new music- Lydia
02.04.2021
Don Bird and I met in the early 70s, late 60s? Who knows. A hard rock band I was in call Joy was being reconfigured by “management” into a horn band. He played trumpet in those years, and was probably the more disciplined and musically proficient player in the band. Like most bands we evaporated, but remained connected for some years. We worked together again in the later 70s, in Ears, a progressive band Don started, working on a concept album and in the studio. He had switched primarily to keys, writing and arranging, and decided to incorporate guitar. Eventually I left to help build and travel with a concert sound system, another fiasco of youth. We had little contact over the decades after that, but reconnected when Kenny Landis, our mutual friend from those years, passed away. We got together and played one day at his place, he had concentrated more on bass over the years but still had his keyboard chops and equipment, a studio, and is heavily involved in his own projects.
Last year I wanted to try and make little musical vignettes for instagram, they have a one minute time limit. Maybe try chords and scales that would take me out of my comfort zone and result in something new. Minute Noodles is the first one I came up with, and was actually quite difficult to get down to a minute-
I liked it enough to want to take it farther, and I still may, but am mired in too many halting projects already. So I sent it to Don and asked- “do you know what comes next?’, with no directives whatsoever. He came back with this arrangement and style shift. I came back again with filled out guitars, and an additional style shift. Don brought in Andrew Cloutier as drummer, we went back and forth a while adjusting performances etc.. Don handed it off to Chas Rowden to mix and master.
And here we are,
a long way from our days together in Joy.. so fun to hear you both and love the collaboration.. Rock on!!
yeah far from the nefarious “band house” daze. Thanks Greg