Special for the Peek at the Peak Magazine

I could see the lights of Nashville’s airport below. Soon we would land in the capital of country music. The serious work of producing "It’s all in the Touch" would start in the morning. I was excited, anxious for the recording sessions to get underway.

The idea for the country & western CD was hatched at Greasewood Flat – near Pinnacle Peak - where I am the regular singer on weekend evenings. It had been several months since Tom Hays and I had first discussed creating the CD. Tom is a producer, knew people in Nashville and had written songs that he wanted me to record. I was anxious to record some songs that I’d written.

Following our initial conversation at Greasewood, Tom and I spent several months reviewing songs, and selecting a recording studio in Nashville. We were in Nashville was to meet the owner of the recording studio and do most of the recording work for the CD.

After our arrival in Nashville, Tom and I met with Larry Beaird, the owner of the recording studio. Larry, a much-sought-after acoustic guitarist, has worked with many country notables including Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.

Before coming to Nashville, I had sung and taped all the songs that were to be included on the CD. The tape had been sent to Larry Beaird, who after listening to the music became very enthusiastic about doing the recording. At this first meeting, Larry, Tom and I spent hours listening to and discussing each song. As we talked, Larry mapped the various vocal and instrumental parts. Then we went to the recording studio and started to work.

The first sessions were devoted to recording the various instrumental parts. The studio had hired professional "session musicians" - a pedal guitarist, bass guitarist, electric guitarist, fiddle player, and piano player. I was ecstatic that Beard had decided to handle the acoustic guitar work himself. After the instrumental parts were recorded, the studio recorded me singing all the songs.

Later Tom and I returned to Nashville for additional sessions at the studio. We met the singer who would do the harmony for the CD. He listened to the completed recordings and went to work on the songs that involved him. When he was finished, Tom and I sat with the studio engineer as he "mixed" the CD – blending the recording of my voice, the band’s recording and the backup singer’s recording - for every song.

The CD was "mastered" by A.H.A Productions in Nashville. Mastering, the meticulous process of ensuring the highest quality sound and presentation, is done by an engineer using a computer. Once mastering had been completed the CD was ready to be pressed and copied for distribution.

Scottsdale has played an important part in the creation of "It’s all in the Touch". I graduated from Chaparral High School before attending ASU and graduating from NAU. While in college I performed at clubs in Tempe and Flagstaff. Since then I’ve performed at resorts in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Rawhide, Reata Pass Steakhouse, Pinnacle Peak Patio, as a regular at Greasewood Flat, and at private parties. A recent highlight was traveling to Boulder, Colorado to perform at the home of Gary Barnett, the famous head coach of the Colorado University’s football team.

Many of the songs on the "It’s all in the Touch" CD stem from Scottsdale-related experiences. "Ain’t Going to Let Her Go" is about Carrie, my wife. I met her in Scottsdale. "Streets of Jerome" was inspired by my late uncle, who was often visited my parent’s home in Scottsdale. "Herradura" is about late friend, and regular at Greasewood. "Inclement Weather" is about a Scottsdale friend.

We’ve produced 1,000 copies of the CD, which will be available at Greasewood Flat and on my Web site by the end of January. And, we are promoting the CD in Nashville. Hopefully, the music will strike the right chord with listeners. After all, it's "All in the Touch!"