4:25 PM on May. 9, 2008
Day two of pre-production has everyone kicking into high gear and getting serious about arrangements of songs and the order of events to come. Danny Flowers showed up early on (again, if you don’t know who this is get to your Google and do your homework – another extraordinary talent visiting and offering support) with a couple of guitars (a National and a tri-cone) that Monte had been thinking about using on a track. Danny just happened to have the goods needed. Hey it is Music City. Bruce MacKay (guitar tech extraordinaire and all around good guy) took possession of the guitars to get them ready for Monte if and when that time comes for use in the studio. Danny also brought a small body acoustic that Monte has something special in mind for. Dean Norman has the room tweaked and the guys start playing music. The set up is essentially full circle with Monte, Phil, and David all facing one another with John Billings rounding out the circle with ideas flowing and notebook in hand. As I look around the room I realize everyone there at that moment is not only a musician, but a good one in their own right. Musicians speaking in musical terms, sharing ideas, and then trying them out. It’s a creative process that is not only enlightening but inspiring at the same time.
Monte and the guys tear through a number of songs with John listening intently to every note, all the while making notes of his own. Most often a discussion breaks out at the end of each song that leads to test driving possible changes in the song. Occasionally a song ends and everyone in the room knows it is right just the way it is. That’s when the jokes and laughter comes into play. It’s obvious everyone knows they’re on to and are a part of something very special.
A little bit of footage was shot today. Tomorrow the cameras start rolling full time. And everything will be captured.
It’s Cinco de Mayo, the day has been extremely productive and all are off to Las Palmas for Mexican food.
Tomorrow will be a busy day.
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