This overdue post with links to artists occupying aural space on my iPhone should have been written on a much warmer day. I offer to you three artists to explore:
- Heather Christian and the Arbornauts present the most challenging music of the group, and came on a recommendation by Bean. He is the father of arbornaut-pianist Jonathan Anderson.
- Kathryn Gallagher, the daughter of my second cousin, which I think means we might still be related, has a great voice and a brilliant future in entertainment.
- DB Shapiro my brother-in-law released his first solo recording. He invited me to photograph a recording session (which really is the excuse for this post).
David recorded To The Bone in Nashville, at The Tracking Room and Quad Studios. Producers Steve Walsh (formerly of Fluid) and Paul Bernstein (currently of Pittsburgh) put together an impressive ensemble of musicians and studio professionals. Truly everyone collaborated on the recording, offering their own touches and craftsmanship. The day allowed me to stretch my photography to completely different subject matter with its lighting challenges and telling a story with people in it. The only real direction I received was “try to stay out of the way”. Since no flowers were crushed or glaciers calved while I was in the studio, I think I can say I managed to do that. This project also let me explore some post-processing that I would not otherwise consider. For the web site we toned images, starting with a Blue Note-look finally using the touch of burgundy tint. And to complete the family saga, David’s sister, my Art Director and wife, Jane, designed the CD jacket.