My thanks to Danny Hullihen at Jagwire and Steve Lobmeier at D'Addario for their help and support.

 

2005 has been a good year for fine music.  Here are a few new discs that I had the pleasure to work on.  

 

"Jacksonville City Nights".  Ryan Adams and the Cardinals on Lost Highway records.

In stores on September 27th.

 

  

     Amy Rigby's latest CD "Little Fugitive" on Signature Sounds.  Co-produced by Jon Graboff and Amy Rigby.  Recorded this past winter at Brooklyn Recording in New York featuring a fantastic line-up of great songs and some of the city's best musicians;  Dennis Diken (The Smithereens), John Conte (Peter Wolf, Cheryl Wheeler), and Joe McGinty (Ronnie Spector, Loser's Lounge) and mixed by Don Dixon.  Miles of Music calls Little Fugitive "A flawless record…"!

 

  

    "Humming By The Flowered Vine" is Laura Cantrell's debut CD for Matador records.  Laura offers up more great songs, rendered in her usual straightforward style.  Those familiar with Laura's two previous releases already know of her charming qualities as a singer and songwriter.  For those who haven't heard her yet, Elvis Costello said, "If Kitty Wells made 'Rubber Soul' it would sound like Laura Cantrell".

 

  

    Here's a real gem of a record!  "Goodbye Cheater" is Michael Shelley's latest disc on the Confidential Recordings label.  Recorded by Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Lemonheads) and performed with the help of Jon Graboff (Ryan Adams, Laura Cantrell), Dan Miller (They Might Be Giants), Steve Goulding (The Mekons, Graham Parker, Elvis Costello), Drew Glakin (The Silos), Jay Sherman-Godfrey (The World Famous Bluejays, Laura Cantrell), Jim Campilongo, John Lee, Dave Amels and Laura Cantrell.

 

  

    Jon Spencer (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion) and Matt Verta-Ray (Speedball Baby) have joined forces to serve up "Heavy Trash"  A Skip James meets Elvis meets Hank Williams romp through Americana.

 

Coming out soon, Amy Allison's "Everything and Nothing Too".  Produced by David Scott of the Pearl Fishers in East Kilbride, Scotland with the able assistance of Jim Gash on drums.

 

 

Everybody's favorite lower east side band!  The Dark Horses have released a self titled follow-up to "Come Along", their first CD.  Sam Park, John "Doggie" Hughes and Phil Cohen are joined by guests Jon Graboff on pedal steel and Erik Kristianson on acoustic guitar.

  

And then there are the perennials!

  

    Here is some news! A first rate stocking stuffer of instrumental music from the good people at Confidential Recordings and yours truly. The disc features some old chestnuts and a few tunes of a more obscure nature. I even wrote one myself!
    I assembled a top notch group of musicians to help me ring in the holidays.  There's Dennis Diken of the Smithereens and Andrew Carillo of Joan Osborn's band.  We have Jeremy Chatsky from Ronnie Spector's band and other trusted pals laying it down under the direction of ...well ...me!

    Order this completely enjoyable Yuketide offering directly from the folks at Confidential Recordings and benifit from instant holiday cheer!

www.confidentialrecordings.com

   "The record's 11 songs suggest what might happen if the creators of Muzak insisted on musicians with a delicious sense of irony, instrumental virtuosity and an airtight command of the pop-rock idiom and its roots."

Eric Bartels, Portland Tribune

 

     

    While your pondering your x-mas options, you might consider the ultimate 1-2 punch availible through Confidential recordings.  "Christmas In Memphis" is a CD of instrumental holiday music by Dennis Diken and the effervescent Dave Amels otherwise known as the Huskey Team.  Famous memphis-style grooves are morphed into merry accompaniment for many of your favorite holiday classics!
    Whet your appitite by checking out some mp3 samples on the Confidential Recordings web site!