tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-106093542012-01-17T20:27:12.381-06:00Tales and Images From The Road...and Whatever Else Comes to Mind.Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3151100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-87492541652743285372011-03-31T12:23:00.003-05:002011-03-31T12:29:59.398-05:00

...it's that everything is! They pay me to blog and write about other stuff these days, so I have little time and less interest in writing about myself. The micro-blogging of Twitter and Facebook are quicker and easier, though I do feel the need for some exposition at times.I will note that the weight is coming off, down to under 315 at the moment. Long ways to go, but it's a start.Musically, I

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-73283889437806735792010-12-23T10:08:00.002-06:002010-12-23T10:21:01.124-06:00

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-23811397340079945342010-11-14T21:02:00.004-06:002010-11-14T21:14:55.380-06:00

Now that I'm off the road as a guitar tech and concentrating on my D'Addario Artist Relations and Guitar.com editor duties full-time, I actually have some weekends off...in fact, I have them all off.This means I can gig with my wife, Donna Beasley. Her latest album, 'Under The Rushes' has been getting some excellent reviews and we are going on our first real out-of-town run this week. We are

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-45127545361965695552010-10-18T20:49:00.003-05:002010-10-18T23:00:41.741-05:00

My day job took me to Arlington, TX this past weekend for a guitar show. For those of you who've never been or ever even heard of such a thing, a guitar show is a convention of dealers, collectors, hobbyists and pro players. All manner of guitars (and their near and distant kindred), amps, effects, memorabilia and literature are sold at discount "show prices". Thousands of folks show up.I saw

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-10046256781440571152010-08-20T18:03:00.002-05:002010-08-20T18:12:26.707-05:00

I've discovered a new winner in the consumer satisfaction game, that rare product that "I'll never not own" - the simplehuman garbage can.You can't see the trash, you can't smell the trash, you can't see a trash bag. You step on a pedal, the lid opens, you step off and it slowly closes.No more buying crappy trash cans at Target (or the same crappy trash can at Pier 1 for 20% more).

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-80621225754833495082010-06-30T11:29:00.003-05:002010-06-30T11:37:21.189-05:00

A few years ago, my sister-in-law Diane asked my Dad to tell his story of being an amateur musician in the late'40's. Here is his reply:While still in grade school, I expressed an interest in playing an instrument. I liked the sound of the trumpet, so I asked my Mom if I could get one. She checked with the HS band director and he recommended a Holton professional model cornet (very similar, but

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-13683089384875454112010-06-28T23:30:00.002-05:002010-06-28T23:32:23.970-05:00

5 weeks between posts...not much of a blogger, am I? My writing and creative skills (such as they are) are being spread around these days, at D'Addario, Guitar.com and other ventures. I'll do better, I promise!

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-21966380122196165872010-05-21T21:59:00.003-05:002010-05-21T22:31:30.899-05:00

New gear, old, wet gear re-furbed, old gear new to us. It's time to bury the dead and move on. Rehearsals started a couple of days ago in a secure, dry place in Nashville. We've got cardboard everywhere as we unbox shiny new toys/tools and put them to use. We've got a few old favorites still drying out but refusing to give up their place. We've got some killer used gear that is now new gear to us

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-12098137705612041372010-05-06T16:27:00.005-05:002010-06-28T23:30:16.425-05:00

It took a few days, but the national media eventually took notice of the record amount of rainfall and 1000-year flood of the Cumberland and Harpeth Rivers. The loss of life and homes is a tragedy that will scar Tennessee for years. My own home was not in danger, other than the accumulation of rain water in my yard that made it to a couple feet from the door.The personal loss to me will be

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-51792978340213777662010-04-27T22:52:00.008-05:002010-04-28T21:57:44.882-05:00

Back home from Memphis and a 5-hour Elvis/Graceland experience. It was my fabulous wife's birthday and she wanted to see Graceland. We rented a nice Dodge Nitro from Budget and drove the 3.5 hours to Memphis, checked into the Grand Dame of Memphis Hotels, The Peabody, caught the ducks and planned on hitting the Rendezvous for some famous ribs for dinner.For whatever reason the Rendezvous was

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-23623585264229784032010-04-23T00:18:00.003-05:002010-04-23T00:31:24.060-05:00

Las Vegas, again. It rained here all morning, so when we finally landed at 3:30, it was cool and damp enough to turn your collar to...for Las Vegas, at least.We're here to play The Joint in the Hard Rock Casino. Never been in that venue before, it could get crazy. Rick Nielsen and Tom Petersson from Cheap Trick are going to be hanging in my world all night. They're a local band for us

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-23965664734960786752010-04-14T01:44:00.002-05:002010-04-14T01:51:22.093-05:00

Wow. A month between posts. Might be a new record, I'm not sure. Not that nothing's been going on, though...in fact too busy to blog is more like it. The new Donna Beasley record is done, mastered and getting ready for duplication. Pretty excited about it..it's definitely different than the last one and a step forward for me as a producer/engineer/guitar player/ songwriter/husband.I'm in Los

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-78546124888857549282010-03-14T12:23:00.002-05:002010-03-14T12:28:58.235-05:00

Touring season begins again. I'm back out with the Keith Urban outfit for 2010. First show is the Houston Rodeo in Houston, TX on Tuesday. A bit of a dusty, odoriferous spectacle, but a pretty unique experience. The new stage has a big video wall and looks great. It's just the acoustics that remain challenging. Several seconds of delay make the whole affair an exercise in concentration and focus.

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-40319357787576379392010-02-28T17:17:00.006-06:002010-03-10T12:45:20.554-06:00

Tom "T-Bone" Wolk died early this morning in NYC. His big heart gave out and the world lost a great musician and a lot of people in this business lost a great friend. I met him when I took a gig teching for Hall and Oates a few years back. The first show we did was in Bermuda at the Atlantis. I had played a few country licks through the guitar rig during sound check and he came right over and

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-31238742163054145442010-02-22T23:19:00.003-06:002010-03-10T12:09:30.761-06:00

Most musicians I know have some kind of recording device at home. Whether it’s GarageBand, Pro Tools, Cubase or hardware digital recorders from the likes of Roland, Tascam and Korg, the modern guitarist usually desires and is expected to have some recording savvy. Even if you’re just cataloging your practice sessions or jamming over a backing track, making recordings is part of the guitar skill

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-47883203914605298362010-02-18T18:58:00.002-06:002010-02-18T19:00:55.254-06:00

Just got my Corsair 16GB thumb drive today. New Egg has a mail-in rebate special that brought the price down to $29.99. $2 a gig for a rubber-encased thumb drive. Crazy.I'm backing up the entire 9.7 GB album on it right now.

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-47336037162421054892010-02-18T17:46:00.002-06:002010-02-18T18:06:59.207-06:00

Sting's best rhyme and today's topic: Learning Software With Video.Growing up in a small Wisconsin town of around 2,500 people, I relied on my Guitar Player magazine subscription to keep me informed of the latest in gear, guitar hero interviews and techniques. I read every column and absorbed great ideas and concepts that eventually made up my personal guitar style. There were a few books around

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-55421906344364744272010-02-16T13:06:00.001-06:002010-02-16T13:19:30.498-06:00

FireWire HierarchyA handy how-to for those with FW issues.

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-25590859918935072612010-02-08T12:16:00.004-06:002010-02-08T12:41:58.882-06:00

Congrats to the New Orleans Saints and all their fans. A well-played and well-coached game.The high point for me, being a Packers fan with no particular dog in the hunt, was the halftime entertainment. Once again, the aging boomers are called upon to perform and once again they deliver. Even with the 50% lifestyle-attrition rate that took Keith Moon and John Entwhistle too soon, the Voice and the

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-82520772526121231602010-01-09T15:19:00.013-06:002010-02-08T12:16:34.914-06:00

Today is the 66th birthday of James Patrick Page. Jimmy Page is, in my mind, the greatest of the great Rock guitarists. Not the soloist that Jeff Beck is, lacking a bit of Hendrix' inventiveness, less disciplined than David Gilmour, Page is still the one to beat. Nobody has had such an influence on a genre than he did with Hard Rock. From the Hyper Blues of the debut album, to the riff-rock on

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-55258876672184313592010-01-01T07:37:00.013-06:002010-01-01T10:47:23.090-06:00

James Cameron's "Avatar" reportedly cost $300 million to make and in two weeks has grossed $600 million. Some of that $600M came from my brother and nephew, who have seen it three times each on the 3-D Imax screen. I went with them on their third time a couple of days ago.I don't care what reviews you may have read or whether or not you think Avatar is your kind of movie. It doesn't really matter

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-25767085932864817582009-12-23T06:54:00.002-06:002009-12-23T07:01:24.401-06:00

Finished it up in Brisbane, Australia with two nights at the Brisbane Entertainment Center. The crew band got to play it's final show together, reprising our version of AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie" during the encores. You can see an audience member's video of that here.It's a 13-hour flight from Brisbane to Los Angeles, then we stood in line at security for over an hour, then a 3.5 hour flight to

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-874190838456972352009-12-06T20:33:00.006-06:002009-12-07T00:34:59.361-06:00

With a few exceptions, and some exceptional ones at that, I have come to view the current crop of music stars as a replacement team in a strike year. Not saying they don't have some talent, not saying they didn't pay some kind of dues or at least made a few monthly payments on some dues once, way back when they were ten or something.I look around and I listen around and I'm pretty sure we can do

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-18627069823036783382009-12-05T23:42:00.002-06:002009-12-05T23:50:13.466-06:00

Eric Woolfson died from cancer on December 2, 2009. He was 64 years old.Eric Woolfson was the voice on The Alan Parsons Project's "Time" and "Eye in the Sky", and co-wrote nearly everything on all ten of their studio albums.I like those songs and I like the way he sang them.Thanks, Eric!

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-45790465920366183652009-11-28T00:35:00.005-06:002009-11-28T10:07:11.524-06:00

I'm no keyboardist...far from it. I quit taking piano lesson from Mrs. Knudsen when Little League baseball rolled around. Much to my later regret. My Dad plays well, my brother and two sisters also play piano, but I ended up on guitar.But that doesn't mean I don't have a keyboard or two laying around the studio. I was going through the many presets and sounds of the Virtual String Machine virtual

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-91592061487296805202009-11-17T10:44:00.001-06:002009-11-17T10:46:57.259-06:00

Sometimes those guys and gals in black that move around the back of the stage in the dark get a chance to be out front. Thanks to Keith Urban and his band for letting us roadies have some fun in Buffalo...

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-51392256695798858772009-11-12T16:58:00.005-06:002009-11-12T20:00:42.750-06:00

Sometimes events have a way of spinning you 180 degrees. As an independent, no-label, too-old for the masses, niche market musician, one might take the recent awards show as a possible sign of the apocalypse....um ....yeah, the sign over the newly-christened Apocalypse City Hall of Apocalypse City, on Apocalypse Street. That sign, they one they unveiled last night may be a harbinger, alright.But

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-24077563867804517772009-10-27T22:29:00.004-05:002009-10-28T18:38:05.685-05:00

Hmmmm. I've spent dozens if not hundreds of hours reading about and studying about and playing around with Pro Tools. Made some excellent recordings, did a few rough mixes using minimal plug-ins for evaluation purposes. All sounded great. I had my friend and fine engineer Steve Ledet over today to work on getting some drum sounds. The basic PT supplied plugs I had used for the rough mixes gave

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-32614490206137684132009-10-26T16:56:00.013-05:002009-10-26T18:08:41.008-05:00

I finally did See Rock City, thanks to my lovely wife who suggested it as a belated anniversary trip. We rented a nice car and drove down to Chattanooga. About that car...we usually get a mid-sized SUV, but they had none. Instead, we opted for a pearl white Cadillac CTS 4. I think they use Beatles music in their ad. One nice thing about getting older is you can rent a Caddy, knowing that in a

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-50947499389633621572009-10-16T20:21:00.005-05:002009-10-16T21:46:51.382-05:00

Don Was, Krish Sharma, Elizabeth CookMy good friend Elizabeth Cook finished up tracking her new album this evening with producer Don Was at the helm and ace engineer Krish Sharma twiddling the knobs. I caught a few overdubs while I was here, including the legendary Rodney Crowell laying some Everly-style harmony on a track and heard a few rough mixes going down.This is going to be a great record.

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-15378509140966492922009-10-12T00:23:00.002-05:002009-10-12T00:32:18.372-05:00

So the North American tour has ended, in Buffalo, with a performance by the crew band, "The Trainwrecks". We did a fairly rousing rendition of "Whole Lotta Rosie". It went over pretty well. You can find some cell phone video on YouTube, but I'm holding out for the professionally shot version from the video crew.I'm the guy playing the first solo, on a red Fender Strat, into a Category 5 amp with

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-13132109915484988832009-10-02T02:06:00.003-05:002009-10-02T02:33:59.500-05:00

Imogne Heap has a newish album called "Ellipse". You should buy it.She has an earlier album called "Speak For Yourself". You should already have that, but buy it if you don't. You need to hear the track "Hide and Seek". Immediately.An artist. Period.

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-79581596243645108642009-09-29T00:01:00.002-05:002009-09-29T00:46:40.312-05:00

Just got back from seeing "It Might Get Loud", a documentary about the electric guitar as seen through the eyes of three artists from three different generations - Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White.Jimmy Page, of course, is the founder and leader of Led Zeppelin. If you don't know who they are and want to find out, I envy you. Every track on every record was a revelation to me in my formative

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-32575464966995318312009-09-24T14:01:00.005-05:002009-09-29T17:54:09.458-05:00

Just in case you're in Edmonton, Canada anytime soon, if you see somebody wearing a green Columbia fleece jacket, ask them if they still have my wallet, credit cards, driver's license, social security card and $200 cash American and $85 Canadian. Also my cell phone and reading glasses.Ask them if they stole it out of the backstage crew room.Then tell them they suck.UPDATE: Got the phone and

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-5064720348863143362009-09-21T03:13:00.004-05:002009-09-25T18:16:13.584-05:00

Tim Carroll's latest effort, "All Kinds of Pain" is now available on Gulcher Records. Tim recorded this record on a Roland VS-1680, and transferred those files to my Cubase rig and we produced, edited and mixed the album jointly.I really like this record. It's a testament to the talent of Tim and to the inspiration that a convenient recording method can give to an already prolific song writer.

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-29380047209112868522009-09-15T22:10:00.004-05:002009-09-15T22:22:34.085-05:00

Spent the day working on the album. The fine folks at M-Audio were able to ship me a Transit USB interface for Pro Tools and I can finally get cracking on my editing. The Transit is a small, credit card sized device that gives you an optical in and an analog out. Not really for recording, but great for editing on a laptop: small, light weight and bus-powered.For those of you new to Pro Tools, I

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-15808274790541039292009-09-15T21:54:00.005-05:002009-09-15T22:10:05.038-05:00

Looking out my bedroom window as I wait for room service to bring dinner.

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-32933286347074902162009-09-13T15:53:00.002-05:002009-09-13T16:08:17.560-05:00

The Tacoma Dome. Big, round, echo-y. And now with extra channels!Wireless microphones and wireless guitar packs have been around for a while now. Not only do they remove cable clutter from the stage, they allow you to get closer to the audience and put on a more energetic show. That's the upside.The downside is that in some venues in some cities, the wireless rigs fight for airspace with TV,

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-39286096911995709892009-09-10T10:57:00.002-05:002009-09-10T11:26:13.244-05:00

Like Lewis and Clark...or Martin and Lewis, at times... we roll this thing out to the upper left hand corner section of the map. Last night was Salt Lake City where the crowd was grinning from start to finish. Little Big Town opened and they were excellent as usual...a throwback to a day when you had to sing in tune and play in time before you were put into arenas. Definitely Old School.We're on

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-50207589435824138952009-08-25T12:08:00.007-05:002009-08-26T12:33:15.515-05:00

Joe Keiser, the monitor engineer for Keith Urban on this tour, did a time-lapse video of a typical load-in and set up for an Urban show.Says Joe: " I shot that from 8am until 6:30 pm (doors) took a shot every 30 seconds and then dropped it in Final Cut and set a picture at each frame (30 Frames a second)"This is what we do before y'all get there... Rough sequence of the video:1) Points are

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-46655435617432419742009-08-13T17:11:00.006-05:002009-08-13T23:56:58.031-05:00

Lester William Polsfuss, of Waukesha, Wisconsin passed away today. If he had only inspired and championed the solid-body electric guitar, that would have been worthy of a tribute post. If he'd only pioneered the use of echo delay and reverb and double-speed recording, that would be enough. If he had only designed the first multi-track recorder on a bar napkin, got out the phone book, called an

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-3099811517159702352009-08-11T23:01:00.003-05:002009-08-12T14:56:06.287-05:00

Just got home from a Counting Crows show, with Michael Franti w/Spearhead and Augustana. Nobody opened - or rather - everybody opened. All 18 musicians on stage for the first song, then people came on and off in various numbers and they played for 90 minutes.Everybody sounded great, but it was at the Ryman, so odds were good of that happening. Very entertaining and exciting show. Had not heard

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-11201051458366484512009-08-11T15:02:00.004-05:002009-08-11T15:20:11.132-05:00

With the pending release of the re-mastered catalog on 09.09.09, interest in The Beatles will undoubtedly spike again, as it last did when the "Love" CD and Vegas show were unveiled. In my house, it's always a good time for all things Beatles.As it turns out, Planet Waves has the licensing rights to put Beatles logos on straps and picks. I just received my samples and here they are:Gear!

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-7131032511172287642009-08-10T16:16:00.002-05:002009-08-10T16:29:30.982-05:00

I am a fan of Fender guitar amps. Me and millions of others, of course. From the '59 Bassman to the Deluxe Reverb to the Blues Junior to the Champion 600, they just sound great. I own a vintage '67 Deluxe Reverb (a black-panel version) that I keep in top condition and it is my very favorite amp. I wish I could travel with it, since I'd love to record my Deluxe while laying down some guitar tracks

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-11010940553108037672009-07-20T03:29:00.008-05:002009-07-20T03:53:00.009-05:00

Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada.A Legend."...During his 50 years in show business, Campbell has released more than 70 albums. He has sold 45 million records and racked up 12 RIAA Gold albums, 4 Platinum albums and 1 Double-Platinum album. Of his 75 trips up the charts, 27 landed in the Top 10."Trace Foster, Glen Campbell, Tom SpauldingBack in the day...

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-7336903749329104702009-07-19T04:38:00.006-05:002009-07-23T10:45:46.329-05:00

California and Nevada. Hotter than Hell in Fresno (aka HellsNo), surprisingly a great gig. Met a fellow Cheesehead (from Oconomowoc!) on the flight in who works for a company that deals with unexploded ordnance. We swapped hard drives and both got some new music to listen to.Hotter than Fresno in Las Vegas. No amount of cajoling could make the buses stay cool without blowing fuses until the sun

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-88533065843498222712009-07-12T22:41:00.003-05:002009-07-12T22:49:29.746-05:00

So, you have Garageband installed on your Mac but since you're a Pro Tools guy, you can't be bothered with a starter program like Garageband. But what about all those groovy Apple Loops that GB ships with...or the free ones you can find all over the internet? Wouldn't it be great to be able to use them in Pro Tools?Max is a program that does just that and much more. Here's how: AIR Users Blog

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-52071416063846452612009-07-02T10:35:00.002-05:002009-07-02T10:52:22.711-05:00

Project update: Donna Beasley's next record, 'Under The Rushes" is coming along nicely. Yesterday we went to Anthony Aquilato's home studio and recorded a keeper vocal on a tune using the AT 4050 microphone. I had just purchased a 4050 for my own studio (and used it with great success) last week, so we tried it again and it fit the tune perfectly.The day before, the amazing Kenny Vaughan (of

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-65846183363063290262009-06-25T17:59:00.003-05:002009-06-25T18:46:04.157-05:00

The King of Pop died today. I wasn't a huge fan...didn't own any actual records, downloaded a few singles of my favorite tunes of his and the Jackson 5. But he was undeniably a masterful musician and performer, and since I'm at least tangentially in the same business as he was, I must pay my respects.I grew up with Michael Jackson. He was 3 years older than me, so I was about seven when he hit

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-59196915422529885412009-06-02T08:08:00.010-05:002009-06-02T08:54:40.053-05:00

Hmm...well talk about being caught up in the fable. It finally feels like I can take a breather and it's been six weeks since I posted last.The Keith Urban tour has been going great. We've been to the East coast and Canada, then St.Paul, Chicago and Green Bay (where I made a pilgrimage to Lambeau and the Pro Shop). Then a week off, which I spent in Wisconsin, and then shows in West Virginia,

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-24981927474034877182009-04-19T23:02:00.003-05:002009-04-19T23:26:07.335-05:00

Pocket. The word is now a verb in the audio world, meaning to "place a sloppy or loose performance in time". In my case (although all of my playing could be more in the pocket), it refers to a different intro that I came up with for one of the songs on the new record.It was supposed to be an unaccompanied, atempo introduction with the band entering on the downbeat. I did not like the way the

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-78861608121377518212009-04-02T21:29:00.004-05:002009-04-02T21:56:20.408-05:00

Video may have Killed the Radio Star when talkies first came about, but these days videos can make a radio star. Luckily, it's not just cool videos that account for the success of the new boss, but great music accompanied by great videos. This was the first video shoot I witnessed that used the green screen technique of shooting the principals and adding the background later. Pretty disorienting

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-5396199868184674962009-03-20T22:44:00.004-05:002009-03-20T22:50:38.410-05:00

Now that everybody's got a camera on them 24/7, everything is a photo op, every event a 3D backdrop for you to pose in front of.Hence this photo from the iPhone of crewmate Trace Foster:Daytona 500

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-15137164112594623652009-03-15T11:12:00.002-05:002009-03-15T11:33:22.608-05:00

The rest of the month finds us in various clubs and TV shows from coast to coast. A bit of a whirlwind promo tour for the new album, then we settle down to prep for the Summer tour. The boss has the #1 Country single right now, and there's at least a few more on the album that will probably reach that apex over the next months. It's a really strong collection.We played a show last night in

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-10158505406036618082009-03-15T07:02:00.004-05:002009-03-15T07:08:42.826-05:00

Here's a few shots from last weeks rehearsals:

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-22384084689665930132009-02-04T18:19:00.004-06:002009-02-04T18:28:59.313-06:00

Tom Brumley, famed pedal steel guitarist with Buck Owens' Buckaroos passed away today in Texas. He was 73 years old. Brumley was renowned in the steel world for playing the solo on Owens' "Together Again", a heart-felt ballad of reconciliation punctuated by the beautiful melodic solo that perfectly captured the sentiment of the lyric. Much like George Harrison's "Something" the solo is so

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-13943065027999135992009-02-03T00:29:00.003-06:002009-02-03T00:48:37.554-06:00

Well, it is with sadness and fondness that I finish up this week with my last dates with the LeAnn Rimes band and crew. I signed on almost exactly a year ago, did the very fun and successful Kenny Chesney tour and many more headlining dates, but I've decided to accept an offer from the Keith Urban gang to be one of the guitar techs for them this Summer. LeAnn and her husband Dean have been kind,

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-83616965010676352382009-01-25T22:04:00.006-06:002009-01-25T22:52:33.680-06:00

The new Donna Beasley album, "Under The Rushes" is coming along nicely. I've been working on guitar overdubs, which is always big fun. I've been trying to think outside the band, and by that I mean - try to think of parts that serve the song even if they cannot be reproduced live on stage. That requires some doing, as I need to get past my familiarity with the demos and treat these master

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-39812085109517000582008-12-20T18:29:00.004-06:002008-12-21T00:53:09.431-06:00

This is just awesome. Music.We have a rich legacy of music in this country...have you been listening?The foreign stuff ain't bad either!

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-32818822500960857842008-12-17T11:42:00.009-06:002010-02-22T23:11:28.020-06:00

Tech specs for geeks.Kick(close mic)......Sennheiser 421Kick(far mic)..........Neumann FET 47Snare......................Echolette 419Tom........................Neumann U87Floor Tom...............Neumann U87Room (far)..............Bang and Olufsen BM5Room (drum geek)......Sony 330Bass..................Music Valve D.I.Bass amp..........KMR81iAcGuitar m/s.......AKG 414 brass capsuleAcGuitar.........

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-30217503951297492952008-12-15T17:23:00.012-06:002008-12-15T19:40:14.921-06:00

Tracking the record means, conversely, recording the tracks, in this case the "basic" tracks. Typically, sessions are cut with a basic group of musicians consisting of a rhythm section (bass and drums and rhythm guitar/keyboards) and perhaps another guitarist/soloist. The singer is usually on hand to provide guide or "scratch" vocals. This entails singing the song all the way through to let the

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-39769622762622958082008-12-05T17:25:00.005-06:002008-12-10T13:21:13.319-06:00

The folks at Radial Engineering Ltd. in British Columbia have got a few things figured out. I've been using their products for years, both personally and professionally - and sometimes both!Their D.I. boxes are legendary and legion. Their rackmount switching systems like the JD7 are on the gear list of most major guitar and bass players. Their stompbox series of ToneBone pedals are industry

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-37203455672586283232008-12-01T14:07:00.005-06:002008-12-01T14:28:08.065-06:00

Guitars are on my mind these days as I am "casting" the sounds for the next Donna Beasley record. Some tunes need Teles, some need Les Pauls, some Casinos, some a combination of whatever. One stand-out sound that almost requires you to play in a certain style is the electric 12-string. I have a Danelectro model, a cheap made in Korea guitar that sounds amazing and plays great. I've owned

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-8035718938249326612008-11-21T18:51:00.003-06:002008-11-21T18:56:52.465-06:00

Another day, another guitar. I picked up a 2006 Epiphone Casino today, in a beautiful Cherry finish. Made in China at an Epi-only factory, the build quality and finish detail is excellent.No photos yet, but here's a stock picture:It's completely hollow, unlike the famous Gibson ES-335 which has a center block running from the base of the neck to the end pin. Lots of Beatle guitar sounds started

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-36023379982605822702008-11-20T20:20:00.004-06:002008-11-20T20:33:52.411-06:00

Here's a great link to watch some classic music video from the vaults of Historic Films. Click on the "Online Comp Reels" tab on the left and catch some prime footage of Ralph and Carter Stanley, Muddy Waters. The Byrds, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin and much more. The interview with the nerdy guy at the end does not turn out like you might initially think it will.I found this place because they

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-45440479249058220512008-11-13T22:44:00.016-06:002008-11-14T10:15:54.158-06:00

Regular readers of this blog will be aware of my penchant for digital audio software - Pro Tools, Cubase, Reason, Live, etc. I'm most proficient with Cubase 4 and am easing my way into Pro Tools gradually. The rest I just dabble with for fun.The GarageBand app that comes free with your new Mac - as part of the iLife bundle - was always a fun little diversion, but not really all that useful.Until

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-86620371871156085182008-11-02T21:39:00.002-06:002008-11-02T21:48:40.609-06:00

Last night LeAnn Rimes played her final scheduled show of 2008 in Frisco, Texas at a benefit for the Boys and Girls Club. And so ends a blur of a year of touring the country with a great bunch of people. LeAnn and Dean were consumate pros and I thank them for hiring me for the tour. Tour Manager Steve Emley has been a constant source of good info and had taken care excellent care of us in the

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-50373164176813780622008-10-25T20:29:00.003-05:002008-10-25T20:39:33.900-05:00

Well, let's see....Lake Charles, Lufkin, New York City and points in between.Woke up last night on the bus ride back to Nashville with the worst case of dry mouth I can remember. Two bottles of water, no relief. Finally got up at 7:00 a.m., made some coffee, drank that and watched the sun come up over the misty ponds and rivers of West Tennessee.Got home at 9:00 a.m. to realize a full-blown head

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-57103050221083493172008-09-20T13:36:00.003-05:002008-09-23T09:47:23.764-05:00

My wife, Donna Beasley, was selected to perform a showcase at the Station Inn as part of the Americana Music Association conference here in Nashville. Somebody in the crowd had a camera and posted our rendition of Donna Fargo's "Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A." on YouTube.That's me on electric guitar (occasionally lumbering into view from the left), Paul Griffith on drums, Dave Jacques on bass,

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-17197109696758026122008-09-14T17:58:00.003-05:002008-09-14T18:09:58.734-05:00

So, Game Two of the post-Favre era and how does Aaron Rodgers do? After engineering a 21-3 halftime lead, he rallies the team from being down 25-24 in the 4th quarter, to win -with the help of some opportunists on the Defense - with a final score of 48-25. The Packers keep the division lead. With the Lions loss (0-2), along with the Vikings (0-2) getting Paytonized at home and the Bears (1-1)

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-59000519300680137082008-09-02T19:21:00.006-05:002008-09-03T08:54:45.715-05:00

Jerry ReedJerry Reed (Hubbard) died yesterday at age 71. Peter Cooper at The Tennessean has the definitive obit. Reed is probably known by most folks under 30 as an actor. He starred in a series of Burt Reynolds-Hall Needham car chase movies, including the genre-classic "Smokey and the Bandit".Others will remember Reed as the guy who had a few novelty hits on Country and Top 40 radio in the '60's

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-29868889320166646072008-08-25T12:52:00.001-05:002008-08-25T12:54:22.837-05:00

Shot at the famous Station Inn in Nashville, this parody/tribute duo give a lexicon lesson in L'Amour. Genius.

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-41936095057014599062008-08-20T19:54:00.007-05:002008-08-21T00:06:53.453-05:00

Well, thanks to yesterday's Instalanche, I figure I have a few more readers of this blog, so I'd better keep on posting. Tonight's topic, as I sip a little George Dickel and Coke Zero, will be cats.I am not a cat person. I grew up with a family dog, from when I was six years old to when I left for college. They might have had cats before me, but I never got into them, and it did not help that I

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-88195181939420792162008-08-19T00:45:00.013-05:002008-08-19T13:48:46.249-05:00

It's hardly a new concept, but it seems that I'm hearing more banjo sounds coming from various records these days: Keith Urban, Robert Plant, LeAnn Rimes. I suspect that sometimes what we are hearing is a session guitar player playing a six-string banjo, a hybrid instrument tuned like a standard guitar, but with the sound of a 5-string banjo. The newer sounds aren't being played in the Scruggs

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-50701629333894223002008-08-15T21:36:00.006-05:002008-08-15T22:25:34.855-05:00

...that's a history book. Jerry Wexler has died at age 91.  He was a music pioneer, most notably as a producer of the Atlantic recordings in New York, Stax in Memphis and the famous Muscle Shoals sound. Check out how many of the classic records he made that you know by heart or have in your possession. They take up four pages in the AMG credits.Here's the obit in the L.A. Times.AllMusicGuide's

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-88506317350203387822008-08-08T19:26:00.004-05:002008-08-08T22:32:39.059-05:00

Seems the trials and tribulations of my old Windows PC have finally peaked. It no longer is stable enough to work on - much less count on - and I'm going to have to decommission her and move on. I certainly got my money's worth and I'm excited by the prospect of the new, custom-built computer that should be finished by Monday.I decided to contact Steve Lamm at Cryptic Globe Studio and I asked him

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-54784257522463583242008-08-03T10:53:00.005-05:002008-08-03T11:27:10.555-05:00

We've been alternating playing an arena show and then a stadium show with Kenny Chesney all Summer long. On July 5th, we played LP Field in Nashville. We had passes for our wives and families, so Donna got to watch the show from my usual vantage point - guitar world.Donna and Shamus, our FOH engineerThe crowds typically start coming en masse during LeAnn's show, and watching 40,000 people

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-68691865816254328102008-07-01T22:42:00.004-05:002008-07-01T22:58:22.812-05:00

I joined a new social networking site the other day. It's called Crewspace, and it's similar to MySpace, but less cluttered and meant for road crews to socialize with each other. As they put it:A social network for Roadies, Tour Managers, Production Managers, Sound Engineers, Lampys, Backline, Techs, Drivers, Caterers, Security and anyone else who tours! Find work, find crew, connect with friends

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-21271722962571584142008-06-05T21:11:00.012-05:002008-06-05T23:13:13.023-05:00

"Four days in I-da-ho", a lyric CSNY never sang, but my reality nonetheless earlier this week. Three days off in Boise, a gig at their Botanical Gardens and off we went to re-join the Chesney tour. I never did get to do any fishing or hiking, but I pretty much walked the entire downtown area and found a laundromat. Life on the road has simple pleasures, and washing clothes is one of them. We

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-81219164786789322952008-05-29T20:40:00.002-05:002008-05-29T20:45:27.421-05:00

Due to throat problems, we are taking a few unscheduled days of the tour to let Nature heal the boss's voice. Which means we'll be spending three days or so off in Boise, Idaho. Having never been there - as far as I can remember - I'm looking forward to doing some fishing/hiking and just hanging out.Let's hope The Voice heals soon and we get back to work on time.

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-1474695841183885682008-05-29T02:39:00.003-05:002008-05-29T02:44:55.322-05:00

First gig of the West Coast run is over and all is well. Kevin Walt, Artist Relations guru for M-Audio (who's praises I have sung on this page before) paid us a visit with his lovely wife Lori.He brought out the new BX5A studio monitors and we gave them a good listen. I now have a pair to use out here for mixing and editing. Thanks a million, Kevin!!!

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-40587541331295079092008-05-27T23:53:00.002-05:002008-05-28T00:00:34.810-05:00

Wow. It's been more than a month since my last post. That's pretty damn busy, I guess. Lots of travel, lots of gigs. We're in Los Angeles today for a show at the Staples Center, then off to San Diego, Phoenix, Boise, Portland Worley, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Jacksonville, Oregon. All in the next 15 days including a couple of 1000 mile bus rides.Fortunately, I have plenty of reading material

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-1956951991912214862008-04-23T11:47:00.006-05:002008-04-24T08:48:22.119-05:00

In keeping with my tradition of getting shots of the crew and band up on this blog, here are a few photos of this year's models:Anthony Aquilato and Daryl DixonGuitarist Tony ObrohtaPedal Steel/Dobro/Banjo master Rusty DanmeyerLighting Director Steve HooverMonitor Engineer Jon "JD" DuCrest standing,Assistant Engineer Danny Blazczak in foreground.Band Leader and Keyboardist Tim Akers

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-12828425854004561362008-04-23T11:02:00.003-05:002008-04-23T11:34:01.506-05:00

The fabulous Beasley and I took a few days off to head to the mountains and do some hiking. We decided to take the Cade's Cove trip again, and hoof it back to Abrams Falls.After seeing the many dozens of deer grazing in the pasture land, we finally reached the turn off to the trail head. Donna had to answer Nature's Call, and there are no facilities in the vicinity. On her way back from a wooded

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-16582198808455627842008-04-16T16:47:00.007-05:002008-08-19T13:53:20.924-05:00

I'm on the bus, - a nice, brand new Prevost with slide-outs - on the way to the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT for the first two shows of the Kenny Chesney/LeAnn Rimes pairing. Zeke Clark has prepared a batch of his fab pasta, Anthony Aquilato has pitched in a few loaves of sausage bread, Shamus Bacon has gathered spicy sliced meats from his butcher that do his surname proud, I sprung (

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-41262055555093714492008-03-30T20:48:00.012-05:002008-04-03T20:25:56.821-05:00

Last week, uber-famous singer/songwriter John Oates came into town to record an album. Since I was his guitar tech a few years ago and since he supposed I had made a few contacts here in Nashville in the 10 years I have lived here, he had me coordinate the project. I guess he figured a guy on the ground was good to have, even though I had never done any album coordinating before, unless placing

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-15400612524966815172008-03-13T22:32:00.002-05:002008-03-13T22:43:42.397-05:00

So, the computer problem. The one that put the kibosh on my recording plans for a few days. The one that had me uninstalling everything I could think of. The one that had me drive to Circuit City and buy a new keyboard and mouse, thinking that they were the possible cause of the shutdown. Nope, still crashing in intervals: turn it on, works for 30 minutes, crashes. Reboots, maybe good for 15

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-67471901270157674102008-03-04T15:51:00.008-06:002008-03-04T23:04:57.954-06:00

Norman Smith, Abbey Road audio engineer for the first half of The Beatles' career, died last night. He was 83 years old.More to come when I get some time...I'm busy engineering my self at the moment. This mix is for you,"Normal".UPDATE: Well, that mix turned out great...until the computer crashed. Still trying to get it back up. IS digital really better than tape? Sometimes I wonder...UPDATE II:

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-88824708473588059452008-03-03T17:41:00.003-06:002008-03-03T17:49:22.040-06:00

My brother, sister-in-law and I were discussing the Generations at dinner a while back. My brother was born in 1951, ten years before me, so we are the front and back of the boomer generation, mostly. He has two kids, both boys (men, actually), one Gen X and one Millennial. Very different generations. The oldest brother had Hip-Hop and Rap, Pixar and teen movies, Nintendo video games ...and his

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-6451809748687146372008-03-02T22:25:00.007-06:002008-03-05T16:59:57.470-06:00

Well maybe not the deepest, but it's really great to get a new project going - and they do groove nicely.UPDATE March 5, 2008: Marco assures me they do groove deeply, so strike that first line.We started on (my fab wife) Donna Beasley's next album a couple of nights ago. It's tentatively titled "Under The Rushes".While "Good Samaritan" is just now starting to sell and we have recently secured

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-38353368644828134182008-02-20T23:43:00.003-06:002008-02-21T11:55:17.845-06:00

The latest song. The newest song. It's amazing to get to hear a new song for the first time...to be the first person besides the writer to hear it. If it's a good one, you know right away, and if it's a great one, you know soon after. The best songs start out great and keep getting better, as if they are being self-encouraged by each line, one after the other. They steamroll into a solo or a

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-35274396670849947732008-02-17T11:55:00.004-06:002008-02-18T02:02:03.341-06:00

I guess you can tell what the depth of an influence is if it continues to inspire and instruct over the decades of your life. I first heard Beatle records on a phonograph, scratchy copies of the Capitol LPs that my older brother had bought. I was around 8 or 10 years old, somewhere around 1969 0r 1970 when I first listened to albums front to back. We always had a box of singles to play, but

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-63363035635109563272008-02-07T08:01:00.001-06:002008-02-07T09:17:41.576-06:00

Busy, busy, busy. Well, it looks like my Summer is pretty much mapped out this year. I'm going to be teching the LeAnn Rimes band for her tour with Kenny Chesney. We'll be opening all of the shows, and on 14 or so stadium shows, we'll be joined by some combination of Keith Urban, Brooks and Dunn, Sammy Hagar, Luke Bryan and Gary Allan.The tour starts in April, so I have the rest of February and

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-6134356912319539732008-01-18T21:16:00.000-06:002008-01-18T21:35:04.297-06:00

Another icon from my youth has passed away. Bobby Fischer, World Champion chess player died in Reykjavik, aged 64. His later years were troubled, with mental problems and paranoia keeping Fischer out of the limelight. Breitbart covers it here.Fischer started a chess boom in America, bringing it out of nerd-dom and into more homes than before -or since - I'd imagine. In an era of sports heroes

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-61669653486566324172008-01-11T18:28:00.000-06:002008-01-11T19:15:22.538-06:00

"Excruciating". That's what she said when I asked her how the gig felt. We'd just played at a locally owned bookstore for two of our friends and not too many more. We set up in front of a fake fireplace that was not turned on, next to the periodicals, in front of the cafe. Nothing says "buy me" like two people playing mostly original music, with two acoustic guitars trying to suggest an entire

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-40590452107012330172007-12-28T23:07:00.001-06:002007-12-31T11:05:36.664-06:00

I've had the pleasure of working on Tim Carroll's next record these past few months...we just kind of work on it when the mood strikes us, no deadline since his latest record, "The Devil Is A Busy Man" is just out (and getting great reviews). These songs started as demos on a Roland VS1680, got transfered to my computer the old fashioned way - via Hosa RCA to 1/4 8-channel snake - and loaded into

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-6309576699126283952007-12-20T11:32:00.000-06:002007-12-20T12:08:09.889-06:00

Here's a little Christmas music for you, with me on guitars and Donna Beasley on vocals and percussion. Marco Giovino joined us on drums for "The Little Drummer Boy".First up is "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", then "The Little Drummer Boy".Merry Christmas!

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-81149022007739712032007-12-11T13:15:00.000-06:002007-12-14T12:34:54.520-06:00

Well, maybe not fail, but I have been in a continuous, Dylanesque loop, waiting for verse after verse to get through, but the chorus never comes. So far.I bought a nice, fresh copy of Steinberg's Cubase 4, a software program for recording and editing digital audio. I have been using this program, and it's big brother Nuendo, on various systems for years. This nice, fresh copy did not like my

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-78868054760807312792007-11-29T09:38:00.000-06:002007-11-29T10:03:59.143-06:00

Yesterday I went to the mailbox and found an advance copy of Duke Levine's latest record, "Beneath the Blue". I met Duke while I was working at the Gibson Custom Shop and he was playing guitar with Mary Chapin Carpenter. This is his fourth instrumental solo album, the others being "Nobody's Home", "Country Soul Guitar" and "Lava". Fans of instrumental guitar music should have all of them, and you

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10609354.post-58111756763973346732007-11-18T20:17:00.000-06:002007-11-18T22:38:55.433-06:00

I spent the last couple of days in Baltimore, for a LeAnn Rimes show at the 1st Mariner Arena. My friend Andy Rubin owns a book store, -The Baltimore Chop -and a glass-blowing company there, and is also co-owner of the 31 Tigers record label. We had a chance to hang out before, during and after the gig.Diner was at the excellent The Brewer's Art, a brew pub housed in an old mansion. Great food (I

Tom Spauldingnoreply@blogger.com3