Let the music begin…

How it started

For the last 5 years or so, I’ve been playing bits and pieces of songs that I’ve written for various friends and family, including my New Son, Chuck Bailey.

Chuck would comment on this song idea or that one and kept saying we should get into the studio and lay some of the tunes down. I, of course, would say yes we should indeed do that, but we never seemed to find the time… life is funny that way.

One afternoon, not long ago, we were sitting around after a nice family gathering, picking the guitars and singing. Chuck called me aside and said: “Okay, we’ve been talking about getting into the studio and recording some of these song ideas for five years now… I’m tired of just talking about it. I want for you and I to commit to a day each week, where once we finish our work day, we get in the studio and start putting these tunes down.”

Since that conversation, we’ve been in the studio every Wednesday night and have been recording some really good tracks. We’ve also finished writing several of the songs, and had numerous musician friends lay down some awesome tracks for us as well.

Charles “Chuck” Bailey

It’s not often that I sit in wonder in my old age, but working with and watching Chuck Bailey record, mix, and produce music is a thing to behold.

I’ve had the opportunity to work with and share the stage and studio with some of the most talented singers, songwriters, and musicians on the planet, but rarely have I ever encountered anyone who is as accomplished as my New Son Chuck Bailey when it comes to the mechanics of recording and working in the studio.

Chuck is a very accomplished musician and producer, and a beast when it comes to sound engineering. We have come to the point now where we just about know what each other are thinking, and we hear many of the same things from a production point of view.

I have the utmost respect for his work ethic, his talent and abilities, and his companionship in this journey. Not only am I proud to call him my New Son, the caretaker of my baby girl and my grandchildren, but I am extremely proud to call him my co-producer and potential Grammy winner… as the Great Master often says… we’ll see…

The Mariwell String Quartet

While in production of my friend Dallas Moore’s song “I Gave It All To You”, Chuck and I decided to take the tune in a different direction than it has ever been before. We decided to add live strings to the tune.

I went in search of a string ensemble and after a couple of false starts with players who took themselves a bit too seriously for my taste, the stars aligned and I found the Mariwell String Quartet. Heather, Rob, Jen, and Dwayne are the real deal and they are a hoot and a pleasure to work with.

Not only have they laid down some of the sweetest tracks I’ve ever heard, I think we’ve found some musical soul-mates. I’ve done recording sessions for the last 40-some-odd years in studios all over the country. I can say with certainty that this is one of the most rewarding sessions I’ve ever been a part of.

The warmth and passion that the live strings added to this tune was almost a spiritual experience. I hardly slept the night of the session as my mind couldn’t let go of the feeling.

Thank you from the bottom of this Old Crusty Dude’s heart to the Mariwell String Quartet.

Chris “Hitman” Hicks

I first met Chris around 73 or 74. Chris was playing guitar with his hometown band at a Saturday morning street party in Roberta, Georgia. It seems like the name of his band was something like Strawberry Jam, or Blackberry Jam, or some kind of Jam. And jam he did.

Chris used to drop in and play with us all around Macon and middle Georgia, and we all knew that he was destined for really big things in the music world. Well… he proved us all right and went on to share the stage with the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Outlaws, Gregg Allman, and The Chris Hicks Band. In the mid 90’s, he became Chris “Hitman” Hicks, lead guitarist for The Marshall Tucker Band, and has been lighting up that stage all over the free world.

I went to have a visit with Chris and the band a couple of years ago. We were sitting around before the show sharing song ideas. Chris struck a chord on his guitar and in that smooth, bluesy southern voice belted out: “Whatta You Do When You Feel Like Dancing”…