Sailing along with a recovered obsession with music, my craft finally found a steady course forward toward the harbor of this CD thanks to a chance meeting with producer and dobro virtuoso Doug Cox at the Alaska Acoustic Guitar Camp. At an evening jam session, he began to accompany me on the dobro while I played “Awake,” and the last day of the camp he asked me if I’d ever thought about recording my music. Ego puffed, I could only say, “That would be cool.”
Everything was set for my flying to Doug’s studio on Vancouver Island in May of 2020 when life was put on pause by the pandemic. In April, a wonderful childhood friend, duet partner, and vocal coach, Vanessa Purdy, suggested I begin making my own tracks and sending them to Doug. By that point, equipment was not simple to come by in Argentina, but I managed to find an interface, a condenser mic, learn what a DAW was, and, after dozens of online tutorials, I got rolling on Reaper.
Months at home for both Doug and me and for talented musicians from all over Canada and the U.S. turned this stone-soup project into a most scrumptious stew, which would never have been feasible had everyone been busy touring. In short, a year of COVID-19 isolation, both stifling and scary, was made beautiful through unique collaborations. The production has become a culmination of nuances, variety, and excellence. With scenes and tones from the U.S, Argentina, and Brazil, exploring words and sounds and images and moods, mulling matters of time and love and loss, the melodies caress, the lyrics pique, and the witty and insightful improvisations create an invigorating musical conversation.
Awake! is the first of two CDs planned for the next two years: new worlds to explore!
