…We Ain’t Tired Yet (2000)
Label: Ratamaque Records
Artist: Brown
Featuring: Chris Masi (Vox/Guitar/Synth/Drum Programming), Chris Buono (Guitar/Sounds), Andy Voelker (Alto and Soprano Saxes/Horn Arrangements), Andy Citkowicz (Tenor Sax), Vince Bergamo (Synth/Hammond), Ryan Thompson (Bass), John Mikhail (Drums)
For more information: www.myspace.com/brownlive
At the turn of the century I started appearing on recorded works. Be it with bands I’ve been in, artists I’ve worked with as a sideman or simply as a guest it’s been a 20 year (and counting) run that’s produced a discography I can live with. It all started with this double CD release back in 2000 with Brown – a local band based out of the area I grew up in on the Jersey Shore. That all said, I feel like I’m just getting started and the best is yet to come.
Previous to my tenure with Brown I made a concerted effort to shift my career focus to NYC. Upon graduation from William Paterson College in 1995 I landed in Seawaren, NJ – a home base that afforded me an easy drive to New Brunswick and New York City. Between my time with Burgundy and D’Tripp I grew immensely both as a player and performer. The musicians and the music were inspiring in every way and the gigs as well as the traveling were life changing. Though as good as it seemed on the outside, I hit a wall around 1998 and moved back to the Shore.
From the fall of ’98 to the tail end of the century I hunkered down with Brown and redefined my playing. What you’ll read below will outline the details. In the end I’m thankful for the platform Brown gave me and I treasure the lifelong friendships that were made.
Na Na Song
I played on many of the tunes throughout both Brown CDs back around late ’98 or early ’99. This was right after I committed to the effects quest I’ve been on ever since. This tune marks the first time I ever recorded with my infamous whammy-pedal-meets-analog synth-pitch-wheel sound, albeit the only track I did so with a Fulltone Full Drive 2 driving the front end of my Whammy II. The intro opens up with my at-the-time newly acquired vintage Small Stone phaser and the verses feature the Whammy and a Boss OC-2 for the response licks in-between the vocals. I actually entered this solo in a Guitar Center sponsored contest where you could play with Steve Vai for a tune when he came to town. I came in the top three along with Jake Ezra Schwartz of Van Davis and we were both beat by the late Bernie B. of B.B. and the Stingers. God rest that brother’s soul.
Let’s Get Down
‘Let’s Get Down’ opens with that Small Stone phaser. I loved that pedal. It sounded so chewy and awesome. Coupled with a Boss delay and a volume pedal I was able to create what would become one of my sonic trademarks – something I call “clouds”. Check out 4:00 in and you’ll hear it. Other fun moments are the intro (again props to the Small Stone as well as a whammy bar), the little lick I do in the verses with a Whammy pedal and some punch comping and the interplay between myself and the bandleader, Chris Masi, at 2:28.
Slow Baby
Slow Baby marks an early stage in my becoming an effects guy. It was an early freak out experiment with the zany ideas that were in my head. It was also around the time myself and Chris Masi bought every Lovetone pedal in one order. Opening those boxes was a great day, lemme tell ya. Throughout the tune you’ll hear varying combinations of the following: Lovetone Meatball, Ring Stinger, and Wobulator; Z.Vex Fuzz Factory, a vintage Electro-Harmonix Micro-Synth, Boss DD-2, DM-3, and DD-3 delays … and maybe more!
New Day (Good Times Are Today)
On rare occasions I get to play acoustic and this is one. Though a bit buried, the arrangement I threw together was real nice as was everything in this tune. The axe I played was a Taylor 812c miked at the sound hole with a condenser I can’t recall. Kick-ass trumpet player Steve Jankowski mixed both CDs and out of nowhere dropped a flugelhorn solo on this tune. It was perfect. The final section of this tune finds some cool delay drenched tricks followed three phat-ass chords put through a Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotoshpere (first version).
