NEWS:
"Just because the microphone
in front of you amplifies your voice around the world is no reason to
think we have any more wisdom than we had when our voices could reach
only from one end of the bar to the other."
- Edward R. Murrow
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In The Studio:
Chris has recently joined Washington, DC-area rock band The Public Good as their drummer. The band features guitarist/vocalist John Elderkin, bassist/vocalist Steve Ruppenthal, and multi-instrumentalist Sam Esquith. Elderkin and Ruppenthal have provided some of the East Coast's best pop-rock for two decades, dating back to Chapel Hill band The Popes in the late eighties and early nineties. The duo were also the driving force behind NC's Stumble and Atlanta's The Lovely Lads. It's very exciting for Chris to be a part of this ensemble, as he's been a rabid fan since 1989. The group recently convened at Old House Studio in Gastonia, NC to begin recording new material for an upcoming release.
Charlotte area fusion band Actual Proof recently completed work on a new album with Chris at Old House Studio in Gastonia. The four-piece band recorded a selection of ten new original songs featuring mallet percussionist Eric Mullis, guitarist Clint Presley, bassist Philip Berkley, and drummer Scott Brower. The album was mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering in Charlotte and will be available in July of 2009.
Chris recently recorded new demo material for flautist Emily Higgins and harpist Kirsten Carrell. Higgins has recorded with Chris several times before, but this time, the Higgins and Carrell performed several pieces from standard repertoire for the recording at Old House Studio in Gastonia, NC.
Singer/songwriter Bruce Hazel is working on a new album with Chris at Old House Studio. The project features new original music from Hazel performed with drummer David "D.K." Kim, keyboardist Justin Faircloth, guitarist Chad Edwards, bassist and guitarist Shawn Lynch, bassist Mark Lynch, vocalist Karla Marsh, saxophonist Brent Bagwell, and trombonist Molly Brown. Mark Lynch is producing the project. This project marks a unique reunion for Garges, Hazel and Faircloth, who played some of their earliest gigs together in Charlotte area rock band Relayer in the late eighties.
North Carolina songwriting hero David Childers has recently completed a long-awaited new album with Chris at Old House Studio in Gastonia, NC. The album includes both solo and collaborative compositions from Childers and Avett Brothers bassist Bob Crawford, and features Robert Childers on drums, Randy Saxon on guitar, and Scott Dailey on keyboards.
Charlotte-area songwriting icon Todd Busch is currently working on a recording of new material by his band Pink Ponies with Chris. The project, which features some of Busch's more country and Americana-oriented writing, is being recorded by Chris Old House Studio in Gastonia and GAT3 in Charlotte. The group features Busch on guitar, piano, and vocals, Peter Gray on guitar, Shawn Lynch on bass, and David "D.K." Kim on drums.
Singer/songwriter Bill Noonan recently completed a new album with Chris at Old House Studio. Chris engineered the project for Noonan and producer Mark Lynch. The project features drummers Ray Mitchell, David "D.K" Kim, Chris Garges, keyboardist Jason Atkins, banjo-player Randy Saxon, pedal steel guitar player Bob Barone, bassist Tom Kuhn, saxophonist John Alexander, trumpet player Jon Thornton, and vocalists Beth Chorneau and David Childers. The album was mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering in Charlotte for a July 2009 release.
Chris is currently working on a new album for Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Benji Hughes at Old House Studio. Produced by Mark Lynch, the project features many of the best of Charlotte's original music community including David "D.K." Kim on drums, Justin Faircloth on keyboards and bass, Matt Faircloth on guitars, Randolph Lewis on guitars and vocals, Jon Phillips and keyboards and vocals, and Brent Dunn on bass. The album is being mixed by both Chris at Old House and Brian Paulson (Beck, Son Volt, Slint) at his home studio in Carrboro, NC. Congratulations to Benji as well on the release of his debut album on New West Records, A Love Extreme.
Chris has also recently worked on projects that include live recordings for Brass Festival 2009 and studio recordings for progressive guitarist/composer Jordan Klemons, Greensboro-area rock band Thacker Dairy Road, Charlotte-based singer/songwriter Eric-Scott Guthrie, bass player Phil Hodge, Charlotte-area metal band Quart-A-Shine, jazz vocalist Phyllis Van Hoy, singer/songwriter Timothy Scott, Nashville singer/songwriter Megan Peeler, and New Jersey-based Columbia recording artist Nicole Atkins.
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On Record:
Congratulations to Charlotte songwriting icon Todd Busch on the release of the new self-titled album from his large ensemble, Buschovski. Recorded by Chris Walldorf at his personal studio, the twelve-song album was mixed by Chris Garges at Old House Studio in Gastonia and mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering.
Congratulations to singer/songwriter Royce Robinson, who recently released an album of children's songs sponsored by a Regional Artist Project Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council. The album, entitled Big Kids, Big Plans, features Robinson and his six-piece accompanying ensemble (called Royce Robinson With Katie And Her Crazy Uncles) performing ten songs live at Old House Studio with Chris engineering. The recording features Robinson on guitar and vocals, Bill Moore on banjo, fiddle, electric guitar, and vocals, Bob Bigger on guitar and harmonica, Katie Lawton on fiddle, Bram Sargent on bass, Ken Todd on percussion, and Lander Robinson on guitar. The album was mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering in Charlotte.
Congratulations to northern Virginia-based guitarist/songwriter Josh Burgess on the release of his new CD, Living And Dying Under Orion. The ten-song album features all original music performed by Burgess, along with bassists Matthew Everhart and Mike Echols, drummers Sean Bradley and Andy Hamburger, guitarist Gary Smallwood, and keyboardist Jason Atkins. The album was recorded by Chris at Old House Studio in Gastonia, NC, and by Rich Issac at Cue Studios in Falls Church, VA. and was mixed by Chris at Old House and mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering in Boston, MA.
Congratulations to Wisconsin-based singer-songwriter David Tomaloff on the release of his new solo album, Birds On Wires. Garges and Tomaloff collaborated on the project by sending audio files back and forth between Wisconsin and North Carolina for several months before the two completed mixing the album in six days at Old House Studio in Gastonia, NC. David has some great photos of the sessions on his website.
Congratulations to progressive rock band Gongzilla on the release of their new album, Five Even. The four piece band, born out of legendary fusion group Gong, features guitarist Bon Lozaga, bassist/vocalist Hansford Rowe, guitarist Jameison Ledonio, and drummer/percussionist Phil Kester. Chris traveled to Roxobel, NC to record eight new songs on the group's mobile recording setup for LoLo Records. The album was mixed by Pete Donnelly at Westmont Station in Philadelphia, PA, mastered by Chris Muth, and features guests such as bassist Kai Eckhardt (John McLaughlin, Garage Mahal), guitarist Chuck Garvey (Moe), guitarist Jake Cinniger (Umphrey's McGee), guitarist Dave Fiuczynski (Screaming Headless Torsos), mandolin player Todd Barneson, drummer Mitch Hull, and vocalist Lian Amber.
Congratulaions to Americana/punk band The Trouble Walkers on the release of their new album, Free Cowboy Hat, recorded by Chris at Old House Studio in Gastonia, NC. The four-piece band, formerly known as Hot Rod Grease Lighting, features drummer Robert Childers, guitarists Gabe Hinceman and Daylon Brumfield, and bassist Mark Lynch, and the recording features Chris on tambourine, Karla Marsh on background vocals, and Randy Saxon on guitar, mandolin, and banjo. Free Cowboy Hat was selected as one of the Top Ten Local Releases of 2008 in Creative Loafing magazine.
Congratulations to Florida-based jazz guitarist/vocalist Karl Louis Weismantel on the relase of his new album, In Hand. Karl recorded 12 songs himself and sent the collection of jazz standards and originals to Chris to mix at Old House Studio in Gastonia, NC. The album includes several vocal tunes, as well as fine electric and acoustic guitar playing and features drummers Peter Miles and Von Barlow and bassists Jason Davis and Paul Creel.
Congratulations to guitarist Scott Sawyer on the release of his new album, Go There on Doll Records. Go There features Scott, along with drummer Kenny Soule (DAG, Nantucket), keyboardist/flautist Kofi Burbridge (Derek Trucks Band, Aquarium Rescue Unit), and bassists Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers, Aquarium Resuce Unit) and Ron Brendle. The group recorded 11 songs for the upcoming album at Old House Studio in Gastonia and was engineered and co-produced by Chris.
Chris also recorded and mixed the latest album by NC blues/rock band Contagious Blues Band, Ride, engineered the latest album by singer/songwriter Mike Strauss, After All (produced by Randolph Lewis), mixed the newest release by singer-songwriter Sunshone Still, Ten Cent American Novels (produced by Smith, recorded by David Sleigh), produced and engineered and new single for rock band, A Town Called Robot (issued on a CD accompanying the release of the new Tape Op Book, Vol.II), played drums on the latest albums by blues-rock/funk band Junque Gallery (produced and engineered by Mark Williams)and Americana artists Wink Keziah and Delux Motel, Working Songs For The Drinking Class (co-produced by Wink and Mark Stuart, engineered by Mark Williams), engineered and played drums on the latest album by jazz trumpet player/vocalist Bill Averbach, Carolina Moonshine, and recorded the latest release by Americana/rock band David Childers and the Modern Don Juans, Burnin' In Hell (produced by Mark Lynch, mixed by Brian Paulson).
The self-titled debut album from Chris' jazz trio, Big Octave, is currently available on LoNote Records. Featuring saxophonist John Alexander, bassist Ron Brendle, and Chris on drums, the album features an eclectic collection of 11 original and classic works. The album was recorded by Chris and Matthew Everhart and mixed by Chris at Jay Howard Production Audio and was mastered by Hoyt Dooley at Open Door Productions in Nashville. You can listen to audio clips and order the CD online at CD Baby. Be sure to look for a reviews of the CD in Jazz Improv magazine (Vol.6, No. 1), Charlotte Magazine (Vol. 10, No. 12), and Cadence magazine.
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Some Great Upcoming Shows
To Check Out:
Chris' jazz trio, Big Octave (featuring John Alexander and Ron Brendle) performs every Thursday night from 8-11pm in uptown Charlotte at Blue Restaurant And Bar (in the Hearst Tower) at the corner of 5th Street and College Street.
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Congratulations to Scott Applegate and Janet Clark, owners of Old House Studio on ten years of successful business ownership. This ultra-cozy nd well-equipped studio opened for business in September of 1998 and has contiuned to record some of the area's best music over the last decade. Here's to the next ten!
Best wishes to mastering engineer Hoyt Dooley, who recently retired from professional mastering. Hoyt began his career in audio by working in CD maufacturing at the Denon plant in Georgia before moving to Nashville and working for Disk Mastering. In the mid-90s, Hoyt joined forced with engineer Don Jarvis to create Open Door Productions, an excellent mastering company based in Nashville. Hoyt has mastered dozens of projects for Chris over the years and his talents in this are will be missed sorely. Good luck, Hoyt!
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