In my last post, I introduced my current recording project with Tiana Gregg, and how powerful her music is with just her voice and guitar. For contrast (but not much, really) I wanted to post an example where I did add a little bit of production.

One of the songs in which Tiana imagined some added parts is "Summer Dress." I had improvised a fiddle part to it one night at the Green Frog open mike that had stuck in our minds, and so it made sense to see what I could do with my vague memories of it. I also put in a piano part, and some secret sauce.

Listen to Tiana Gregg's "Summer Dress"

The trick for me here is to bring in a fiddler, pianist, and secret saucemeister for intensity but not diminish the clarity and beauty of the song, her voice and guitar. This isn't really a final mix, but you get the idea.

Tiana and I have been talking about the weirdness of pursuing our music dreams 'way out here in rural America, with the music industry going down in flames around us, so many voices in the media rendering our little efforts inconsequential. Some of our best efforts fading into a shadow world beyond obscurity, through peculiar fortune, daily life, and the occasional music business weasel. Sometimes you want to throw up your hands, but I think you have to honor whatever gift you have by giving it your best effort. Keep putting it in the world. Somebody may hear what we do. But that can't actually play too much of a role in whether we do this stuff or not.