Lots of activity these past few months: Concord NH’s Lynda Nelson, whose first CD Forever in a Song we produced in Nashville, has completed the recording of a second Nashville-style CD right here at MPM Studio New England! We enlisted two excellent Boston-based musicians, Jesse Williams on bass and Grant Smith on drums to join me on acoustic guitar for the initial tracking. I added mandolin and some clawhammer banjo (shhh!), and we had my long time Nashville colleagues Chris Leuzinger add electric guitars, Russ Pahl steel guitar, Jeff Taylor (fresh from two weeks of recording with Bob Dylan) on piano. Release expected soon!

Salem MA’s Bob and Jen Strom just finished up tracking and mixing for their new folk/celtic duo CD, Heading Home, featuring Bob’s delicate musical touch on guitar and bouzouki, Jen’s engaging vocals and fiddle, and an assortment of guest musicians including legendary Gloucester folk session leader Michael O’Leary and yours truly on mandolin and guitar.

The Nashville connection continues: I was there for a brief in-and-out starting production on a new Cathy Wilson project, more tracks with former Warner Bros. producer Richard Helm, and a bittersweet reunion with many long-time colleagues at the Memorial Jam for Jeff Lisenby, a dear friend and keyboard genius with whom I’d played thousands of gigs and sessions. Next Nashville trip at the end of August-not too late to add your session!

Skip Gorman‘s been back for more Celtic fiddle recording, Harrison Guptill starting a new project featuring some Nashville Cats, Tim Churchard getting around to immortalizing some of his songs after years of performing and writing.

And, some of the gigs are coming back: Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki and I are doing the Stone Church in Newmarket Sunday Aug. 8th 3-6pm. My Maritime Folk group Great Bay Sailor does the Woodman Museum in Dover NH on July 25th at 4. Hanz Araki and I will be at Blue in Portland Aug. 18th 7pm.