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:
Charlotte songwriting icon Todd Busch is recording new material with Chris at Old House Studio. Todd is being accompanied by Buschovski bandmates Peter Gray on guitar, Shawn Lynch on bass, and David "D.K." Kim on drums.
Producer/engineer Mark Williams recently recruited Chris to play drums on the new album by Albemarle, NC blues-rock/funk band Junque Gallery. The band traveled to Mebane, NC to record at Kudzu Ranch Recorders (owned by Southern Culture On The Skids' Rick Miller) where they tracked 12 new original songs for the upcoming release.
Jazz trumpet player/vocalist Bill Averbach recently completed a new recording of original and standard material at Old House Studio in Gastonia. Chris is engineering and playing drums on the project, along with guitarist Troy Conn and bassist George Hoar.
Bluegrass quartet Southern Express is also recording new material with Chris at Old House Studio.
Chris' rock band, A Town Called Robot, recently finished a new single for a compilation CD accompanying the release of the new Tape Op Book, Volume Two. The trio features multi-instrumentalist/architect Joshua Morris, multi-instrumentalist/recording engineer Matthew Everhart, and Chris. The group recorded the song "In Defense," at Old House Studio in Gastonia, NC in December of 2007 and mixed at Mitch Easter's Fidelitorium in Kernersville, NC. The book will be available in early Summer 2008.
Singer/songwriter Bill Noonan is currently recording new material with Chris at Old House Studio. Chris is engineering 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, and bassist Tom Kuhn.
Charlotte-area rock band Quart-A-Shine is currently recording a new album with Chris. The five-piece band recorded basic tracks for new original material at Jamie Hoover's Hooverama Studio in Charlotte and Old House Studio in Gastonia. The group are continuing overdubs and mixing at Old House and are planning on an early Summer release.
Wisconsin-based singer-songwriter David Tomaloff is working on a new album and enlisted Chris' help. Tomaloff is best known for his work with rock band The Dammitheads, but his new album takes a slightly more Americana-oriented approach. David mailed Chris CDRs with Broadcast WAV files of click tracks, scratch guitar, and vocals, along with some rough "guide drums" and notes on the particulars of each song, so that Chris could play drums and percussion on them and then mail the tracks back to David, where he continues work on them at his home studio. Chris also recorded pedal steel guitar virtuoso Bob Barone for Tomaloff's record at Old House Studio in Gastonia, NC, where the pair will also mix the album this Summer. David is keeping a recording log of the process on his website.
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, bassist and guitarist Shawn Lynch, and saxophonist Brent Bagwell. Mark Lynch is producing the project. This project marks a unique reunion for Garges, Hazel and Faircloth, who played some of their earliest gisgs together in Charlotte area rock band Relayer in the late eighties.
Americana/punk band The Trouble Walkers recently completed a new album with Chris at Old House Studio in Gastonia, NC. The band recorded 12 new original songs for the release. The four-piece band, formerly known as Hot Rod Grease Lighting, features new drummer Robert Childers, guitarists Gabe Hinceman and Daylon Brumfield, and bassist Mark Lynch, and the recording features Chris on tambourine and Randy Saxon on guitar, mandolin, and banjo.
Florida-based jazz guitarist/vocalist Karl Louis Weismantel recently enlisted Chris to mix his latest trio release. 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 both electric and acoustic guitar features and is slated for a spring 2008 release.
Chris has recently completed work 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 the Columbia Pictures film Walk Hard, which featurs his song, "Let's Duet."
Charlotte-area rock band Chocha Loca recently recorded an EP of three original songs with Chris. The four-piece riff-rock band, accompanied by producer Mark Lynch, traveled to Old House Studio in Gastonia and spent two days working on the project.
Chris also recorded the latest album from progressive rock band Gongzilla. 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 spent much of 2007 traveling to Roxobel, NC to record eight new songs on the group's mobile recording setup for LoLo Records. The album will be available in early summer 2008 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) and vocalist Happy Rhodes.
New Jersey-based singer/songwriter and Columbia recording artist Nicole Atkins recently recorded some new material with Chris. Nicole recorded a few B-sides and promotional cuts to accompany the release of her major label debut album, Neptune City. Randolph Lewis co-wrote material for, played guitar on, and co-produced the sessions. Chris recorded the project at Old House Studio in Gastonia.
Chris has also recently worked on projects that include live recordings for vocal ensemble Ethos Consortium, Charlotte-area rock band Charity Case and studio recordings for rock band Still Life Static, Stanley Pentecostal Holiness Church, singer-songwriter Scoot Pittman, the aptly-named Jazz Disciples, saxophonist John Alexander, jazz vocalist Tenya Coleman, southern rock band Cottonmouth, California-based musician/songwriter/engineer Adam Sullivan, metal band Straight Drive, and experimental Indie-Rock band The Houstons.
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On Record:
Congratulations to singer-songwriter Sunshone Still, who has a new album available on Potato Eater Records entitled Ten Cent American Novels. The ambitious project chronicles the life and times of American frontiersman Kit Carson and is the second album from Sunshone Still (aka Chris Smith) that has been mixed by Chris Garges and the fourth recording project that the two have worked on together. The album was recorded in various locations in Charlotte, NC and Austin, TX with fellow performer/multi-instrumentalist David Sleigh, keyboardist Justin Faircloth (of the Houstons), and Bill Baird and features nearly twenty guest musicians, including Sunshone Still's live performing lineup of Sleigh, bassist Flavio Mangione, and drummer Stowe Barber. The record was mixed at Old House Studio in Gastonia, NC and mastered by Brent Lambert at The Kitchen in Carrboro.
Congratulations to Americana artists Wink Keziah and Delux Motel on the release of their new album Working Songs For The Drinking Class. Chris played drums on several songs on the new album at Mitch Easter's Fidelitorium studio in Kernersville, NC. The record was co-produced by Wink and Mark Stuart (Stacey Earle, Bastard Sons Of Johnny Cash) and engineered by Mark Williams.
Congratulations to North Carolina's own Contagious Blues Band on ther relase of their new album, Ride. The band recorded the new album with Chris engineering at Old House Studio. Ride consists of seven new originals and a version of the blues standard "Blind, Crippled, And Crazy." In addition to drummer Jr. Howell and bassist Jim Bolt, the group's new lineup features guitarists Joey Recchio and Hank Shell. The album was mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering in Charlotte. Ride has also been nominated for the "Best Self-Produced CD" Award at the 2008 International Blues Festival in Memphis, TN. Best of luck, guys!
Congratulations to blues singer/multi-instrumentalist Bayou Butch Lucas on the release of his new album, Come On Over. The album features a diverse collection of covers and originals recorded by Chris at Old House Studio in Gastonia for Platypus Productions. Butch performed all of the music on the record himself.
Congratulations to Charlotte-area rock band Charity Case on the release of their first official release, Live From The Gravedigger's Ball. Chris recorded the band's live performance in Charlotte on October 29th, 2006. Charity Case performs to huge audiences throughout the southeast, raising money for Ace & T.J.'s Grin Kids children's charity. (Proceeds from the sale of the album go to Grin Kids as well.) So far, the band has raised nearly half a million dollars to benefit children who are terminally ill or chronically disabled.
Congratulations to singer/guitar player Bobby Smith on the release of his latest aptly-titled CD, 8 Songs $8. Smith recorded the album with Chris playing drums and assisting engineer Mark Williams at Old House Studio in Gastonia, NC. The album also features drummer/vocalist Calvin Thompson, bassist Flavio Mangione, keyboardist Richard Putnam, and vocalist Jamie Hoover and was mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering in Charlotte.
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. The album was mastered by Brent Lambert at The Kitchen in Raleigh, NC.
Congratulations to singer/songwriter Mike Strauss on the release of his third album, After All. Guitarist/songwriter Randolph Lewis produced and played on the album and Chris engineered and played percussion. The basic tracks were recorded entirely live (lead vocals included-- no overdubs, punches, or fixing) at Old House Studio with Ron Brendle playing upright and electric bass and David "D.K." Kim playing drums. Keyboardist Jason Atkins, vocalists Shana Blake, Reeve Coobs, Lenny Federal, the Stragglers, and pedal steel guitarists Rodney Lanier and Bob Barone also appear on the album, which was mastered by Brent Lambert at The Kitchen in Raleigh, NC.
Congratulations to David Childers and the Modern Don Juans on the release of their new album, Burnin' In Hell. The album includes fourteen new songs recorded with Chris at Old House Studio in Gastonia. In addition to Childers, the group features guitar/string guru Randy Saxon, drummer Robert Childers, and bassist Mark Lynch, who also produced the album. The album was mixed by Brian Paulson (Beck, Son Volt, Slint) and mastered at Studio B in Charlotte by Dave Harris.
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 will be performing with rock band Shalini at the Artplosure festival in downtown Raleigh on Saturday, May 17th at 3PM. The band, which features Shalini Chatterjee on guitar and vocals, Mitch Easter on guitar and vocals, Don Dixon on bass, and Chris on drums, will be performing material from Shalini's new release, The Surface And The Shine.
Chris will also be performing with jazz trumpet player/vocalist Bill Averbach at the square in downtown Greenville, SC on Friday, May 23rd from 6-8PM.
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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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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