Norah Long

If you are from the Twin Cities and know anything about the local theater scene, then Norah Long is a name you are familiar with. Take a look at her bio on the Guthrie Theater page and you will see what I mean.

Norah and I are working on a full album of traditional church music but she has given me liberty to do with them what I see fit, making it a non-traditional album of traditional songs. We brought in Zach Miller to play drums, Aaron Fabbrini on upright bass and Michael Pearce-Donley on piano and organ for a small handful of tunes. I am also excited to be bringing a portable recording set-up to a large Lutheran church to record Bill Chouinard on an actual pipe organ for a couple of the songs.
Norah has been spoiling us rotten with the most amazing chocolate candy-bars you could imagine. Chocolate with bacon, white chocolate with dried kalamata olives, chocolate with passion fruit and sea salt. Unreal.

It is a delight to work with her and a really fun challenge to breathe some uniqueness into these old church hymns and spirituals.

award winning?

I recently received an email from Elizabeth Hunnicutt with this photo attachment...and a note that said "Thanks Matt!"

nice.

Rachel Kurtz-May

My friend Rachel Kurtz-May and I have wanted to work on a project together for years. Unluckily for me, she has several friends who have smaller recording set-ups and are willing to make albums for her at a very affordable price. This is why it just hasn't worked out, until now. Rachel is recording another CD, from many sources with varying sizes of studios, but this time she decided to throw a little audio love my way!

Rachel came in last week and did a bunch of tracking. Solo acoustic and vocal songs, overdubs of electric guitar with our friend Nate Houge (who was also on the Monsters of Folk tour with me and Jonathan Rundman), our rapping friend Agape laid down his rhythmic vocal stylings on a song called "Kurt Cobain," and we ended the session by doing full drums with her husband Michael on electric guitar and local gospel drummer, Chico Cockrell.

The mixes will be finished up soon and I have high hopes that this will be her best record yet.

Jonathan Rundman

Over the last several years I have had the pleasure of doing a bunch of mix work for my friend Jonathan Rundman. He and I go back several years and even shared a tour together (called the Monsters of Folk tour) with two other friends. Jonathan fully embraces the DIY method of recording with a Digi001, an old computer and only two microphones, all captured in his basement. Jonathan is no wannabe artist though, he has been featured in Paste magazine and frequently tours around the country as a solo artist.

Jonathan brought in a bunch of songs for me to mix and even add some parts to. I love that about him, his trust in me to add whatever I hear to his tunes. One of my favorites in this batch is a song called "Surgical Precision," which has the mood and sonic textures of a fast paced "Get Back" by the Beatles. With no bass on the track I grabbed my Hofner violin-bass, like the one McCartney used, and played a very Paul-inspired bass line, then added a guitar solo. The trick was to play it in a sloppy/cool way like the late George Harrison would play. No vibrato, lots of bends and even a little out of time.

It turned out great and I am grateful for people like Jonathan who keep me busy with mix work.

Jenn Dwyer

With Vicky Emerson's project finished and another full album project in the works I was asked to work on some mixes and minor tracking for various people.

Jenn Dwyer, whom I shared the camera with for a Sara Groves music video back in 2002, has been working on her own album. It was produced by my friend, Ben Gowell and features many of the same musicians I use for projects at the Library. They kindly asked me to mix the album and it is turning out great. Good producers and good engineers make my job so much easier.