Live at the Station Inn

Published by Brance on May 30th, 2008
Filed under CD and DVD releases
Tags: Andy Falco, Chris Eldridge, guitar, Josh Williams

Here’s a video clip from a project I completed last year, but never posted any footage of.

This was a live concert event with Josh Williams, Chris Eldridge, and Andy Falco. The DVD is available from Flatpicking Mercantile.

Here are the guys performing the fiddle tune, Cherokee Shuffle.

Bill Evans: The Banjo In America

Published by Brance on March 24th, 2008
Filed under Studio News
Tags: banjo

I produced a series of video clips for banjo player Bill Evans recently. The clips aren’t instructional in nature, they are simple performance pieces. But Bill’s not necessarily playing the banjo in each one.

Bill has been conducting a tour for some time now called The Banjo in America. During the course of a concert on this tour, Bill plays a variety of different instruments which are historical predecessors to the modern 5-string banjo.

For more information about The Banjo in America, read this blog post I published over at The Bluegrass Blog.

Here is one of the clips. In this one, Bill is playing an African Akonting. Pretty cool sound!

 

Be sure to visit Bill’s YouTube channel to see the other videos. There are six in total, including two he plays on his 1937 Gibson flathead -75.

Get To Know Your Acoustic Guitar

Published by Brance on March 19th, 2008
Filed under CD and DVD releases
Tags: AcuTab, guitar

Not long ago we finished up the latest AcuTab release, Get To Know Your Acoustic Guitar. This DVD is an exploration of the care and maintenance of an acoustic, steel-stringed guitar. The on-screen personality is renowned guitar builder and repair specialist, Marty Lanham.

Marty is extremely knowledgeable about what makes a guitar work. And on this DVD he explains a lot of the physics behind the guitar and lets you, the owner, know how to care for your guitar, when to have it serviced by a professional, and what to look for when purchasing a new guitar.

We traveled to Nashville and recorded this in Marty’s repair shop. He had a number of vintage Martins and other guitars on hand to use as demonstrations during the presentation. If you are into the guitar, you’ll want this DVD. It’s available from AcuTab.com for $35.

 

Adam Steffey DVD: clip

Published by Brance on May 21st, 2007
Filed under CD and DVD releases
Tags: AcuTab, mandolin

Here’s a video clip from the soon to be released Adam Steffey DVD. We’ve finished production and the DVD, actually it’s a two disc set, will be available from AcuTab Publications in early June. I’ve got a write up about in over on The Bluegrass Blog.

This clip features Adam performing Daybreak In Dixie and being accompanied by Barry Bales and Kenny Smith. On the disc of course, he goes on to teach his break to the tune. Enjoy!

John Jorgenson - J’Attendrai

Published by Brance on January 22nd, 2007
Filed under Studio News

Here’s another music video. Like the last one, this was done some time ago but it’s now on YouTube and I thought I’d post it here. Unfortunately I wasn’t on hand to shoot the footage in Paris. But I did shoot all the close shots you see. We did those on the front porch of John’s Nashville home. I then edited all the footage together to get the video you see here.

John is such a talent. I love hearing, and watching, him play!

I’m Not Through Loving You Yet

Published by Brance on January 17th, 2007
Filed under miscellaneous

Here’s a music video I produced for Brad Davis some time ago. I just noticed that he’d put it up on Youtube for all to see and thought I’d include it here. If you are interested, you can see more videos of Brad, including some I produced, on his YouTube page.

Ron Stewart Fiddle DVD

Published by Brance on January 4th, 2007
Filed under CD and DVD releases
Tags: AcuTab, fiddle

Recently completed and currently available for purchase through AcuTab.com is the latest DVD production to be completed here at CBP, Ron Stewart - Playing Fiddle In The Bluegrass Style. Ron is a great fiddler who plays with bluegrass legend J.D. Crowe and The New South. He’s also a sought after session player for many bluegrass recordings. The DVD is roughly 90 minutes in length and covers everything from basic technique to advanced solos to some of his own songs. You can read more about it on the Acutab site.

Ron is accompanied on the disc during his performance of each tune by Kenny Smith and Harold Nixon. I was very pleased with the audio we got on this recording.

Another nice feature is something we’ve done on the last several AcuTab DVDs. During the teaching of the tunes we present a fast and slow version of the artist playing through the song in a split screen, or dual frame, set up. On this DVD, as well as the last several, we’ve included alternate angles of this portion of the presentation. This allows the viewer to switch between several different views of the artist’s hands.

Larry Keel and Natural Bridge

Published by Brance on November 16th, 2006
Filed under Studio News

Larry and his bunch are here in the studio this week working on a new band CD that should be released sometime in the early spring. One band member change since the last band CD. Jason Flournoy joined the group just recently and he’s contributing to the sound quite well. The band is sounding good and tight, well rehearsed from all that time on the road, and the material is great.

There will be some traditional bluegrass numbers performed in a fairly traditional style, others with a new twist, and some new material that Larry and the various band members have written. We tracked 5 songs yesterday and finished last night with a new tune of theirs titled They. You’ll have to wait for the release, but take my word for it, it’s a great song. We’ll be in the studio the rest of this week finishing up the tracks for this recording.

Larry isn’t exactly strait ahead bluegrass, but working with him and Jenny always reminds me of what I love about bluegrass music. They are such genuine, honest people. It’s a real pleasure to work with them in the studio creating something this real. We’re tracking live with very few overdubs. The vocals are even being tracked live with the instruments, and at times I’m just reminded of the skill it takes to do something like that, something like the first generation of bluegrass artists did when they cut those great old records that we all love. I think that’s what I like about working with Larry and Jenny, they are not afraid to push the boundaries musically, while simultaneously hearkening back to an earlier time in history when what you heard on the record was what the band really sounded like live. That’s what you’re going to get on this CD and there is something magically about that.

Keel Brothers 2 - finished

Published by Brance on November 2nd, 2006
Filed under CD and DVD releases

I recently put the finishing touches on the Keel Brothers Volume 2 CD. The CD is now back from the replicator and Larry has it for sale already on his site. It’s good record from a flatpicking master. Larry and his brother Gary are both great players and they’re joined on this disc by both their wives on various tracks. If you’re a fan of Larry’s, or just a fan of flatpicking, you’ll want this CD.

I do have a few pictures from the recording sessions. I’ll look for them and try to post them later today.

Previous:

Mixing Keel Brothers CD
Keel Brothers Vol. 2

Back online

Published by Brance on October 20th, 2006
Filed under miscellaneous

Ok, I’ve been gone awhile. Here’s what happened. The hosting company I use was bought out by another company and they moved things around and screwed up my database. I’ve finally got it back online and I’m up and running. I’ll try to post over the next few days and let you know what I’ve been up to.