Original Music and Live Performance
Extended Version minus Lead Vocal
Things began to take shape with the Funkenized Renderings of featured artists Jimmy Scott-Electric Guitar, David C. Johnson-Bass, and Tony Perino, who Engineered the project, while adding Piano and Organ, as well as Drums.
Album Cover designed on Canva, incorporating image of the unique Birch Bark Art Work, by Artist/Musician Steve Furbish, from New Hampshire.
A change of name to My only ever Electronic Recording. Garage Band virtual instruments with Congas and Native American Flute.
This song has gone through many twists and turns to arrive at where it is today. Not sure how it will be taken, as it has an unusual 7/8 time signature. It was written 1989 and inspired by the music I heard, back then, by the great Brazilian percussionist, Airto Moirera, who was the first I ever heard play a 7 Samba.
The current product was rounded out by the addition of legendary bass player, Dave C. Johnson, who I met in Ft Myers, Florida.
Let’s go back to 1989. I was in Oklahoma City, making tracks with bass player, Mike Oak at Wildcat Studio, operated by guitarist/producer, Mark Lyon. We completed 4 songs for the demo before returning to California when, horror of horrors, the original master tapes were lost! So the first version of “I Am” was only saved on a cassette tape as rough mix.
In 1990, having returned to my job as Taxi Driver in San Francisco, I had the good fortune to meet Mike Bone, President of Chrysalis Records. There was a music industry convention being held at the Saint Francis Hotel and He was one of my passengers. I overheard His conversation in the back seat and told Him I was a song writer. He gave Me His business card and told Me to send a demo. I sent Our demo by certified mail and was actually contacted by one of His staff. “Mr. Mike Bone would like to hear more of Your Rock stuff.”
Long story short. A bunch of stuff went down all at once. Life happens. My relationship bottomed out. I Totaled My car in an auto accident. Then the dreaded call from My Brother: “Dad was in an accident. He fell off the roof. He’s dead.” This was the start of My transition in 1990 from San Francisco back to My home town in Massachusetts. Trips back and forth. Somewhere in the interim I was evicted from My apartment. Needless to say, I didn’t get around to recording My Rock n Roll songs to send to Mike Bone at Chrysalis Records.
I always wanted to record the song again. After many years in the back-burner, I started the song from scratch when I met producer/guitarist Bill Hilt in 2018 and We set up a makeshift recording space with His Protools.
In 2016 I returned as a Tourist to Cambodia. I had lived in the Kingdom of Wonder for 6 & 1/2 years, from 2008 till 2014, when I returned to the U.S.
During my 2016 visit back to Southeast Asia I met up with some of my former bandmates in Siem Reap for a recording session.
In 2 days We laid tracks on 3 original songs. Bayou Bayon began with rhythm guitar, bass, sax, and vocals on Ableton Home Studio.
After the basic tracks were recorded on Kevin’s Ableton , plus with His added backup vocals, They were transferred to Apple Computer and engineered with edits by Lance Harrison on Logic. With time and money constraints, I left Town with a rough mix and basic Session Tracks.
Next phase, a year or so later, I’m reviving the project in Ft Myers. Bill Hilt runs the basic tracks in Protools and the magic begins.
I start with a conga track. The old beat up acoustic Fender will have to do for slide through His studio mic. Down and Dirty. I wanted a dark swamp feel. Crickets in the intro slowly fading out a short way in, then creeping back in the mix near the end.
Engaging visual presentation
This Visualizer was a contribution to my project by friend Richie Kersh.
Original 3 percussion tracks were recorded in Northern California at Skeer’s Studio, using 24 Track Alesis ADAT mixing board, late 1990’s
The ADAT Masters were in storage for years. Recently They were converted to digital format.
I had always hoped the tracks would be put to good use and , thanks to the Serendipity of the moment, a musical short story took shape, in the form of a frenetic spontaneous instrumental recorded in August 2021.
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I knew Richie when I lived in Sihanoukville , Cambodia 2008-2011
In recent years Richie Kersh and His Brothers have been Recording together, remotely, living far apart from one another, in different regions of the World, utilizing professional musicians online to develop their original music compositions. His Youtube Channel can be seen here
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4Ax1rFvSQ9iu4IiPmrb23w
A Road Trip to Tony House Studio in Saratoga Springs, New York in early August, 2021 put the final touches on the project with background vocals by the inimitable Trez Gregory, as well as Hammond B3 organ by Tony Himself.
The idea was to take my 3 percussion tracks, converted from ADAT, and go nuts with it. I had a rough draft for a bass line and He improvised some different bass changes and sliced and diced My Timbale solo.
On the rhythm with a brilliant Hammond B3 Superimposition, just in time for Rick to arrive with the Sax over the top.
Not polished. Rough around the edges. Sometimes better that way.
“What do You want to name the file?”
“Call it Percussion Madness for now, I guess”
PERCUSSION MADNESS
Tony Perino : Bass, Hammond B3 Organ, Leslie Piano
Tommy Nick: Timbales, Congas
Rick Roarke: Saxaphone
I gave it a go with the Canva program. Album Cover, quick design for now.
Contributing Artwork – Taran Millar
