Silvana Chu records Schubert in the Mezzanine

Mezzo-soprano Silvana Chu brought the lovely sounds of Schubert’s “Ave Maria” to the Mezzanine. With Dubway engineer Zach Grappone at the boards, Chu breezed through the session, getting smoothly through one of Schubert’s most famous works. Chu recorded both video and music during this session, something we are always happy to offer for artists who need material for future potential reels, applications, or other documentation purposes.

Silvana Chu has performed all over the world and with some of the most prestigious ensembles, in some of the city’s (and world’s) great concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, The Lincoln Center, and more. You can listen to Chu’s voice at the above link, where you can also find press and contact info.

Engineer Zach Grappone and Mezzo-soprano Silvana Chu hard at work at the SSL.

Fort Tryon Park Trust records jazz quartet for 85th anniversary celebration

Fort Tryon Park Trust recently celebrated their 85th anniversary with a filmed recording of a jazz quartet, playing in the namesake park. Longtime Dubway friend Chris Piazza of PanopticonNYC collaborated with us again to capture the performance, with Piazza filming and Dubway engineer Zach Grappone handling the location recording.

It was a beautiful day for the recording, as evidenced by the photos! A great band, great location, and a great day for it–you can’t ask for much better than that. Happy 85th, Fort Tryon Park!

"It's A Tough Time To Be A Street Musician With A 900-Pound Piano"

Photo courtesy September Dawn Bottoms via The New York Times.

Colin Huggins, a Dubway client we love, just got a write up in the Times. Huggins is a street piano performer who plays a heavy Steinway (of the piece’s title) in Washington Square Park, and we’ve been fortunate to work with him on some of his previous albums of original music.

Like almost all musicians and performers, street musicians are acutely suffering from the economic effects of the pandemic, and the article is a moving and sometimes bleak look into the life of a performing musician during COVID.

You can listen to Huggins’ music here, or send a donation here.

John Morton records strings in the Mezzanine

John Morton, courtesy newmusicusa.org.

Composer John Morton, whose manipulation of music boxes, use of natural spaces, and large-scale installation works have earned him press from NPR and The New York Times, returned to our Mezzanine studio last month for a spirited session of strings and real-time electronic processing.

Morton is a lifelong musician with a curious ear for new sounds. His studies began under composer David Sheinfeld, and later continued at the California Institute of the Arts under Morton Subotnick and Lucky Mosko. Morton’s work has been described as being in dialogue with other 20th century instrument manipulators like Conlon Nancarrow and John Cage.

Dubway engineer Russell Castiglione monitored the board as Morton and his players created the sound-world of the piece, routing the string instruments into Morton’s laptop for real-time processing using Max/MSP, a ubiquitous tool for sound artists and composers looking for live electronic manipulation of sounds (and video, and just about every other conceivable form of data).

Check out some photos from the session below, and stay tuned for an upcoming release!

“SongCraft Presents: Dom Flemons” named official selection of 15th Annual Macon Film Festival

EMMY-nominated PBS series SongCraft Presents‘ most recent episode included a significant amount of material produced and recorded at Dubway, and we’re thrilled to announce that Good Old Days has been named an official selection of the 15th Annual Macon Film Festival!

The episode deals with the controversial history of Emmett Miller, a blackface-minstrelsy musician who was extremely influential to the sound of country music–specifically Merle Haggard and outlaw country–in the 20th century. The titular song, “Good Old Days,” was written by the show’s host Ben Arthur and noted songwriter Dom Flemons (of the Carolina Chocolate Drops), and recorded in Macon’s Grand Opera House. You can read more about Flemons’ feelings on the legacy of Emmett Miller on The American Songster’s site here.

This episode was produced in collaboration with Dubway Studios, who’ve enjoyed a long relationship with the always-interesting Ben Arthur and his myriad projects. Dubway engineers recorded the music on-location, as well as the production audio used throughout the film.

Congratulations to all involved, and best of luck at the festival!

Rho & The Nomads take over the Mezz for a (masked) recording

Local reggae and soul outfit Rho & The Nomads recently donned masks and spread out in our Mezzanine studio for an all-day showcase of horns and guitar tracking. Recordings were led by Dubway engineer Russell Castiglione on the boards, and produced by bandleader Rho in the control room.

We’ve loved working with Rho and the band, who are always a joy to have in the studio. You can check out Rho & The Nomads summery cut “Flesh & Blood”, above, and stay tuned for new music!

Richard Kogan finishes new piece with producer Thomas Mowrey

Dr. Richard Kogan with a bracing image of the great Leonard Bernstein.

Acclaimed performer, psychiatrist, and lecturer Richard Kogan returned to Dubway this past month for work on the new video presentation of one of his celebrated lecture-recitals, which is now out and viewable below!

Dr. Kogan and his longtime producer-collaborator Thomas Mowrey–an extraordinary classical producer with a long career at Deutsche Grammaphon and Decca–have created a series of these visual documents with the Dubway team, which transport the viewer into Kogan’s engrossing lecture-recitals on the psychology of famous composers in the Western art-music canon. This edition focused on Leonard Bernstein’s life and works, with a particular interest in West Side Story. Dubway editor and engineer Pascal McGilvray-Guard helmed the video editing; staff engineer Keenan DuBois led the audio post-production and mix.

Dr. Kogan has presented his programs on the psychological origins of musical creativity at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including the World Economic Forum in Davos and Rockefeller University, in New York. 

Dr. Kogan presenting to a packed house at Rockefeller University.

Dave Soldier's "Zajal" receives praise

Longtime Dubway-affiliated artist, composer, and all-around excellent musician Dave Soldier recently put out the excellent album Zajal on his Mulatta Records imprint, available here. And here’s an entertaining sample.

Soldier’s album is a massive ensemble affair, recorded with Dubway engineers Sam Palumbo and Diego Demarco and painstakingly overdubbed and assembled with a cast of skilled and adventurous musicians too long to list here.

Reviews for Zajal, which help do it more justice than we can, can be found here, here, and here.

“A fusion listen of the highest degree, Soldier has dabbled in countless genres in lengthy career, including blues, R&B and punk, but here he’s outdone himself on the first truly fascinating record of 2020 where klezmer, flamenco and Greek ideas, to name a few, are part of inimitable formula.“

Congratulations to Dave and the many many players and personnel involved!

Rick Cutler album completed, scheduled for July 24th release

Longtime friend of the studio Rick Cutler has finished work on his next album, Women & Children, and set a release date for July 24th! This album has seen work from several of Dubway’s engineers throughout its recording, mixing, and mastering, but we’d be remiss to not mention the efforts of Sam Palumbo, who mixed the project, and Dubway co-founder Mike Crehore, who mastered the CD.

You can find ordering information at Rick’s site, linked above. Congratulations to all involved!

"Piper And The Dots" receives Recommended Winner at Parent's Choice Awards 2020

Piper And The Dots, an interactive podcast brimming with excellent music and sounds, has just received the Recommended Winner nod from the Parent’s Choice Awards for their 2020 season! We’re thrilled to see this excellent project getting recognition.

This podcast, for children ages 3-12, is the result of a collaboration between children’s content platform Pinna, Dubway Studios, and Dubway’s sister organization Rhumba Recorders. The show was directed by Dubway alum and head Rhumba wiz Michael Rubin, with Dubway handling recording and additional production, including the recording of the musical elements, written by the prolific composer and jazz musician Doug Weiselman. Each of the show’s characters is sonified by an instrument, and their interplay is delightful, educational, and fun.

If you’d like to listen to a clip, you can check out the first episode (and all other episodes) on the Pinna site. Congratulations to all involved!

Virtual Dubway West tour from head engineer Chris Montgomery

#TBT: Kronos Quartet and the New York Times, “Inside The Quartet”

To keep spirits up while the studios are quieter than normal, we’re bringing back some of our favorite projects, stories, and collaborations. #TBT this week comes courtesy of the New York Times and Kronos Quartet.

This session was a real treat–an intimate, multimedia recording session with one of the world’s premier quartets, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet–and the end result reflects it! Last week we talked about Dubway’s collaboration with Warm Audio and Rozzi, and this week we have another studio collaboration, with Kronos Quartet and The New York Times, bringing you a data visualization of the quartet as they work through a piece of music. The recording took place in our downtown studio in 2014, over the course of a rainy day in the Mezzanine.

More than we can write here, this recording is deeply interesting and best learned about from the source. Take a look at the video and read the piece over at the Times’ site, and check the quartet’s website–they’re always releasing new music.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/09/22/arts/music/kronos-quartet.html

#TBT: Warm Audio and Dubway West collaboration for NAMM - Part 2

To keep spirits up while the studios are quieter than normal, we’re bringing back some of our favorite projects, stories, and collaborations. #TBT this week comes courtesy of our friends at Warm Audio and NAMM.

On our previous #TBT, we threw it back to a Dubway West recording with Foxtrails and pro-audio manufacturer Warm Audio that we did for the Warm Audio booth at last year’s National Association of Music Merchants annual trade show. In this part-two, we’re remembering another recording from the same set of sessions, with LA singer Rozzi and Dubway West lead engineer/producer Chris Montgomery showing just how good the Warm Audio mics can sound on a great singer.

Richard Kogan continues work at Dubway with Thomas Mowrey

Lecturer, pianist, and physician Richard Kogan returned to Dubway with his regular collaborator, Grammy-Award winner and ex-Deutsche Grammophon producer Thomas Mowrey, to produce a short film of one of his trademark lecture-recitals on psychology and music. We wrote about Kogan and Mowrey’s previous visit here, in which they produced a similar piece on the music of Chopin.

Dubway’s creative professionals Pascal McGilvray-Guard and Keenan DuBois worked with Kogan and Mowrey to edit and mix the video and audio for the piece, respectively. Kogan’s lecture, which can be viewed below, covers the music and psychology of Tchaikovsky, and features Kogan’s magnificent piano playing and thoughtful analysis as he guides the viewer through the life of the great composer.

Dr. Kogan’s programs on the psychological origins of musical creativity in the great composers are presented at prestigious venues throughout the world, including the World Economic Forum in Davos and Rockefeller University, in New York.

#TBT: Warm Audio and Dubway West collaboration for NAMM

To keep spirits up while the studios are quieter than normal, we’re bringing back some of our favorite projects, stories, and collaborations. #TBT this week comes courtesy of our friends at Warm Audio and NAMM.

This week, we’re bringing back a series of Dubway West recordings with pro-audio manufacturer Warm Audio that we did last year for the Warm Audio booth at National Association of Music Merchants annual trade show. These sessions used all-WA microphones and outboard equipment, and the results sound great–a testament to Warm Audio’s commitment to their mission of building sonically high-end products at an accessible price point. And let’s not forget the crucial central element: LA’s Foxtrails, who are currently in the process of recording their second album. You can find their self-titled debut at their website, and hear “Merlin”, another tune that recorded at Dubway West, here. Audient, the maker of the restored console at the heart of Dubway West, also gave the sessions a nod; there is a link on their site for information about the console if you’d like to find out more technical information on the board behind these recordings.

We’ll continue the theme next week with another video from these sessions with the singer Rozzi. Stay tuned!

Rho & The Nomads track in the Mezz

New York City-based reggae and soul outfit Rho & The Nomads set up shop in our Mezzanine this past month for a busy, productive session tracking the band. The session was engineered by Dubway’s Russell Castiglione.

Rho & The Nomads includes a stellar lineup of musicians, including Dubway-associate Nick Balaban, drummer Karl Wright (pictured above), guitarist Andy Bassford, bone player Buford O’Sullivan, bassist Tim Zamboni, and more. The band managed to track drums, piano, bass, guitar, and vocals on seven songs during the all-day session – a truly impressive amount of work to get done in a single day!

Check out the band’s website above for recordings, press, and upcoming shows.

Overdubbing with Drew Young Band at Dubway

New Orleans and Nashville (and all over) musician Drew Young settled in with Dubway engineer Burgess Carleton earlier this month for a dubbing session in our Sand Suite, managing to dub piano, acoustic guitar, and vocals in a single session – no easy feat. Drew worked on new material with a crew of top-notch studio talent, including Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul, and Mary), guitarist Kevin Kuhn, songwriter Caroline Kuhn, and multi-instrumentalist Amy Lott.

Drew Young has been a performing and recording solo artist for decades and is the frontman of the aptly named Drew Young Band, who have toured extensively for twenty-odd years, in addition to his work as a songwriter, producer, and A&R professional for labels in Nashville and New Orleans.

You can check out some on Drew’s solo works here, his recordings with the band at his website above, and you can find him (with and without the band) in a city near you!

Left to right: Amy Lott, Peter Yarrow, Burgess Carleton, Drew Young, Kevin Kuhn, and Caroline Kuhn in the Dubway lobby after wrapping the session.

Dubway in the time of COVID-19

As we’ve all felt in New York and elsewhere, the novel COVID-19 disease caused by the coronavirus has rocketed through our communities, and despite containment efforts, the virus is still spreading.

Dubway is taking every precaution to make sure our staff and clients stay healthy and safe during this trying time. Part of the effort to address the spread of the virus includes assessing various remote (home) recording options. There are many varieties of remote connection, and we’re happy to collaborate in finding options that work for your production. Should you have any questions about precautionary measures we've taken and continue to take, send us an email or give us a call and we’d be happy to answer!

We know the creative community is hurting, so please reach out if you have questions or thoughts you need to share while social distancing. The office may be empty during the stay-at-home order, but we’re always reachable via email.

Stay safe, be well, be kind to each other, and we’ll see you all on the other side!

Mark Howell Singers take the Mezz

We’ve been delighted to work with Mark Howell and his amazing Mark Howell Singers, who have been in and out of our Mezzanine studio in recent weeks. Howell and his singers, all lifelong musicians involved in various spiritual music traditions, are amazing guests and equally amazing vocalists.

The session was recorded by Dubway engineer Russell Castiglione, with Howell both conducting the group in the live room and producing the recording in the control room.

Check out some photos of our most recent session below, and keep eyes on the group’s website, linked above, to hear the finished thing!

Mark Howell and his singers in action in the Mezzanine’s live room, taking advantage of the high ceilings and professional-designed acoustics.

Russell Castiglione sits back and watches the celebration from the control room after a successful take.

Evan Lurie begins new project at Dubway

Friend-of-the-studio and noted lounge lizard Evan Lurie has been hard at work on a new, secret scoring project in our studios for the past month, and will be continuing to work alongside staff engineer Zach Grappone as the project takes progressively fuller shape. Lurie has been coming in and out of Dubway for years – we worked together on one of our all-time favorite projects, Nick Jr’s long-running hit Backyardigans, in providing sound and music for the show – and has been turning out consistently impressive music for the length of his career.

While we can’t say much about the specifics of the project now, we’ll be sure to follow up with more details once we’re able to. Stay tuned!