I've started working on my seventh solo album! Over the last year or so, I wrote 25-30 tunes intended for this new record -- some complete pieces, some just sketches -- and I've picked out what I feel are the best 14 tunes for the album. Probably 10-12 of those tracks will make it on the final record -- or at least that's the sort of thing that's happened in the past. There always seems to be a couple tracks that either don't turn out the way I'd like or they simply don't "fit" with the other …

Yes, it’s my one year mandoversary -- I’ve been playing the mandolin for one year! Well, to be completely accurate it’s been slightly longer than one year, but I didn’t have the time to write this post until today. A little over a year ago Sonya, my wife, suggested I get a mandolin. She thought it would be a great “challenge” for me. She was right. To be honest, I wasn’t all that keen on taking up the mandolin. I already had a lot on my plate with guitar, …

Nice overview of the current state of the digital music universe.

I never know what to think when I read something like this NPR piece. Did it really cost Rihanna's label $1,078,000 to produce "Man Down"? Really??  Were there really forty writers working on her record?? But even if you take half (or a quarter) of the amount of money spent, it's still a pretty big number for me to get my head around...

Sixteen Different Minds is having a Toronto CD release party for Dancing Castles this Sunday (June 26, 2011 - 8 PM) at the Blue Moon.  We have the fantastic Henry Heillig (bassist and co-founder of Manteca) on this date.  We also have some pretty darn cool t-shirts (and fridge magnets) for sale.  If you're in the Toronto area, please come on out and say hi!

Thanks and bye for now,
Jamie

Here's what I'm listening to on the guitar (& more) front this week... 1. My Song - One Quiet Night - Pat Metheny 2. Manha De Carnaval - The Guitar Trio - Paco De Lucia, Al Di Meola & John McLaughlin 3. A Day In the Life (Live) - Performing This Week - Live At Ronnie Scott's - Jeff Beck 4. Bach: Prelude No.3 - Jazziz - Guitars Volume 2 - Dominic Miller featuring Chris Botti 5. MWD - Here - Ken Sager 6. A Cool New Way - Super Colossal - Joe Satriani 7. Vincent - Fingerstyle Guitar - Chet Atkins 8. …

This blast from the past is from the "Discoveries" column in Keyboard Magazine (November, 1988). Wonder why I looked so glum...

A long, long time ago... Just cleaning up my studio and came across a couple of magazines I was in YEARS and YEARS ago. This first one is from the Auditions column in the August 1988 Downbeat. Hard to believe I ever looked that young...