PRODUCER/MIXER/BASSIST

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: I think it's that I only work on a specific genre of music. like people think I only work on jazz records. Not at all true of course. I just try to stay true to each genre in which I work. This often leads people to assume that I only work in that genre. I often get people saying, "Oh i had no idea you played [insert genre here]."

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I've been in the music business for over 25 years. I learned piano and guitar as a kid and switched to upright bass when i was 20. I began gigging pretty fast in the Bay Area. As i started playing on more records and playing in bands i got more interested in the recording side. by the time i moved to NYC in 2000, I was engineering and producing music with my band Mudville. Making their two records was my recording and mixing school. for the next few years i would get asked to mix one or two records. then in 2009 i was hired by SmallsLive to be their in-house producer/engineer and from there the work really picked up. All the while I'd been playing upright bass with Dred Scott Trio. We played a steady popular late-night gig at the Rockwood Music Hall for years. We also played at the Newport Jazz Festival in 2008. From there, I began to focus on producing and mixing other artists and that's what I've been doing for the past 10 years or so.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a hybrid studio setup which included Pro Tools HD 2019.10 with apogee, lynx and benchmark converters. i mix through a NEVE 8816, and use my choice outboard gear (incl Nightpro EQ-3D (maag,) Scamp/Vocal Stressor EQs and Comps, Eventide Harmonizer H3000, 2 DBX 160xs, a Distressor and a lot more. I also have a lot of cool obscure preamps and mics which give House of Cha Cha a unique sound. I have several guitars, keyboards and amps that I use for composing and tracking as well.

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: I'm pretty proud of working on Emilio Solla's 2014 record "Second Half" which was nominated for a Grammy in the Latin Jazz category. I was the co-producer (I ran the two days of intense recordings of the 9 piece band playing 12 minute through-composed music) and I also did all the editing to put the final takes together. It is a fantastic record and really earned its nomination.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: what I do really runs the gamut, from full on record producing, to tracking, to mixing, to playing bass (or several other instruments) on other people's records. it's rare actually that i do only one of those things on a project. I also do mix consultations and give mixing lessons and pro tools lessons.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: yes, Jordan Perlson. a Most Excellent drummer.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm pretty proud of the project I'm currently working on (Aug 2016). I'm producing a record for a jazz band called Walking Distance. It's called "Free Bird" and all the music is derived from Charlie Parker. But each song inhabits its own world and sounds completely different. we're utilizing all the recording techniques that have been developed in the past 60 years (since the pan pot). You know, delays, reverse effects, distortion, etc. and the kicker is that acclaimed pianist Jason Moran is playing on several tracks.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I like a little of both. Analog has its obvious charms and useful limitations, but there's so much that can be done with digital and frankly, it's getting harder and harder to tell the difference.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: my St Blues Blues King electric bass, Neumann U67, Neve 1073 preamp, Eventide Harmonizer H3000, Distressor

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: be aware of the room you are recording it. it has a lot more to do with the sound than you realize.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: What I bring to a song is a clear sense of storytelling and drama. I understand what the functions of different parts of an arrangement are and what needs to be done to bring a song to life, whether I'm producing, mixing or playing bass.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: i don't have one. each job is tailor-made for the client.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: wow ok, duke ellington, pj harvey, tchad blake, lee scratch perry, the beatles, led zeppelin, hank williams, a tribe called quest, kendrick lamarr, igor stravinsky, gustav mahler, the police, charlie parker, art tatum, ahmad jamal, p-funk, al schmitt, rick rubin, greg cohen, tom waits, ornette coleman, agent orange, massive attack