Instrumental Music Album Mixes Classical Chamber Music with Improvisation

Menlo Park, CA – May 1, 2008 – Independent record label, Mnemonic Records, (www.mnemonicrecords.net) has released a new title “Quintets” – an instrumental album of original music by Paul James de Benedictis, featuring string quartet, the improvisational work of noted piano virtuosos Ralph Grierson and Michael Lang, jazz pioneer Jeff Lorber, and a variety of soloists including such luminaries as Sussan Deyhim, Branford Marsalis, and Paul McCandless.

The music was composed over several years, with some of the pieces being specifically written for the soloists. In “Prelude” the composition contains musical collaboration with singer Sussan Deyhim contributing vocal improvisations that were then arranged by Paul de Benedictis to form the complete work. On two of the compositions, “Il Lago” (The Lake) and “Remember,” Paul’s boyhood friends who he grew up with in the 1960′s, perform: John Knox on piano and Matt Eakle, a 20-year veteran of the famed David Grisman Quintet, on flute.

“Quintets” is mixed and presented in both stereo CD and surround formats. The package includes a DVD with Dolby Digital and DTS surround versions, along with audiophile-quality 96k 24-bit stereo. DVD-Audio disks with 96k 24-bit surround mixes will also be available upon request.

The musicians performing on “Quintets” include:

Soloists:
Sussan Deyhim — (Vocals)
Matt Eakle — (Flute)
Branford Marsalis — (Tenor & Soprano Sax)
Paul McCandless — (Oboe)
George Shaw — (Flugelhorn & Trumpet)
Claudia Villela — (Vocals)

Piano:
Ralph Grierson
John Knox
Michael Lang
Jeff Lorber

The Arlekin String Quartet:
Eugene Chukhlov — (Violin)
Rem Djemilev — (Viola)
Dmitri Glovko — (Violin)
Sergei Riabtchenko — (Cello) more

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Recording on the road is never an easy feat, especially on a limited budget. With the help of Auralex Acoustics, Healing Sixes, a noted-rock and roll band, did just that for its third album, One Less Friend to Ignore. The album was recorded over a three-year period in several different locations.

The major concern with recording in multiple destinations is creating a consistent sound. This is where Auralex Acoustics, the industry leader in innovative sound control solutions, stepped in to heal the sound nuances throughout the recording process through its mobile line of products. more

Grammy-winning Producer Larry Klein and Mixer Helik Hadar Attend

Walter Becker, Grammy-winning co-founder of Steely Dan, has mastered his second solo album, “Circus Money�, at Bernie Grundman Mastering. On hand were mastering engineer Bernie Grundman, album producer Larry Klein and engineer/mixer Helik Hadar, who both earned Grammys this year for Herbie Hancock’s Album of the Year, “River: The Joni Letters.�

“Circus Money” explores moods and soundscapes reminiscent of Steely Dan, but influenced by bass-heavy Jamaican structures, relying on Becker’s strengths as a bass player and reinforced by Larry Klein’s bass player background, as well. Lyrics provide the humor, pathos, and dark scenarios expected from Becker and the Steely Dan oeuvre.

The new album features Walter Becker on bass and vocals, Jon Herington on guitar, Keith Carlock on drums, Ted Baker and Jim Beard on keyboards, Gordon Gottlieb on percussion and a chorus of outstanding background singers. Basic tracks were recorded by engineers Elliot Scheiner and Jay Messina in New York City at Avatar Studios. Overdubs and mixing were done by Helik Hadar at Market Street Studios in Santa Monica.

Becker’s previous solo album, “11 Tracks of Whack,” was released in 1994. “Circus Money” is slated for June 10 release on the 12 OVER 5 label, distributed by Mailboat Records.

For info about Bernie Grundman Mastering, visit: http://www.berniegrundmanmastering.com

Writer/Producer Steven Greenberg Digitizes Disco Classic

Pictured at Cups ‘N Strings (L-R) are owner/engineer Bruce Maddocks and “Funkytown” writer/producer Steven Greenberg. Photo by David Goggin.

“Funkytown,” perhaps the last big hit of the Disco era, has been restored and transferred to digital from fragile 24-track 2-inch tape masters. Engineer Bruce Maddocks handled archiving at his Cups ‘N Strings studios with the song’s writer/producer Steven Greenberg on hand to supervise the project.

“Funkytown” was a #1 record in over 40 countries,” says Greenberg, “and 28 years later, not a day goes by that I don’t get a request to license the tracks for some sort of use somewhere around the world.”

With deceptively simple hooks and instrumentation, “Funkytown” merged the sounds of disco, new-wave pop and R&B to create a major crossover phenomenon. The enduring hit was recorded by the group Lipps, Inc. in Minneapolis at the famed Sound 80 Studios, where artists such as Prince, Cat Stevens, and Bob Dylan had worked. The song featured a Moog Vocoder effect that became the hit’s signature sound.

“Funkytown” can be heard in more than 20 films, including Mel Brooks’ “History of the World,” “Contact,” “Shrek 2,” and in the recent feature “Alvin and the Chipmunks.” The film’s soundtrack CD is currently hovering at the top of the Billboard album charts. “Funkytown” has been used in more than 100 TV shows, in sporting events such as the Opening Ceremonies for the 2006 Winter Olympics, and in a number of video games.

“The tapes were very finicky,” explains Greenberg. “But Bruce works with just about every tape configuration ever made. He’s got all the different analog head stacks, speed controls, and the means to bake the tapes before archiving and preserving to hi-res digital. We’ve been re-naming and organizing the individual elements so that re-mixers and soundtrack producers can easily work with the material for their own projects.”

To learn more about “Funkytown,” visit: http://www.funkytown.com
For info about Cups ‘N Strings, visit: http://www.cupsnstrings.com

CLICK FOR PHOTOS

Hip-hop founding father and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Grandmaster Flash is recording his upcoming full-length album, “The Bridge,” with a new JBL Professional LSR4300 Series studio monitor system. Revolutionizing modern music by helping to create arguably the most popular genre of the past 30 years, Grandmaster Flash remains on the cutting edge of technology, recently installing a state-of-the-art recording studio that includes a pair of JBL LSR4326, bi-amplified 6-inch studio monitors, a pair of LSR4328, 8-inch studio monitors, and companion LSR4312SP subwoofer. In addition to “The Bridge,” Grandmaster Flash also uses the LSR4300 Series studio monitors to mix his syndicated Sirius Radio show, “The Flash Mash.”

Grandmaster Flash is recognized as the first DJ to use a turntable as an instrument, preceding the late-1970s emergence of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, one of the first groups to feature rapping over beats. These innovations placed Grandmaster Flash at the epicenter of hip-hop, and in 2007 Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five became the first hip-hop act to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Prior to beginning production on “The Bridge,” Grandmaster Flash learned about the JBL LSR4300 Series studio monitors. “A friend of mine brought me to Guitar Center and told me to check out these speakers,” Flash recalled. “I played a Dr. Dre song that I really love, and I couldn‘t believe what I heard. The vocal was right up front, the bass line was at my feet, the trumpets were right at my chest. I played a couple of songs that I mixed on other speakers, and I have to admit that when I listened to them on the LSR‘s, I was slightly pissed off because I was hearing things I never heard before! The LSR monitors will show you exactly where things are in the mix. They tell you the whole story.”

Grandmaster Flash most often uses his pair of LSR4326P, 6-inch monitors with the LSR4312SP sub, although he will sometimes use a setup with two additional LSR4328P 8-inch monitors for added output. (Or as he puts it, “When I want my head ripped off!”) Regardless of the setup, he consistently uses JBL‘s RMC™ Room Mode Correction software to correct any acoustical problems that may exist in the room. “I use the RMC feature, because my studio is shaped a little strangely, so when I‘m using the RMC I know I‘m getting the right sound. I used to spend tons of money having the room acoustically tested and treated every six months. Now I can correct the same problems with this software.”

While his eclectic and inquisitive approach to technology is at the core of his success, Flash has very specific criteria when it comes to studio monitors. “To create a great composition, you have to listen to the nuances, the tiny details,” he said. “It‘s not always about what‘s playing at that second, it‘s also about what hasn‘t been played yet. It‘s those spaces in between the notes. To trust the mix, I need monitors that are reliable enough so I can hear each minute detail, because everything has its place.”

While maintaining a steady schedule of live performances, Grandmaster Flash plans to have “The Bridge” ready for release later this year. “I‘m in the musical stages at the moment and haven‘t decided which vocalists I‘ll be working with yet, but I‘m having a lot of fun taking all these ideas I‘ve had on my voice recorder for the past 10 years and putting them together,” Flash said.

An artist that relies on spur-of-the-moment creativity, Grandmaster Flash has found himself pulling all-nighters in his studio since installing the LSR system–a difficulty in the past because of inevitable listener fatigue. “When I‘m using the 6-inch models, I can stay in the studio forever,” Flash said. “The other night, I started working in my studio around 9 p.m. and didn‘t get tired until I came out of the studio at 7 the next morning. My ears just don‘t fatigue with these speakers.”

Grandmaster Flash‘s memoirs, “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash–My Life, My Beats,” penned by David Ritz, is scheduled for release June 10, 2008. Please visit www.grandmasterflash.com for more information.

Paul Stubblebine Mastering (PSM) and valve electronics experts Bottlehead Corp. have introduced “The Tape Project,” a new music-delivery format and ‘record label.’ The Tape Project is presenting a series of analog releases on reel-to-reel tape that offer the discerning audiophile an analog listening experience that comes as close as possible to that of hearing the original master tape. Slated for ten releases per year and sold primarily on a subscription basis, the 15ips (inches per second) half-track stereo, reel-to-reel recordings encompass a wide range of musical styles, the first of which include Classical, Jazz, Blues, Americana and Roots music. The company is recommending tape machines and specifications for playback, as well as offering its own specially modified tape decks with custom valve components from Bottlehead Corp.

“The only two requirements for the music that we release are that the master must exist on analog tape and that the music be great. That it be music that moves the listener. That it be music that can stand the test of time, and continue to bring satisfaction for years,” stated Paul Stubblebine, one of the founders of the company along with mastering engineer Michael Romanowski, and Bottlehead Corp owner, Dan Schmalle.

The company has already secured the rights to release a variety of extraordinary recordings. The first ten titles are:

1) ‘The Number White’ by jazz singer Jacqui Naylor
2) Dave Alvin’s ‘Blackjack David’
3) ‘Arnold Overtures’ original music by Malcolm Arnold with the London Philharmonic Orchestra recorded by Grammy-Winning engineer and audiophile equipment designer Keith Johnson
4) The album that established Robert Cray as a strong new voice in the blues ‘False Accusations’
5) Raphael Fruhbeck de Burgos with the New Philharmonia Orchestra performing Albeniz – Suite Espanola
6) David Oistrakh and the London Symphony Orchestra with music by Bruch and Hindemith
7) Eiji Oue and the Minnesota Orchestra performing Exotic Dances from the Opera (Saint-Saëns, Strauss, Rabaud)
Bill Evans ‘Waltz for Debby’ live at the Village Vanguard in 1961
9) Mose Allison in 1959′s ‘Creek Bank’ engineered by Rudy Van Gelder
10) The incomparable Sonny Rollins in ‘Saxophone Colossus.’

Full descriptions of each music selection is available at The Tape Project website:
www.tapeproject.com

There are two tiers of subscription costs for The Tape Project: $1200 US for a selection of six of the ten releases a year, or charter subscriptions of $2000 US a year to get all ten releases. Each album will be also sold individually for $329 US to non-subscribers. Each tape release comes in a custom designed box with full-size color artwork and custom tape flanges inscribed with serial numbers for charter subscribers.

Michael Romanowski, revealing the tech behind the analog said, “We have assembled the highest quality duplicating system that has ever been attempted. The result, for those with ears to hear, is the most involving and satisfying experience that has ever come from reproduced music. I work with master tapes everyday, and these releases are sonically everything that a master tape has to offer. And now listeners get to have this experience in their own home.”

Noting specifics about the playback systems, Dan Schmalle added, “In order to play these tapes correctly, a machine must meet the following requirements: It must play15 IPS half track stereo, and must be set to the IEC curve -formerly known as the CCIR curve. There are many machines that meet these specs, but many that don’t. We have looked at the various machines made for home use and decided to adapt the Technics RS1500 family.” The company offers an on-line database of tape machines that meet the requirements.

The tape machines offered by The Tape Project, approximately $7500 US each, are supplied with a custom playback head designed for us by Flux Magnetics, acknowledged as the highest quality tape head manufacturer in the world. Generally, reproduce heads are designed as some sort of compromise according to the speeds at which they will be expected to operate. Schmalle asked Flux Magnetics to design a head for The Tape Project strictly optimized for 15 IPS, with no compromise for other speeds. The resulting head has response extended well beyond that of the stock heads on both ends of the audio spectrum.

The playback head is mated with the latest generation playback electronics, developed by Paul Joppa and Dan Schmalle of Bottlehead Corp. exclusively for The Tape Project. The combination of superior transport, optimal head and advanced electronics yield a truly gourmet level of performance. There is even an optional wireless remote control for the Technics RS1500 offered by The Tape Project.

The company has started an online forum for customers to request albums that they would love to have releases of in the future
www.tapeproject.com/

About Paul Stubblebine Mastering
PSM mastering engineers include owner Paul Stubblebine and Michael Romanowski. As a 30-year veteran sound engineer , Paul has mastered a wide variety of music including classic sounds of San Francisco: The Grateful Dead, The New Riders of the Purple Sage, Sly Stone, Santana, Joan Baez, Bill Evans and practically every release for David Grisman’s Acoustic Disc label to name just a select few of his projects.

Michael Romanowski has been mastering music in the Bay Area since his move here from Nashville in 1994. Michael has mastered releases ranging from rock and jazz to punk and folk. Some of the artists he has worked with include Badfinger, Pete Ham, Norton Buffalo, Joe Craven, Too Short, E-40, Jacqui Naylor, Mimi Fox, The Samples, Jim Campilongo, Dallas Wayne, Houston Jones, Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Trichromes, Lydia Lunch, The Radiators, Runaways UK, The Wilted, and Free Peoples.

To ensure the highest quality and to produce the best sounding masters, PSM offers carefully selected audio technology such as the Pacific Microsonics analog and digital converters, Esoteric Audio Research, Z-Systems, Weiss and TC Electronic signal processors, and mastering workstations from Sonic Studio, along with Alon Wolf designed “Magico” speakers. For more information visit the PSM website at www.paulstubblebine.com or call (415) 522-0108 or email info@paulstubblebine.com

About Bottlehead Corp
Bottlehead Corp. has been on the high-end tube audio scene for 12 years, designing and selling a line of single ended vacuum tube audio amplifier and preamplifier kits and now manufacturing custom tube based equipment for both audiophiles and the recording industry. Innovations that Bottlehead has brought attention to in the tube audio scene include parallel feed, active loaded shunt regulation and extensive use of exotic materials in transformers. President Dan Schmalle combines his physics degree with 25 years of manufacturing production experience. Head of R&D Paul Joppa is an acoustical engineer and AES member with over 30 years of experience. Ed Fallon, who manages the assembled components division, is a senior engineer with 20 years of experience in the medical electronic field. www.bottlehead.com/

Producer Dave Cooley and Engineer Tony Hoffer in Studio D

Pictured in Studio D at Ocean Way (L-R, Standing) are Will Canzoneri, keyboards; Rob Barbato, vocals, bass; Tim Presley, vocals, guitar; Jared Everett, guitar; Dave Cooley, producer. Foreground (L-R) Wesley Seidman, assistant engineer; Tony Hoffer, engineer/mixer. Photo by David Goggin.

Popular indie band Darker My Love, explorers of the 60s-style psychedelic rock frontier, have mixed their sophomore album, “2″, in the Neve 88R equipped Studio D at Ocean Way. Producer Dave Cooley helmed the project with Tony Hoffer at the mixing desk.

Darker My Love’s self-titled debut album was released in 2006, reinforcing the powerful reputation their live show had garnered. Taking a cue from the greats who inspired them, My Bloody Valentine, The Velvet Underground, plus stimulus from their peers: The Dandy Warhols, Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Darker My Love established themselves as a vital component in the psychrock scene.

Darker My Love’s much anticipated follow-up “2″ will be released on August 5, 2008 on Dangerbird Records. For more info about the band, visit: http://www.myspace.com/darkermylove

For info about Ocean Way, visit: http://www.oceanwayrecording.com

Engineer John Neff and Journey Purchase Two Vintage Mic Recreations

Pictured (L-R) at The Plant in Sausalito are Neal Schon, Arnel Pineda, Jonathan Cain, and Deen Castronovo. Photo by John Neff.

The phenomenally successful band Journey has recorded a Greatest Hits album plus an album of new material with engineer John Neff and producer Kevin “Caveman” Shirley. Sessions took place with new lead singer Arnel Pineda at Sausalito’s famed The Plant recording studio ‘B’ and employed the new Telefunken | USA U47 recreation of the legendary vintage tube large diaphragm condenser microphone.

“We were set to go with the studio’s classic U47, recalls John Neff. “It’s a microphone that has played a key role in hundreds of gold and platinum albums, but when we set up we heard a strange high end whistling. I suspected the tube might be going bad and went into a near panic.”

“I’ve known Telefunken | USA’s founder Toni Fishman since he started the company and called him straight-away,” continues Neff. “We had a hand-picked U47 the next morning. Everyone was amazed, because it sounded better than how we remembered the vintage mic. No two old Telefunkens sound the same, and some of the vintage ones just don’t cut it as well as they did years ago. When I heard this new one, I realized that is the way the mic should sound. The band noticed the difference too.”

Today’s Journey is comprised of guitarist Neal Schon, keyboardist Jonathan Cain, bassist Ross Valory, drummer Deen Castronovo and lead singer Arnel Pineda, who has been a star in Southeast Asia for nearly two decades. While planning the new chapter of Journey, co-founder Neal Schon happened to find Pineda performing on YouTube and immediately contacted him to join the band. Journey’s new double album will also include a DVD concert disc and has already received a hefty advance order.

Neff describes the present lineup as one of the tightest bands he has ever recorded. Journey was originally formed in 1973 by former members of Santana, and enjoyed worldwide fame with such songs as “Don’t Stop Believing” and “Wheel in the Sky.” Various lineups with core members have appeared over the years with the present day incarnation creating interest among longtime fans and newcomers alike.

“Arnel is a very natural tenor,” says Neff, “And he has an incredible range. He doesn’t have to force a thing. I tried other mics but there was no depth of body to the tone. With the new U47 you could hear a big chest tone and Arnel just sounded huge on that mic. There was a great presence and depth in the upper bass / lower midrange. And remember, Arnel has really been belting it out in clubs for years and this guy delivers a physical SPL you wouldn’t believe. He has an amazing volume to his singing and the mic could totally take it.”

Recording engineer John Neff is well known for his recent 8-year audio stint with David Lynch for his films, commercials, websites, and music releases. Neff also engineered acclaimed solo projects for Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. Additional credits include Willie Nelson, Buffy St. Marie, Ry Cooder, David Lindley, and many others. Neff currently operates a studio in San Rafael, where he recently mixed sound for the feature “Dark Reel,” to be released later this year.

At the conclusion of the Journey project, Neff purchased the Telefunken | USA U47M used on the album and the band purchased another for future projects.

For information about Telefunken | USA visit www.telefunkenusa.com
or call 860.882.5919

Engineer Clark Germain Joins Mastering Engineer Chris Bellman

Pictured at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood are (L-R) David Benoit, engineer/mixer Clark Germain, and mastering engineer Chris Bellman. Photo by David Goggin.

Multi-faceted recording artist/composer/and producer David Benoit has mastered his new album, “Heroes,” at Bernie Grundman Mastering. Clark Germain recorded the album at Paramount Studios with Benoit’s live band: David Hughes on bass, Jamey Tate on drums, Brad Dutz on percussion, and Andi Suzuki on sax. Germain mixed at his WonderWorld Studio and then joined mastering engineer Chris Bellman to finalize the project for Peak Records.

“Heroes” is Benoit’s personal tribute album and includes “Your Song,” “Mountain Dance,” “Light My Fire,” “Waltz For Debbie,” and “Human Nature.” Composers and artists represented are Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, The Doors, The Beatles, Dave Grusin, and Horace Silver. The album includes two new Benoit compositions, including a tribute to Dave Brubeck, “A Twisted Little Etude.”

Following his education at UCLA, Benoit began his career as a musical director and conductor for diva Lainie Kazan in 1976 before moving on to similar roles with singer/actresses Ann Margaret and Connie Stevens. In 2000, after the death of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, he released a memorial album entitled “Here’s To You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years.” Collaborators included the chorus group Take 6, guitarist Mark Antoine and trumpeter Chris Botti. He also provided the music for “Peanuts” in the later TV specials.

Benoit has arranged, conducted and performed music for many popular pop and jazz artists over the years, including Russ Freeman and the Rippingtons, Kenny Loggins, Patti Austin, Dave Koz, Kenny Rankin, Faith Hill, David Lanz, Cece Winans, David Pack, David Sanborn, and Brian McKnight.

To learn more about David Benoit, visit: http://www.benoit.com/
For info about Clark Germain, visit: http://www.wonderworldstudio.com
For info about Bernie Grundman Mastering, visit: http://www.berniegrundmanmastering.com

Jason Latshaw Mixes “Flamenco Blues Experience”

Pictured in Memphis at Ardent Studios are (L-R) Devon Allman, Javier Vargas, and mix engineer Jason Latshaw.

Spanish guitar sensation Javier Vargas has returned to Memphis‘ renowned Ardent Studios for his new album “Flamenco Blues Experience.” Jason Latshaw is mixing the new album, with Jason Gillespie assisting. Devon Allman, who contributed vocals to Vargas‘ 2005 album, “Love, Union, Peace,” returned to Memphis to record vocals for the new release.

In previous albums, Vargas has teamed up with artists such as Jack Bruce, Glenn Hughes, and Elliot Murphy. For years, the Vargas Blues Band has been entertaining audiences throughout Europe at such major venues as Switzerland‘s Montreaux Jazz Festival, Germany‘s Pop Korn Festival, The Great British R&B Festival, and the Antwerp R& B Festival, as well as extensive touring elsewhere throughout Europe and Latin America.

Carlos Santana, who has performed with Vargas in Spain and France, remarked on the Spaniard‘s unique talent to blend Rock, Soul, Flamenco and Latin influences: “Vargas is like a rainbow, he contains all the colors, he feels the same passion as I do when it comes to embracing the music of the world.”

To learn more about Javier Vargas, visit: http://www.myspace.com/vargasbluesband

For more info about Ardent Studios, visit: http://www.ardentstudios.com