John is one of the first musicians I met when I started exploring the idea of moving back to New England from Nashville. I think it was in 2005, just after spending a wonderful week in upstate NY accompanying world-renowned fiddler Craig Duncan, a long-time colleague who was being inducted into the Northeast Fiddler’s Hall of Fame. I stepped into a …
Mt. Philo: Young Folk-Rockers from Middlebury VT
It started with an urgent call from mandolinist/dobroist Eli Orland- his band Mt Philo’s fall break recording session at a studio in CT had fallen through at the last minute, and might I be able to accommodate them in a couple of days for a long-anticipated weekend of recording. Eli had found me through a Nashville connection we share, and …
Fodhla- Fine Irish music trio
I’ve known Nicole Rabata for 5 years and had many a lovely Irish tune session in her company. She’s a fine flute payer and true pro, and I‘m very grateful that she chose to bring in her companions in this lovely 6-tune project, Ellery Klein on fiddle and Bethany Waickman on DADGAD guitar to record here at MPM Studio. Here’s a …
Fall update
Lots happening this past summer into fall: new CDs by John Carew, Skip Gorman, Annie Eastman Young, Gus LaCasse, song demos by Abbi White, Greg Lull, Brandon Harris, Brin Banta, Portland Irish flutist Nicole Rabata‘s trio, a recent production trip to Nashville, and more- I’ll try to post some music and photos soon. Nashville’s Studio 19, one of my favorite places …
Riptide: America’s Contra Dance Band!
Something about the unselfconsciousness of making music purely for dancing has brought out the best in this group of stellar Portland ME based traditional musicians: Alden Robinson, Owen Marshall and Glen Loper, joined by the Contradance world’s leading percussionist Mark ‘Pokey’ Hellenberg. Contra dance aficionados will instantly recognize that this collection represents the apex of the genre’s musicianship. Those who have …
Eric McDonald & Ryan McKasson- Scottish fiddle and guitar
Eric‘s brought several projects to the studio in the last few months. This latest, with stellar West Coast Scottish/Cape Breton-style fiddler Ryan McKasson is just sweet. Listen!
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 …
Nashville Travelogue- July ’14
Just back from two production trips to Nashville, lots of great music and a chance to visit some of my many cherished colleagues! Elizabeth Carrigan‘s story is dramatic and compelling (read more). We’ve started work on finishing a project she began four years ago. I took a few of her vocal tracks to Nashville, where I, Jeff Taylor, Chris Leuzinger, …
The Press Gang!
I’ve known these guys since the days when I was still living in Nashville. On my frequent visits to NH, I always scurried up to Lebanon NH to join them in one of the best Irish sessions in New England. Based in Portland ME, they’ve evolved into THE hottest young Irish Trad band in New England, and I’m honored that …
Meg Devlin Irish
Meg is a highly accomplished singer-songwriter who has fairly recently moved to New Hampshire from Vermont, where she recorded four CDs, received with multiple accolades. Check out her website, where you can listen to some of the wonderful music we’ve been making lately at MPM Studio. It’s been lots of fun for me building her tracks by layering acoustic and …
Abbi White’s new Nashville/Portsmouth CD
An ambitious, sparkling new 14-song CD from Boston’s Abbi White, tracked in Nashville with a stellar cast of acoustic A-teamers, including Aubrey Haynie, Jeff Taylor, Matt Combs, John Gardner, Byron House, Robert Bowlin and yours truly. We recorded basic tracks at CTM in Nashville this summer, then did final vocals, additional guitar overdubs, editing and mixing here at …
Nashville Travelogue, continued.
Had a great time producing, arranging and playing on 4 new songs by NY songwriter Dave Stewart this past weekend. Tracking was done at Studio 19 with Jesse Poe engineering. Chris Leuzinger on electric guitar, Glen Duncan on fiddle, Wayne Killius on drums, John Vogt on bass , myself on acoustic guitar and my dear friend and long-time Irish music …