Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki Trio: High-Energy Celtic

It’s here!  Jordan’s new trio CD release party packed the legendary Stone Church in Newmarket NH. I got there for the last few songs after a grueling run of St. Pat’s gigs and was knocked out by their larger-than-life sound.  I immediately started to wonder-did the CD manage to capture that energy in the recording process?  A quick reference to …

Winter 2015 update

Lots going on this winter at MPM Studio, so much that I’m having trouble keeping the website up to date.  Snow is falling- a moment to catch up.  Here are just a few recent projects:    A new ‘Trad’ Scottish CD project with Eric Macdonald and Will Woodson (Scottish small pipes, flute, guitar, mandolin and vocals). Boston singer/songwriter Abbi White finishing …

“…that’s an Irish Lullaby”

The challenge: to produce an instrumental CD without calling attention to the instruments, without distracting the listener from the beauty of the melody, to create an ambience of soothing relaxation for adults and children alike. I think that Bill Verdier, John Mock and I rose to the occasion in this collection of Irish melodies played as sparse, gentle lullabies we’ve …

‘Celtic Tribute’ Series on CMH

“You look like you could play Irish music” said the agent, who had known me for many years, “there’s a new Irish   Pub opening at the Opryland Hotel, and we’d like  you to put together an acoustic trio to play there.” Thus, in 2003, was born ‘The Boys of County Nashville‘. Jeff Taylor and I became totally besotted with …

Kieran O’Hare and John Skelton: New Irish flute CD: ‘Two-Tone’

Mill Pond Music Studio was thrilled to host the recording of this new Irish flute duet project by two of the finest practitioners of that art on either side of ‘the pond’.  This inspired collection of tunes was recorded essentially live, the two players facing each other in the ‘Live Room’, no baffles, a couple of Telefunken tube mics, feet …

New Mic!!

I try not to get too excited about new equipment.  While the search for the utmost transparency between the heart of the music maker and the heart of the listener is a constant here at MPM Studio, the focus is always on the music.  But this new mic!! The Neumann U 47 is the holy grail of microphones-every instrument and voice on …

Cantrip

A couple of years ago I was performing with clawhammer banjoist Ken Perlman at the fabulous New World Festival in Randolph VT, and had the great fortune to wind up in a jam session with the members of Cantrip. They are a superb Scottish/American trio who play traditional Celtic instrumental music with a distinctly contemporary energy and drive, on fiddle, …

Some updates at MPMS

-Local duo Captain Bob Griffin and Linda Wade, guitar, vocals and concertina, finishing up a charming collection of ‘Old Chestnuts’. Great songs from the 20s and 30s, augmented with some New England folk music favorites feature their warm vocal blend and Bob’s chiming 12-string guitar interwoven with Linda’s delicate and inventive concertina. -Emery Hutchins has been working on a project …

Brendan Tonra and his legendary fiddle at MPM Studio!

[youtube hd]http://youtu.be/84wW9KZDeeI[/youtube] Renowned Boston-based Sligo fiddler plays one of his recent compositions accompanied by the stellar Helen Kisiel on piano. Some of Brendan’s compositions have become standard repertoire in traditional Irish music, notably Tonra’s Jig (aka Tone Rows). An honor to have these two cornerstones of Boston’s Irish music scene recording at Mill Pond Music! Read more about Brendan Tonra.

The Fireflies: from London to Portsmouth (again!)

Harry and Luca, from London, England, formerly known as The Pilgrims-now the Fireflies, were back at MPM Studio for their third time a few weeks ago. As usual it was an intensely creative week of tracking, vocals, guitar overdubs (ranging from beautiful acoustic to funky electric) and some last-minute songwriting. What to call their style? You tell me: check out …

Ellen Carlson – E.C. and the Moonshiners- Hillbilly Jazz!

It’s been a privilege and a delight to be making music during the past year with the illustrious NH fiddler Ellen Carlson. She’s an expert country player, well-versed in old-timey, New England  and Celtic styles, and a fine bluegrass-er. Her band High Range has wide renown, and her teaching skills legendary. Lately, she, drummer Robbie Kneeland, bassist Brendan Dowd and I …

With Ken Perlman @ Summit School Winter Folk Fest

Melodic clawhammer banjo wizard Ken Perlman and I were happy to be a part of Montpelier Vermont’s Summit School Winter Folk Fest, along with Dirk Powell, Riley Baugus, the amazing Swedish fiddler Anna Lindblad (with RyanDricky), Katie Trautz and others. Tony DeMarco showed up for the after-concert jam, which threw a number of styles into a yummy musical melting pot. Collin McCaffrey, …

Summer re-cap: Natalie McMaster, Joan Osborne, Joe Deleault and more…

Finally getting around to a chronicle of some of this summer’s activities, one of which was my adventure into the musical world of Manchester NH’s composer/songwriter/pianist extraordinaire Joe Deleault. NH Screenwriter/director Ernest Thompson (‘On Golden Pond’, etc.) is just finishing a new film (headed for Sundance Film Festival) called Heavenly Angle, for which Joe has composed most of the music. …

The Nashville Years: singers and players

A lot of interesting artists and musicians recorded at my studio in Nashville during its twenty years of operation, giving me ample opportunities to make a lot of mistakes and to learn how to avoid them. Some of their names are well-known, others’ should be. Here are some of the names I remember off the top of my head. I …