Recently I decided to learn his version of Si Bhig Si Mhor. It’s a gorgeous Irish piece often played with rousing approach… but, Ed’s version is tender and slow… “lyrical” as Ed would say.

Anyway… his tuning approach is DADGBD (tuned down a half step).

I tuned my Eastman exactly like Ed’s to match his recording of the song and as I started to “drill” the piece… I started to enjoy this tuning approach. Being an easily distracted musician… I started to play with the tuning and soon I had a compositional idea and I started to write a new piece called Avalon Roads.

It’s FUNNY how that often happens… learning a new song and tuning approach can often lead to a new song!

Well… I am planning to record this piece soon, so… hopefully I’ll have preview for you to listen to within the next week.

Now… maybe I should get back to learning the piece I started huh?

I put together a simple video for this new piece… hope you enjoy it!

Remember that moment when you open your windows for the first time after a LONG, COLD… DARK Winter.  That’s what I was hoping to capture musically with this piece.

But… in the meantime, I need to finish “Spring Reflections!”

Last night… due to reasons unknown, I couldn’t sleep… so I decided to do some recording.  I don’t know about you… but sometimes I do my best recording at night… late at night to be more specific.  Anyway… I had a piece I had written a couple years back that I was saving for this project, so I grabbed my Eastman Guitar and set up my mics and went for it.

Well… I am glad I did!

In about an hour or so… I had recorded my Eastman steel string part, my Martin Gut string part… along with a keyboard pad and fretless bass and this morning, after some light editing… it sounds great!

I am considering some light percussion… but who knows?

The point is… I am thrilled at the effort and I can see light at the end of the tunnel for the completion of “Spring Reflections.”  This would complete my seasonal “reflection” series!

So… let the windows swing WIDE OPEN, let the fresh air fill your house… spring is on the way!

I hope you enjoy this MP3 Preview:

Michael Hedges blew the doors off of what the acoustic guitar could do back in the early 80′s (check out Aerial Boundaries)… and ever since then, there have been many guitarists following the path of Hedge’s tapping approach.  I’ve heard some good one’s over the years… but recently I discovered Jon Gomm’s piece “Topeka.”

It’s excellent!!!

Jeff plays percussion for Pat Metheny and our banter through Skype was brief, but… fun!  He’s a good soul… there’s no doubt!

Here’s a peek into the sessions through Skype… not the greatest view and sound in the world, but it will give you an idea of how things are going as this project proceeds.

The track that is featured here is the “end vamp” to my song “Forever.”  Please note that this is raw and pretty bare as there is so much more going on in the track.  As usual… I am excited and cannot wait to share this music with the world!

You may have heard for Jeff Haynes… he’s Pat Metheny’s percussionist!

Anyway… what is totally amazing is, since I am unable to be in Vermont this week… I will be present in the studio for these sessions thru Skype!  Oh man… you gotta love technology!

So… more to come as this project progresses!

Tony Levin recorded bass on several tracks from “Drifting Into The Sublime” and that was such a treat!  Tom Eaton who is Will’s amazing engineer added some piano and percussion as well!  Check out the video below…

Tom also added some gorgeous piano to my song “Gravity Of Faith” which is fast becoming my favorite track!!!  Let me also note that Will added some Hopi Drum to this track as well…

Noah Wildling stopped by as well to add gorgeous vocals…

So we’re slowly getting there!  Stay tuned!!!  There’s so much more to come!

Tony Levin… the amazing, Tony Levin added his bass to 5 tracks from “Drifting Into The Sublime.”  What a pleasure it was to meet him and watch him work!  After the sessions, Tony and I went out to have dinner.  As he put it… “let’s go out and set Route 5 ablaze!”  We found a small… empty Italian Pasta Restaurant.  Turns out that Tony LOVES Italian food so we stopped.  It was a perfect choice as we were the only one’s there and the family that owns the place were fun to listen to… thick accents.  Of course I should note… the food was amazingly good… BIG Calzones!!!  Tony joked that he was going to somehow finish his… and somehow he did.  I almost made it though mine… but came up short, but… man, it was wonderful.  We talked about our family backgrounds and had a great time getting to know each other!  Tony had some nice things to say about my songs… and “Lake Of Remembrance” was his fave as it actually challenged him!  I guess the timing was somewhat odd and he remarked that it was almost like a King Crimson song… I beamed endlessly after hearing that!

Today the fun stuff continues!!!

Will is planning to add some guitar to one more song!  Tom Eaton is going to add some piano to “Sunset” and by the way… he already tracked piano for “The Gravity Of Faith” and I get goose bumps whenever I think about how good his performance was on that piece!

Noah Wildling is coming to the studio to add some vocals and I should note, Will is planning to add a Hopi Drum part to the “The Gravity Of Faith.”

SO… the fun stuff starts again!