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When I was 17 - it was a very good year - actually that was the year I met Jim Manley. Throughout the past almost 30 years Jim a I played music together at conferences, camps, churches and gatherings all over the place!. We spent a couple summers touring around the southwest in an old Plymouth, pickin, singing and driving. His friendship meant as much to a 17 year old trying to make his way in the world, as it does to a 47 year old trying to make his way. Jim’s music is indelibly stamped on my soul, and the many recording projects we’ve done together bring back fun memories.
This year, Jim asked me to work with him on a new project. We hadn’t done any recording together in years, and I jumped at the opportunity for a new musical challenge, and a chance to try out my new ProTools digital recording equipment. This is the result!
First Light is a collection of 19 songs - most new, at least one classic (Gypsy Queen) - that range from story songs, to worship music, to family and beyond. Jim is a folk singer who blends catchy, user-friendly melodies, with interesting chords, and rich, insightful (and sometimes funny) lyrics. This recording is as eclectic as they come. It’s a blend of good solid rhythmic foundation, Jim’s distinctive vocals, a little jazz feel here and there, some tasty flute by Judy Manley, a little Hammond B3, a digeredoo (look it up), and some cameo appearances from . . . well you get the CD and find out for yourself.
I dusted off a bunch of the instruments that decorate my office, tuned ‘em up and played them on this project. Here’s the list for those who care.
Meantime - go to Jim’s Website www.manleymusic.com - check it out and get yourself some!
Acoustics
1967 Gibson SJ Country Western Dreadnought (acoustic lead/rhythm)
1995 Gibson Everly Bros Model (acoustic rhythm)
1955 Martin 000-18 (Strathdee's old Martin) (hi-strung rhythm)
1952 Martin 00-28G (classical 6 string)
1987 Taylor 850 12 String (12 string rhythm)
1929 Stahl Flatback Mandolin (mandolin)
1980 Kamaka 6 string Tenor Ukulele (Face is So Familiar)
Electrics
1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom (Lead - Rainbow)
1983 Gibson ES347 (thin hollow body electric) (Lead - Sultry)
1944 Gibson ES150 (F hole jazz w/pickup) (Lead-TTB, rhythm - TTB, Sultry)
1979 Yamaha BB1200 Bass (all bass)
Keyboards
1954 Hammond B2 w/Trek II percussion, Leslie 50C (all organ)
1996 Alesis Quadrasynth + Piano (some flutes, piano, synth pad, steel drums)
Other Things
Remo Djembe Drum (Street Music)
Gourd Kalimba of unkown origin (Street Music)
Rhythm Tech Tambourine (all tambourine)
Electronics
Roland R-8 MK-II Rhythm Composer (all drum kit parts, log drum - Empty Jar)
Line 6 - Guitar POD - amp simulator (all electric guit and most bass)
Line 6 - Bass POD - amp simulator (most bass parts)
Recording Equipment
Pro Tools 24 track hardware/software running on Macintosh G3
Recorded at 44.1, 24bit
Waves Real Time Audio Suite Plugins (signal processing)
Audio Technica 4050, 4051, Sony C37A microphones
Behringer Ultragain Pro -tube microphone preamps
Remote recording (sax, fiddle, pennywhistle) recorded on Roland VS880
Tannoy Monitors
Converted to 16 bit for CD mastering using Waves L1+ / IDR™
Mastered on Digidesign Master List CD Pro
Plextor Flexwriter 8/2/20 CD writer