was available, we would never get the project finished.  Also, after many years in the recording business, I know that in the end stages, early controls count.  Usually Michael or I start the recording process.  We do not use pitch correction.  What you hear is what we sang.  I back up to CDs constantly. 

Keyboards
Michael, Shelby and I all play but on the two keyboard tracks on this CD, we invited the superb Bill Cantos to play. Shelby wrote out every note for keyboard on her song and I wrote out some for mine.  Bill gave them his own special twist.

Singing in the Dark
Slowly the tracks build up, but the truth is, we never know if we have an album or just a bunch of notes till the very end, after mixing and mastering.  We just trust the group sensibility and forge ahead.  I edit out lip smacks, bad punches, etc. as we go to make the work as clean as possible for the mix process.

MIXING AND MASTERING WITH GEOFF GILLETTE

This is where everything comes together and consistency starts to take shape.  A bunch of tracks become an album. 

Roland
While ProTools is a great recording system and all the rage, I continue with my humble little Roland.  I began with an 8-track and now use the 2400.  I don’t know if it’s their condensers or what, but we get a great vocal sound with the Roland (plus I have a good mic). 

Geoff
But the real reason the album sounds good is the genius of engineer Geoff Gillette.  He has worked with everyone from Yo-Yo Ma to the Yellow Jackets.  This is our second CD on Roland equipment and we have also learned that the mastering tool kit on the Roland works great for our sound. 

Staying Old School
So while others forge new ground with ProTools, edit the middle of words, relocate pitches, redefine vocal approaches and paste Chorus 1 into Chorus 2, we stay old school for the joy and craft of it.   I always think maybe next time I’ll switch to ProTools and maybe I will.

THE SONGS
We like unusual stuff. Carol of the Wildwood  is about the animals in the stable where the Infant was born, “the humble creatures that no one sees.”  The extraordinary State of Grace by our Shelby Flint, is a kind of Christmas anthem.  She wrote the lovely title song as well.  Carol of the Bells is syncopated till it glitters.  Jingle Bell Rock turns samba.  Silent Night is a gospel lullaby.  You can find more details about the project on the CDs page.

Upcoming

Events

We just finished a show called CHRISTMAS IN JANUARY at Kulak's in North Hollywood. We filmed it too, so stay tuned for video clips.

We are now preparing a new show called VALENTINE'S IN JUNE. Stay tuned for details.

What We Like Now