3rp.net Blog

Here are some more pictures from the Ragbirds show at TCs Speakeasy that we recorded for a live CD. We’ve been in the studio working hard on mixing it…and it’s getting down to the wire, since it will be released (come hell or high water) at the Blind Pig show on February 25th. If you haven’t seen the Ragbirds live, (and you still consider yourself my friend [wink]…and you live within any kind of reasonable driving distance…) you should DEFINITELY come out for that show. It’s gonna be a riot.

But anyways, back to the TCs show. This is Rachel from the Hummingbirds, who opened the show:

And the Ragbirds songstress, Erin Zindle, fiddling up a storm:

The multi-talented, multi-instrumentalist Adam Labeaux…playing the shaker…even though he’s most often seen with the six string axe:

Percussionist, drum instructor, sometime Deadhead and all-round very cool guy, Tim Dziekan (how do you pronounce that, Tim…?):

On the drum kit and djembe, the manic show promoter, booking agent and manager of the Ragbirds (got enough hats there, buddy…?) Randall Moore:

On the fretless bass, layin’ down a groove that’s way funkier than his shirt, it’s The Secretary of Weird (and trust me, that’s not an idle nickname either…) Jeff Stinson:

Consider the introductions accomplished. Now all you need to do is come to a show!

In the meantime, if you’re interested, you can go to our myspace link where there are a few (kinda low-res) samples of our stuff.

And here’s the link to the Ragbirds’ official site.

I’m back. I’ve been busy.

Like, crazy-ass busy. Back in December, I started hanging out with Dan Worley at his very cool recording studio, Good Noise. We bonded right away on our love for Wilco, Son Volt, good bourbon and hand rolled cigarettes. ( ! ) So, after hanging out during some of his sessions, I started learning my way around the studio…and now I work there! Funny how that happens.

This is Dan on the night of our live recording gig at TC’s Speakeasy a few weeks ago:

Interesting connection: when I was running my own studio, my last client was Erin Zindle of the Ragbirds. At that time, the band had not yet come into existence, but she was intent on recording the songs that had been bubbling to the surface for her. And what a great bunch of songs they are, too. You can hear some samples here. The first and ninth tracks on the final Ragbirds record (Yes, Nearby) were done in my studio. Primarily because of my corporate gig I was not as available as Erin needed me to be…so they ended up connecting with Dan and finishing the record at Good Noise.

Here’s a photo of the bar and a bunch of the “regulars” at TCs on the night of the Ragbirds live recording:

A country/folk band called The Hummingbirds opened the show. They were a pleasure to work with, and a pleasure to watch.

Here’s Erin singing the Ragbirds’ anthem “Believe It”:

Adam (foreground), Erin and Randy (on the drum kit):

Whew…..

In the early 20th century, Ottorino Respighi composed a symphonic poem called “The Pines of Rome” which is to this day one of my favorite pieces of music. If you don’t know it, you should go buy it – it’s one of those things that can only be experienced. If you read up on the story of what was in the composer’s mind as you listen, amazing pictures spring up in your mind. Well, they do for me anyways. Heh.

Fall is a wonderful time. We went out to the Proud Lake state recreation area a few days ago and came away with these pictures. For some reason, pine forests are inspiring to me. I love the majesty of the arrow straight trees, the way the deep carpet of needles underneath your feet scrunches quietly…the sound of the tree branches clanking together as the trees sway in the breeze…

Mystery:

Life is a journey, and I keep seeing paths everywhere:

Coniferous trees are amazing. They look cool, they smell good and they are made up of different stuff than deciduous trees:

You see some interesting things when you walk through the pine forest. Everything is covered in a blanket of needles…even the emergent trees trying to grow up under the shadow of their brothers:

Well, they may not be redwoods, (I think my fave in the whole world…well, the whole world I’ve seen so far…) but they’ll do in a pinch. More than do, actually.

Let me introduce you to a new friend of mine.

This is Mady Kouyate:

He was the person who provided processional and recessional music for Grace Balmer’s wedding, which I photographed several weeks ago. I wrote a blog about it here. At that time, I didn’t know his name, but because of the absolutely magical nature of his playing, I wanted to know more.

I first saw Mady play at the open mic night at TC’s Speakeasy in Ypsilanti several months ago. When he got up on stage, I turned to my friend Randall from the Ragbirds and said, “what is this?” In a venue where the instrument of choice is the ubiquitous acoustic guitar, Mady’s Kora stuck out like a very large sore thumb. Randall explained that Mady is a Senegal-born player of the African Kora, which is a 21 stringed harp. I was transfixed, riveted to my seat by his playing. It’s a flurry of notes in an unusual scale (unusual to my Western ears anyway) with a wonderful undercurrent of traditional west African rhythms. If you’d like to hear a sample for yourself, Mady recently recorded a CD at the Good Noise Studio in Ypsilanti, where he now lives, and graciously consented to allow Good Noise to post one of their recordings here.

You can find more information on Mady at this link, (which seems to work intermittently), or you can also try here, a performance review in “Ann Arbor Paper” with a bio included.

He apparently plays around town and does at least one show annually at the Ark on Main Street in Ann Arbor. Anyone finds out he’s playing a show, email me and let’s go get our senses dazzled.

Oh, and BY THE WAY. If you haven’t checked out the Ragbirds in concert, you should make a point of it. They are playing out all the time in the metro Detroit area, and put on a fantastic show. Two of the tracks on their album “Yes Nearby” were recorded in my studio, while Erin was in the process of recruiting Randall, Adam, Jeff and Greg to form the band. Their schedule lives here.

Man I’ve been busy.

Saturday on the weekend before last, Grace Balmer got married, and I went along with Christine Jones to take photos and learn. Some of them actually came out OK, as you can see below. Nice couple, non-traditional wedding. The wedding music was done by a couple of African guys, one of whom I had seen play at TC’s Speakeasy in Ypsilanti. They were phenomenal. Hand drums and something like an African harp. When Grace was “processing” down the aisle, they were singing in their native tongue, and adding her name along with the playing. It was absolutely magical.

Sunday of that same weekend, I shot another wedding, but that will have to wait for another post.

And, THIS weekend, I’m shooting yet another wedding and doing the videography as well. Ought to be an interesting test of my multitasking skills (or lack thereof…)

Here is Grace and her freshly minted groom “recessing”:

Groomsmen were all in bare feet. Heh.

Holding hands during their vows:

The “ring shot”:

Lovely bridesmaids, lovely dresses, lovely flowers…:

I thought they way they had done the dresses and flowers was phenomenal, striking, pretty, all that. I like this shot:

More to come………stay tuned.