march 2017
studioexpresso eZine
Since 2000 

Teresa James sings the song "DAMN THIS FEELING" for my album The Magic Of Life.
Music and lyrics: Alberto de la Rocha. Adaptation of Lyrics to English: Kathleen Hagen
    

It's Spring! Music is marching on in festivals locally and all around the world. We bring you magic of life from Spain and hear music of Art from New York. Good time for networking for indie artists and music industry alike who drop in Silver Lake and Hollywood to see what's on the menu. Meet a few new artists on the rise and mark your calendars...40 big bands coming to LA in May, and start practicing golf or poker because June is closer than you think!  
 

Thanks for our 2 4,000 + readers and community of studios, composers, arrangers who create music that lives and moves.  Congrats to all of you who have renewed and enjoying work, industry networking and more.. Renew today. Thank you!
  
In This Issue
Renew Today...for 2017!
Studio Spotlight: Magic of Life at East West
Composer Albert de la Rocha with Rafa Sardina
Andy Summers Releases Triboluminescence
My Art: Featuring Fischer Music
Go Gear-a-licious with Drawmer, ATCs....
The Hammond Corner with Dr Gayle Serdan
 
Renew Today!

Studio Spotlights
Producer Profiles
eZine since 2000 to 24,000+ subscribers
 

 
 
The Magic of Life at East West
Alberto de la Rocha, Composer
 

Alberto de la Rocha currently works between Madrid and Los Angeles, composing and producing music and creating soundtracks for cinema, television and video games. While getting his law degree at Madrid University, Alberto taught himself harmony, composition and musical production.  In 2011 he released his first album called Fantasy as producer and composer; recorded in Slovakia with the Symphonic Orchestra of Bratislava. More recently Mr De La Rocha brought his team to Warner Bros. Eastwood Scoring Stage Studios and East West Studios in Hollywood featuring singers Kelly Levesque on "Be the First One,"
Teresa James on " Damn This Feeling," and Nikki Leonti on " When You Held Me."  Session musicians include: Reggie Hamilton, Tim Pierce, James Harrah, Vinnie Colaiuta,  Luis Conte, Cheche Alara, to name a few. 
Rafa Sardina
helmed the recording sessions at East West and After Hour studio.



Meet Drawmer's New Baby: MPA-90

Ivor Drawmer and his handpicked team of engineers unveiled the new Drawmer MPA-90 two-channel class D power amplifier. Its small dual monoblock design, with tabletop or rack mountable footprint, houses guts capable of delivering 90W per channel (into 4 Ohms) or 180W bridged - all with no annoying fan. Like Drawmer's MC2.1 Monitor Controller, the new MPA-90 treats audio signals with integrity: its output is lusciously transparent, revealing the beauty (and the faults!) of whatever is run through it. Also, like all Drawmer's products, the MPA-90 is built in England to last a lifetime, priced fairly at $695.

"The new Drawmer MPA-90 is the perfect partner to small passive loudspeakers like the Auratone® 5Cs or other small passives" says Brad Lunde, founder and president of TransAudio Group, Drawmer's longtime US distributor.
"Many Class D amps out there are just raw Class D modules, but the MPA-90 has a Drawmer designed and built custom front end to improve its sound. The MPA-90 sounds excellent and with the bridging feature, provides a future upgrade path. The MPA-90 is really the perfect complement to the Drawmer MC1.1 or MC2.1 Preamplifiers in matching housing, but it works great with any preamp."
Switching the Drawmer MPA-90 from stereo to mono bridged is easily accomplished with the flick of a switch and use of the mono loudspeaker jack. Its inputs are either balanced XLR or unbalanced phono to cover the two universes of gear, pro versus semi-pro/consumer that may feed it. It features thermal, overload, and power-up/power-down protection and front-panel standby, fault, and clip indicator LEDs. Its rugged steel chassis and brushed aluminum cover speaks to the Drawmer MPA-90's design integrity and longevity.
The MPA-90 is now available for shipping.  PRICE: $695.00 MAP


BETTERMAKER C502V 500 SERIES At AES 2015
  
Trans Audio Group Introduces the Boutique Analog Compressor 
 
TransAudio Group, Bettermaker's U.S. distributor, introduced the path breaking Bettermaker C502V at the AES's 139th Convention earlier this year in New York City. Like the rest of Bettermaker's catalog - which in just a few short years has earned numerous TEC, Resolution, and Prosound award nominations and wins, the C502V combines a boutique analog signal path (newsworthy in its own right) with intuitive, musical controls and complete parameter recall and automation from a linked DAW-based plug-in - high-end analog sound paired with a superior digital workflow. The C502V is the first compressor from Bettermaker, although with three distinct VCA flavors in one 500-series chassis, it could just as easily be described as the first three compressors from Bettermaker! Stereo, dual mono, or M/S modes, as well as USB or analog side-chain with adjustable high-pass filtering and "look ahead" functionality expand the C502V's universe of possibilities.




 
Trans Audio Group 

   

Music of My Art 
A Collaboration With Director Laurie Simmons & Composer Clare Fischer
 
Music, like a classic film or a wise soul never really ages. Clare Fischer's first music for film collaboration was with Prince for Under the Cherry Moon 31 years ago. It marked the first of many recorded  between the two. Fischer credits appeared in both the film's closing titles and the album's liner notes: "With special thanks 2 Clare Fischer 4 Making Brighter the Colors Black and White. " 
Fast forward 2017, and a new collaboration has brought the Fischer name on the big screen. This time with internationally recognized artist: Laurie Simmons 
Her film My Art  features Lena Dunham, Parker Posey, Josh Safdie,
and the song "Morning" by Clare Fischer ( first heard on his 1965 LP, Manteca!).
The original recording conceived entirely in the Afro-Cuban idiom, which, along with the Brazilian music Fischer had explored at length over the previous three years, would provide fertile ground for his musical explorations over the next half-century. Dr Fischer's
orchestral arrangements had by this time become much in demand
by pop and R&B acts (Rufus, Chaka Khan, Paul McCartney).   My associate producer Danielle Bartholomew was searching for music for MY ART on youtube  when she stumbled on a cover of Morning by the Manhattan Jazz Trio.
"We both felt "Morning" captured the spirit  of the film particularly an awkward dance scene in a cafe... We brought it to the attention of our music supervisor Annie Pearlman and it turned out she is obsessed with  Clare Fischer's music.
She introduced us to almost the entire library and it became the temp music for
our film (including songs like Funquiado, Love's Walk, Carousel, Sone).    
We absolutely fell in love with Morning and found every cover of it we could...(three versions by Clare Fischer, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Poncho Sanchez) .
I would love to eventually make a film with a soundtrack that is entirely ClareFischer.
I've even made Morning the ringtone on my phone," says 
Simmons.
Electronic composer Will Epstein (known under the moniker High Water) has also contributed music to My Art. He studied electronic music at Brown University, the same alma mater as his frequent collaborator, the Chilean-American producer Nicolas Jaar with whom he has toured extensively.

As a highly respected photographer, feminist and author, Ms Simmons' work is included in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art, The Guggenheim and the Whitney Museum. In 2006 she wrote and directed The Music of Regret, starring Meryl Streep and the Alvin Ailey Dancers with cinematography by Ed Lachman. Simmons herself plays a once-prominent visual artist struggling to recapture her creative mojo in late middle age. 
Her new feature film, My Art was screened earlier this year at the Venice Film Festival, and will be featured at the Tribeca in NY on March 28.  In her 86-minute film she includes her take on some of her favorite classic films: She starts off by reproducing a Marlene Dietrich close-up from Josef Von Sternberg's Morocco. Then scenes from Some Like It Hot, The Misfits, Mr PeabodyThe Clockwork Orange and The Mermaid
In her work she illustrates conflict between surrogate and real figures as a dichotomy.   Her daughter is Lena Dunham who inspired a generation
of college graduates trying to figure out what to do with their lives with her film Tiny Furniture. Now it's mom's turn to inspire her baby-boomer generation, and to let boomers take a hard look at the culture they have created. After all, art reflects culture, or is it the other way around?! 
Watch trailer from Venice Film Fest here
"I hope this movie feels emotionally and ge nerationally important to women who feel they've been denied their creativity or sexuality or importance in any way because they're not 30 anymore," Ms Simmons says in another interview. 
 
Film Composer and producer Andrew Spence and friend with Jane Scobie at the GINGIO Connection 3.0 - Los Angeles. 03.07.2017. Photo by Vofka Solovéy
 
On March 7 The Gingio Conncection presented an exclusive networking event at the Hard Rock Cafe,  Hollywood, hosted and organized by Jane Scobie. Many film, music and art industry professionals attended.
TGC 3.0 lunch event was broadcast live globally via Skype and other social media.   This music, t.v./film and fashion industry monthly networking event
was attended by Grammy award winning producers and engineers.  Studio management, recording artists and record label personnel to included: Film composer and producer Andrew Spence (above), Grammy-winning Rafa Sardina and Candace Stewart from East West Studios.  Guests were served Complimentary appetizers and champagne.
 


New ATCs Unveil ed @ NAMM

  
ATC monitors were at NAMM earlier in January where TransAudio Group showcased the popular near- and mid-field ATC SCM25A and SCM45A monitors, as well the new passive ATC SCM12 monitor and the ATC P1 PRO stand-alone amplifier.  You can hear ATCs at some of the world's best studios: East West, the Village, and Blackbird Studios.
TransAudio Group's Subwoofer Pros Studio Subs complemented the ATC SCM25As. TransAudio Group introduces the newest  and smallest member of the ATC family: the SCM12 Pro. Using the very same "all in-house built" components as its larger siblings, the SCM12 Pro delivers ATC's famous super-detailed "ATC midrange", solid imaging, and ideal balance that have made ATC the gold standard for working professionals across all music genres and audio industries. In a twist, TransAudio Group will combine the SCM12 Pro with ATC's all new P1 Pro 150W/channel rackmount amplifier in a bundle that breaks previous price barriers for ATC. The SCM12/P1 Pro monitor/amp package will carry a bundle MAP price of US $4350. If purchased separately, the SCM12 Pro is $1,990/pair MAP, and the P1 Pro amp is $3,490 MAP.

Additionally TransAudio created a new "free-to-the-dealer" display option.  The four-sided display makes it easy to showcase recording studio accessories, such as Accusound cable, Sabra-Som shock mounts, and Pauly and Hakan pop filters. "This display makes it much easier for the dealer to present and sell higher performance accessories. WE will service the display making it easy for the dealer to add plus revenue," said Lunde.
 
For more information on  ATCs  
 
 contact  Brad Lunde at www.transaudiogroup.com  or call  702-365-5155.
 
Trans Audio Group at NAMM 2017, Anaheim unveiling the new Drawmer MC3.1 and the newest and smallest member of the ATC family: the SCM12 Pro, among other cool studio toys. 
 
Alex Jacobsen of Auratone  Auratone 5C Sound Cubes 
The TEC-nominated Auratone Super Sound Cube reference monitor is a legend in the recording, broadcasting, and motion picture industries for its unfailing ability to represent mixes as they will so often appear in the "real world" - on small-format, zero-crossover loudspeakers.     
 
For more information on Aurotones visit  www.transaudiogroup.com  or call  Brad Lunde at 702-365-5155.   
 

Bettermaker, the Poland-based maker of high-end analog equalizers with plug-in control and recall, earned two nominations: one for the Bettermaker EQ502P 500 series module and one for the
Bettermaker EQ232P MKII rack-mount.

 
Drawmer's 1978 Tone Shaping Compressor, which incorporates different analog character circuitry and variable saturation, and Tube-Tech HLT 2A, which pairs high and low shelving with an innovative "tilt" midrange filter, earned nominations as well. Finally, ATC earned a nomination for the ATC SCM45A, three-way compact near-field monitor with unparalleled midrange fidelity. The winners will be determined by online voting via Mix, Pro Sound News, Pro Audio Review, and Electronic Musician and via professional audio and sound production organizations. 


"All of these nominations go to inventor-owned companies, the kind of companies where innovation is king. We're proud to have these exciting new products recognized with TEC Award nominations," said Brad Lunde, founder and president of TransAudio Group. It's easy to imagine that there's nothing new under the sun in the world of pro audio, or that anything new is a gimmick, but that's simply not the case. The sound quality of Bettermaker's equalizers would have earned TEC nominations by itself, but the fact that their fully-analog circuitry can be recalled and automated via a plug-in interface has obvious advantages in a modern workflow. The Drawmer 1978 and the Tube-Tech HLT 2A prove that traditional compressor and equalizer topologies are not the only way to inspire fantastic mixes. Taking a different tack, ATC's SCM45A gives engineers a beefier three-way ATC nearfield with fidelity that ensures mixes will translate outside of the studio. Obviously, we encourage folks to cast their votes for these innovative tools!" adds Lunde.
  
For more information on  Auratones, Bettermaker EQ232P MKII , Drawmer's 1978 Tone Shaping Compressor, Tube-Tech HLT 2A  and   ATC SCM45A  For the latest info on Tube-Tech contact  Brad Lunde at www.transaudiogroup.com   or call  702-365-5155.


Trans Audio Group  
tag crew
l-r: Richard, Todd, Janis and Brad at Trans Audio Group    
 
 
For the latest info contact   
TransAudio Group, founded by industry  veteran Brad Lunde, has quickly become the premier US importer/distributor and/or US sales and marketing representative for high-end audio. Success hinges on TransAudio providing dealers and end users with a higher standard of product expertise and support far beyond the norm. TAG product line includes A-Designs (USA),  ATC Loudspeakers (UK),
Questions- pricing, availability and dealer locations please email sales@transaudiogroup.com
   


Live...One Night Only!
Fischer Big Band with Laura Dickinson!
 
Brent Fischer & The Clare Fischer Big Band; Laura Dickinson


May 25, 8-9pm
Los Angeles Jazz Institute Big Band Spectacular
LAX Westin Hotel
5400 W Century Blvd   Los Angeles, CA 90045
Festival information and ticket reservations here


studioexpresso is pleased to sponsor 
2017 Recording Industry Golf Tournament! (and Poker!)


Monday, June 5
at Robinson Ranch   

Honorary Chairs and Engineers Extraordinare, Ed Cherney and Al Schmitt
$1,000,000 Shootout, Good Food, and POKER!!

Organizer Karen Dunn says add the date to your calendar and RSVP here 
 
 
    
 
    
 
Rob Leins  
Unplugged


Rob Leins comes from Georgia. He is a good story teller with a charming Southern accent.
"I live in Las Angeleese, now," says Leins (pronounced Liness) to
 
studioexpresso. We heard his acoustic set at Los Globos earlier in March. 
Leins brings back a vibe that says Johnny Cash. He pens his songs and plays a mean guitar and harmonica. 
He calls his music "toe tapping" and most times it is. He often gets audiences clapping or toe tapping to his songs. He sings about "Mountainman," gives 
One More Drink
but all in all he's a good behind the "Bad Seed."  The dimples on his mug are here to "Shake It Down."


PowerMix with studioexpresso
is an industry night free to artists, managers, and other music professionals looking to make new connections. studioexpresso community is invited to join us for a night of food, drinks, good music, and good company.
 
The showcase takes palce every other month with the next one being in May at the iconic Los Globos 3040 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026. This is a great place to discover quality indie artists from around the world showcasing on two stages.  And best of all, it's free to attend!
 
 
   

Anna May 
Song Placement Baby

Nashville is budding with singer songwriters and this month Anna May has caught a few more ears. You may be familiar with her sound already.  AM placed the radio-ready It All Starts Now which was featured on promo spots for CBS's The Good Fight.  Since the release of her debut track Over My Heels, the alternative rocker has found a niche in the highly coveted world of song placements, landing spots in CBS's Survivor, ABC's Notorious, and the 2016 Summer Olympics.  Citing influences from Death Cab, Lissie, and Elle King, Anna Mae has crafted her own signature pop sound.  And she can be found in coffee shops journaling.  "I have random thoughts in my head that I like getting out and because I need to remind myself how important it is to make the little choices that provoke my happiness. For me, making the small choice to put on songs I can sing and dance to, helps life not be so heavy sometimes," says Anna May. Agreed.

American Idiot

Green Day Brings Revolution to Rose Bowl, Pasadena
Saturday September 16, 2017 / 7:00pm 
Goldstar

 
Green Day has won five Grammys, sold more than 75 million records worldwide, launched a Tony-nominated stage adaptation of American Idiot on Broadway and forever changed the landscape of pop music by infusing it with the thrilling thrash of punk. With your ticket to this high-octane concert, you'll receive a digital download of their 12th studio album, Revolution Radio, a collection of songs about the chaotic state of America in 2016. In 2010, Green Day was ranked no. 91 on the VH1 list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time." On April 18, 2015, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a part of the 2015 class, in the band's first year of eligibility. Catch Green Day at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, with Catfish and the Bottlemen opening the show. Get your Tix from Goldstar


Humor and good cover-sounding songs get attention every time. This year's Grulke Prize winner at SXSW for Developing US Act is The Lemon Twigs This Long Island duo's 4AD debut is earning raves, but it's their live performances that had everyone at SXSW talking. Brothers Brian and Michael D'Addario were born into a musical family and have been harmonizing since they were kids. Producer Jonathan Rado, who discovered the band, said, "As teenagers, they work like studio vets. Brian can play anything you hand him - he played all the strings and horns on the record - and Michael is the most captivating drummer I've ever seen," says Rado.  Their album debut Do Hollywood out now!


  SEASAC
Signs REM   
SESAC has signed a  performing rights deal in the United States to represent the entire catalog of R.E.M., the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alternative rock band credited with pioneering the genre.
The catalog includes the hit singles "Losing My Religion," "Everybody Hurts," "Its the End of the World as We Know It," "Shiny Happy People," "The One I Love," and more.  
  

Tell Congress to Support Music
Members of Congress are currently being asked by Big Radio to co-sponsor a resolution that is anti-music creators. The so-called "Local Radio Freedom Act" recently introduced in the Senate and the House of Representatives puts Congress on the record against a performance right for radio broadcasts. At a time when laws should be updated to support music and music creators, this resolution seeks to entrench an outdated loophole that for far too long has allowed corporate radio to profit without paying a single penny to performers.
Tell your Senators and Representative to oppose this resolution! Take action here
 
 RIP Tommy LiPuma 
  July 5, 1936 - March 13, 2017
 
Tommy LiPuma at the Montreux jazz festival, 2011. Photograph: Rex/Shutterstock
There are handful of respected career music executives like Grammy award-winning record producer Tommy LiPuma.  He nurtured a lifetime of artists, beautiful music and friendships.
LiPuma's productions have resulted in more than 75 million albums sold (with 35 of these certified gold or platinum), and five Grammy wins with artists: George Benson (Breezin') Natalie Cole, Miles Davis, eleven records with Diana Krall (yielding multiple Grammy nominations and over 15 million albums sold) , Sir Paul McCartney (Kisses On The Bottom) and Barbra Streisand, to name a few.
LiPuma also served in significant positions at almost every major record company-from being the first staff producer at A&M Records. He was head of Jazz and Progressive Music at Warner Bros. Senior Vice-President of A&R at Elektra, and President of GRP and Impulse, in the '90s. He was Chairman of Verve Music, and Chairman Emeritus from '04-'11.

LiPuma grew up in Cleveland and studied the saxophone as a high school student.  He moved to Los Angeles to be a radio promoter for Liberty Records, before transitioning to publishing and  production (Randy Newman and The O'Jays).  
  LiPuma continued producing records subsequently for his long time collaborator, Leon Russell, as well as for up and coming trumpeter Dominick Farinacci.  Fittingly, his final production was his collaboration with Diana Krall on her forthcoming album,Turn Up the Quiet, engineered by his long-time friend, Al Schmitt.  
During his Verve years LiPuma worked with Michael Bublé, Willie Nelson, McCartney and Streisand. In 2014 he was appointed creative consultant at  
 
Outside of music, LiPuma's passion was  20th Century American Modernism. Works from his collection, which features pieces from such artists as Marsden Hartley, John Marin, and Alfred Maurer, have been displayed at numerous museums and galleries around the United States. In 2012, the Board of Trustees
o f Cuyahoga Community College named the College's arts center the Tommy LiPuma Center for Creative Arts, in recognition of LiPuma's support of the Cuyahoga Community College Foundation, the College and the students served.

Lipuma is survived by his wife, Gill, daughters Jen Monti and Danielle Wiener, and grandchildren Matty, Julia, Chloe and Ava. 
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made in his name to the Tommy LiPuma Endowment Fund at Cuyahoga Community College or to City Meals on Wheels.  
Plans for a public memorial service will be announced shortly. 
Sending our deepest respects, love and sympathy to Mr LiPuma's family and extended family/friends, including his dear friend, Al Schmitt.
 
 
A life well-lived is a legacy of joy and pride and pleasure
A living, lasting memory, our grateful hearts will treasure.


 
RIP Chuck Berry 
October 18, 1926 - March 18, 2017

Founding father of rock and roll, Chuck Berry was one of the greatest. A master songwriter, you could say his name and hear the sound of his electric guitar riffs in Lady B Good, Big Boys and numerous hits he penned and delighted audiences worldwide as an entertainer.  The journalist Chuck Klosterman has argued that in 300 years Berry will still be remembered as the rock musician who most closely captured the essence of rock and roll.


Make time to plant seeds of music and enjoy Spring!
Until next month, take care of your health and taxes too.  And always listen to the song inside. Peace!
      
Music lives and moves!
Claris Sayadian-Dodge, Founder I Editor studioexpresso

Visit exotic studio destinations at  studioexpresso home page
Help fans find you easily and contact us to update your profile  with your social networking links (sample: Kenny Aronoff).
Simply send an email to c laris@studioexpresso.com or
call 818.990.3031 and tell us your artist story and say "I want to RENEW!"

Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter
 
   










The multi-award winner composer Alberto de la Rocha brings his cinematic vision of Music in many styles: Action, Pop, Jazz, Romantic, and symphonic orchestra and pop with some of the best musicians in Hollywood  
Hear the tracks here at CdBaby
watch the making of Magic Of Life here








TELEFUNKEN   DIAMOND SERIES
 MICROPHONES From Trans Audio Group

Say hello to TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik's flagship Diamond Series -- the ELAM 251E, U47, and C12 large-diaphragm as well as the ELAM 260 small-diaphragm condensers -- now available through Trans Audio Group.  "For the fraction of the price of a vintage unit (assuming one could even find a vintage unit for sale!), TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik has come closer to recreating the original 1950's era microphones than any other manufacturer to date," says Brad Lunde. And this is good news for studios who can have interchangeable parts and sonics of the very best vintage models. "Offering faithful recreations of these highly-valued originals has been Telefunken's goal from the beginning," adds Lunde. 


Spotlight: Matt Wong

Young Jazz Composer Award Winner

Matt Wong, age 18 of New York, NY (San Francisco, CA) is one of the recipients of the 2017 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards. The program was established in 2002 to encourage young gifted jazz composers. It carries the name of the great trumpeter and ASCAP member Herb Alpert in recognition of the Herb Alpert Foundation'smulti-year financial commitment to support this program. The recipients, who receive cash awards, range in age from 15 to 30, and are selected through a juried national competition.
The Newport Festival Foundation will feature one of the recipients of the Herb Alpert Awards during the 2017 Newport Jazz Festival in August. Additional funding for this program is provided by The ASCAP Foundation Bart Howard Fund. 
Wong was in Los Angeles earlier this month for an apprenticeship program with Grammy-winning composer, arranger and producer Brent Fischer.  Congratulations Matt!


¡Intenso!  
Clare Fischer Latin Jazz Big Band Directed By Brent Fischer    
Clavo Records
Available at ClareFischer.com, CD Baby, iTune and Amazon
 
 
Triboluminescence
Andy Summers
Flickering Shadow Productions
March 24 Release



GRAMMY Foundation VP Scott Goldman hosted a conversation with multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning songwriter, composer, and noted photographer Andy Summers (legendary guitarist from The Police) at the GRAMMY Museum® in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 23rd. studioexpresso was there to hear about Summers' new album, Triboluminescence, released by Flickering Shadow Productions on March 24.
Getty Image

Summers performed selections from the new album including a live, improvised solo guitar "soundtrack" that accompanied his
never-before-seen, original photography.  His guitar tones came across rich and effortless blending with his photography, all in black and white, serving as poetic background to his live performance. They told the story of Summers' travels into Asia and Middle East. They showed his keen interest in culture and humanity - portraits of children, old men, beautiful women, animals, landscapes, musical instruments all dancing with his music, like Summers' meditations on life.

Triboluminescence is actually a scientific word that means creating light from dark.
"I believe it is a great metaphor for any creative act," says Summers, who  spoke of his early love for ethnic music. He argued that he never liked the term "world music."
Like his photographs, the sound on Triboluminescence offers exotic elements ranging from muscular '60s jazz ("Shadyland") to haunting loops ("Elephant Bird" and "Haunted Dolls"), from pounding rhythm ("Gigantopithecus") to wild experimentalism ("Pukul Buny Bunye,")
Triboluminescence is Summers' 14th solo album, and is a collection of nine new tracks reflecting the style that he has evocatively dubbed "New Exotic." It reflects Summers' penchant for endless layers, rich tone, sound loops, and his love of jazz (he lists Mingus and Davis as major influences). The tracks showcase his abilities not only as a guitarist, but as a drummer and percussionist as well.
He credited his engineer for his work on


Summers, who was recently presented with the Roland and BOSS Lifetime Achievement award, reflected on the gear he used to record his new album and some that will shape his sound during his upcoming performance, noting, "Most of the drum tracks [on the new album] are on the Roland TD-20 drum kit. The beauty of it is that you can try different snare drums, different kits, you can move around, you can sort of mix it up." For the guitar sounds, he shared, "On 'Elephant Bird,' we used the distortion in the Roland VG-99. It's just a superb lead guitar sound, and I've used it for quite a while now. We just never seem to be able to beat it; it's a very nice, slight overdrive sustain; it's got elegance to it. The first track, 'If Anything,' for instance, has got this soaring guitar like a soprano singer. Whenever I want to play that kind of liquid lead style, that's the sound I almost always go for." A longtime BOSS pedal user, he says, "I used a classic one from the '80s called VB-2 [Vibrato], a CS-1 Compressor Sustainer, and I have the new Waza Craft CE-2W Chorus."

When asked what advise would Summers give to his young self? "Get a good manager," he says.
The album is released about the same time as a home-video release of Summers' documentary   Can't Stand Losing You: Surviving The Police.

 

The event was Presented by Roland and BOSS   (also live streamed at
www.facebook.com/BOSS).


studioexpresso producers featured at
NAMM 2017

 
  
 
NEW!
studioexpresso

 
 

"Imagination is more important than knowledge" --Albert Einstein
    




Renew Today!
   visit our YouTube Chl
YouTube/TheStudioexpresso
 
 

Trans Audio Group booth at Summer NAMM
A Designs HAMMER 2, an easy-to-use amplifier for both main mixing and tracking.
Bettermaker's Award-Winning 502V 500 Series boutique analog compressor
Daking's Famous Line of Compressors and Mic Pre's
Drawm er's MC1.1

Monitor Preamp and the new 1978 Stereo FET Compressor.
And the Auratone Reference Monitors ever present at every studio!    

 

 

      
HAMMOND CORNER at
250 W Duarte Rd. Suite B Monrovia, CA 91016
 
The Sound . The S oul . The One 

 
Hammond Artist Spotlight
Dr Gayle Serdan
 
  Meet more  Hammond artists
  

  For Hammond and Leslie products in Southern California contact
CKC
800.717.KEYS

Come check out this powerhouse package, suitable for studio, stage or worship center.   Call Nelson at 909-599-7899 to schedule a      XK-3 audition
 Click here   
 

 SK1-73 or SK-2  (artist pricing) available at  
Church Keyboard Center 
 
Tavis Smiley interview with 'The Ambassador of Soul" and Hammond artist Ellis Hall for PBS  Mr Hall performed two songs and spoke about the depth of his musical career
Watch it here

   



Change
Ella Mai 
DJ Mustard-Produced Trilogy
Interscope Records
 

U.K. native Ella Mai, an R&B singer and songwriter with a casually commanding voice, wasn't exactly an unknown artist before DJ Mustard signed her to his 10 Summers label.
Originally raised in southwest London, Mai moved to New York at the age of 12, then returned to England after she graduated from high school. In 2014, during her second stint in the U.K., she competed on The X Factor as part of a trio, Arize, that didn't advance beyond the initial audition for the judges. The group broke up shortly thereafter. The following year, Ella Mai uploaded a four-track solo EP of originals to SoundCloud, but it was through her short clips of covers on Instagram that DJ Mustard found her. In January 2016, the producer announced that he had signed her, and the following month, she released Time, a poised EP of sleek, contemporary R&B. Featuring the Ty Dolla $ign collaboration "She Don't," the six-track release introduced an artist who could sing of fierce loyalty and ruthless spite in an incisive manner. Mai quickly followed up with two more EPs beginning with Change, followed in early 2017 by Ready, which completed the DJ Mustard-produced trilogy. She comes to California late April 24, Santa Cruz, April 25 Sacramento and more June dates in San Francisco.  Listen to 10,000 hours from Change here 
  
    


Republic (UMG) artist Lorde   served as Saturday Night Live's musical guest following up her two new releases, " Green Light" and watch her perform "Liability,"

     


Nominations Now Open 
Fifth Annual Music Educator Award ™ Presented by the Recording Academy ®


Winner And Nine Finalists To Receive Cash Honorariums, With Generous Support And Resources Provided By Converse, Disney Performing Arts, Ford Motor Company Fund, And Journeys.  to nominate a teacher, visit GRAMMYMusicTeacher.com. The deadline to nominate a teacher is March 15, 2017, while the deadline for applications is March 31, 2017. The award is open to current U.S. music teachers, and anyone can nominate a teacher - students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans, and administrators. Teachers are also able to nominate themselves. Nominated teachers will be notified and invited to fill out an application.     


Cause I'm The Taxman 
Tax Forms When You're Your Own Boss


Paying taxes may or may not be smart but as Benjamin Franklin once said:
"In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." 
You're a musician who teaches students privately, plays gigs, or does studio work, you're probably a sole proprietor. That means that you'll have to file Form 1040 plus Schedule C or Schedule C-EZ to declare profit or loss from your business.
In addition, you'll need to file Schedule SE to pay taxes for social security and Medicare (since you don't have an employer withholding these taxes from your paychecks).
Although it may be tempting to avoid paying these taxes now, remember that your distributions later in life will be based on how much you paid into the system during your working life. 
If you're part of a band that plays gigs together and splits expenses and earnings, then you're most likely in a partnership. This is where things can get tricky, because you'll need to file tax forms as a group and individually.
First of all, you'll need an identifying number known as an EIN to fill out your partnership tax forms. The EIN functions just like a social security number, but for your band as a whole. Fortunately, requesting an EIN is quick and easy.
After you have an EIN, you'll need to file Form 1065 as a group. If you have employees besides the partner band members (i.e. if you hired a full-time bookkeeper to keep this all straight!), you would also need to file employer taxes.
In addition to the group tax filing, each band member needs to file his or her own Form 1040 accompanied by Schedule E (to list individual profit/loss from the partnership) and Schedule SE.  
Form 1040-ES is for paying estimated taxes. It's the same idea as having state and federal taxes withheld from an employee paycheck, but since you're self-employed, you withhold the taxes from yourself. Rather than making you pay for everything in April, the IRS wants you to send them a check every three months to spread out your tax burden, making it easier for you to find the money to pay Uncle Sam.
Learn more about small business at IRS here











"True health care is a combination of stress management, good sleep and exercise, learning to be emotionally and socially intelligent, and harnessing the powers of intuition and creativity. Those components are missing from our national conversation on health."
--Deepak Chopra







2870 Rowena Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90039
 

Sign Up  

 

4 monthly eZines here!
 
studioexpresso offers some of the world's trusted names in music
Over 100 platinum producers  with wealth of experience and resources + studios
Thank you for choosing us as your artist development partner. 

 

Easy to Join studioexpresso professional community  
How to become a member or for press inquiries, write to  claris@studioexpresso.com