KevinHutchings.ca

July Recording Sessions in Toronto July 16th, 2008

In early July I visited “Studio A” at Toronto’s Canterbury Music Company to record tracks for my new CD, which is now tentatively entitled “On the Bridge You Were Burning.”  In three ten-hour days we managed to record bed-tracks for all twelve of the album’s songs.  I came away from the sessions thrilled by the quality of the sound and the artistry of the studio musicians, all of whom were not only consummately professional but genuinely kind people and fun to hang out with.  The album is being co-produced by Sahra Featherstone and Jason Fowler, both of whom worked on my William Blake CD.  Well connected to Toronto’s musical community, Sahra and Jason brought a number of their friends–some of Canada’s best musicians–into the studio to work on the project.  I was delighted–and admittedly star-struck–by the opportunity to work with the likes of drummer Al Cross (who has played with such acts as Big Sugar, Loreena McKennit, and Jane Sibbery), double bassit George Koller (who has worked with Holly Cole, Harry Manx, Ian Tyson, and guitar-god Bruce Cockburn), keyboard player Gary Breit (who has performed with such entertainers as Long John Baldry and Amanda Marshall, and who now works with Bryan Adams), and finger-style guitarist Jason Fowler (who records and tours with Anne Lindsay and Irish tenor John McDermott).  Recording my songs live with these musicians was so exciting that I found it rather hard to sleep at night after the days we spent in the studio together; and I’ve had a permanent smile on my face ever since.  Now that the album’s bed-tracks are recorded, Sahra is adding a few overdub tracks on violin and harmony vocals, and Claudio Vena will be contributing a couple of tracks on accordian.  Although I still love the music on my first CD, “Songs of William Blake,” this new album will, I think, be even better in terms of sound quality and musical dynamism.  “On the Bridge You were Burning” should be ready late this year for a probable release date in early 2009.  I can hardly wait to share it.