This is the morning of my departure from Nashville.

I arrived here on Monday night the 7th, and between then and now I've immersed myself in this town. Coming to Nashville was a culture shock. Everyone I hung out with seemed to speak a different language. I felt very small most of these past two weeks and really only felt in my element when facing the microphones and recording the tracks. I wasn't the reason why all these great session players were gathering; the songs were the reason. This whole recording event became a team effort with Bil VornDick as mediator.

On Nashville being a different culture, take Bil VornDick as an example. If I asked Bil a question about something he more often than not replied with a story. For some reason I had to think twice about the simplest things that he said. If only I had a more grasping memory I could have absorbed half the history of the recording industry of Nashville by what he spoke of. All the famous names. His first hand stories of American music icons. Bil is really just a regular guy. Not rolling in dough, not a fancy house (though he drives a nice car). I guess he's spent his career gravitating toward jobs that have been more satisfying than anything else, and has been rewarded with winning Grammies and countless other awards for his producing and engineering with folks like Allison Krauss, Bela Fleck, Mark O'Connor, Jerry Douglas, Maura O'Connell, and that's just the tip of the iceberg! Making records is Bil's trade and acoustic music is his forte'. That's what I was there to do.

Tuesday and was spent in pre-production, drawing up charts and talking arrangements with Bil. That evening he and I went to an IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) function. It was basically a schmooze-fest for all the Nashville music elite. Saw a bunch of bands play. Met Bela Fleck and Future Man, the Flecktone's percussionist (Future Man was very cool, so enthusiastic). Met Maura O'Connell. Listened to BR4-25, an amazing rockabilly band. Wednesday was more charting and arranging.

Then Thursday, the sessions began. Chances are a good many of you have listened to these session players without being aware of it. First is Kenny Malone: the groove master himself. This guy is the real thing. Kenny has played sessions with damn near everybody, too many to name. He is a totally joyful spirit. Kenny walks, lives and breathes rhythm. He's 60 odd years old yet he seemed the youngest of us all. What an absolute privilege to work with Kenny. My favorite image of Kenny is watching him through the isolation booth window during tracking. Every part of him moving in some circular motion, grooving and turning and being the music itself.

Next on both acoustic and electric bass comes Viktor Krauss, Allison Krauss's brother. An impeccable player. You all have heard him with Lyle Lovett, Jerry Douglas, and others I'm sure. Then comes Robert Bolin on fiddle, mandolin, and guitar. Robert is a national champion on all three of those instruments and toured with Bill Monroe for three years. The amazing thing to me about these guys is that they walked into the session not knowing me from Adam, yet after reading the charts and running through the songs a couple of times they played like they'd known the songs all their lives. And I write some quirky-ass songs. It didn't seemed to phase them (too much). I get the feeling it kind of gave them something to do...something to pay attention to.

I think my favorite story of this odyssey (odd essay?) yes, well....and also my most relaxed time was hitting the town Saturday night. Bil told me to check out Second Avenue and Broadway so that's where I went. Second Avenue was cool, but the most fun was a string of bars on Broadway. I must have waltzed through half a dozen venues in the space of an hour hearing a complete assortment of real Nashville music. Country, roots, rockabilly, whatever...I can't name it all. Then I walked into this dive of a place that had a bazillion cowboy boots on display for sale called Roberts, and there was this big young guy sitting on a stool playing the living holy blazing daylights out of his Strat, he was backing up this trio: acoustic guitar, bass, drums that were pretty much just playing standards. This guy was breathing new life into these all-too-familiar songs. Well, I had to get a beer and plant myself for awhile. For the next half hour I sat with my jaw to my knees listening to this kid play. When the set was over I walked right up to him, complimented him, and asked him his name. "Johnny Hiland" he replied with a "thank you" right back. I said in parting that I hoped to hear him again sometime soon.

So the next day at Bil's I'm telling him about my night and about Johnny. Bil looks at me and says, "that's the kid I've been telling you about, he's coming in on Monday to play on your record." That made my day to say the least.

Monday rolls around and Johnny comes in with Mac, his manager, and we put him to Lazy John and Troy and had a truly great time. A magical session. There's something about Johnny that's real special. He's 24 years old, a heavy kid, and half blind, with something very evocative about him. He's so sweet, so friendly, and so very talented. The world's gonna know 'bout this dude.

I haven't yet mentioned various occurrences of Murphy's Law during this time. The storm and power outage during tracking on Thursday. The malfunctioning of the timing code on the tape that blew the early session on Monday. My own personal emotional crud that seems to surface when in the vulnerable space of recording. Not being happy with some tracks while being elated to tears with others. With some perspective I realize this is the nature of the beast.

As it stands right now I'm leaving Nashville with a cassette of this album about 75% done. Bil is going to have a session with Jerry Douglas, and one with Tim O'Brien (unfortunately in my absence). Then the plan is he'll come up to Massachusetts in August and we'll put down Lui's vocals and some of Rose Sinclair's accordion. In September we'll mix and master it. Then Bil is gonna go label shopping with it, and on that I won't yet speculate.

At the moment I'm calling this album The Trade or Counting Freights, but we'll see...I'm hoping that it'll be out and available in January or February. I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime my summer is beginning. I'm off to pick up my son in Asheville, NC and head back to Massachusetts. I think we are gonna do some fishing or baseball or other summer father-son things.

Keep in touch. Say hello through my guestbook page. See ya' when I tour in your town. Have a great summer everybody!
Dana