about the album

So here's the story...

I had a band years ago, a great one, but I gave it up. I stopped playing music; I stopped writing songs and telling stories through music. Not that I meant to give it up; I was just focused on a different kind of storytelling… film. 
 
I found myself picking up the guitar again because I couldn’t afford to license someone else’s music for a film I had written and was directing called ‘The Drummer’. So, I had to come up with my own original soundtrack. Enter George Petit, my very good friend and occasional music partner since college. Together we wrote the film’s signature song, ‘Crescent Moon’, and our collaboration helped the film, and me, in so many ways. It deepened the experience for me and I think for the audience as well. So much so that the film went on to win multiple awards at film festivals around the world. 
 
After that, I couldn’t put the guitar down. My family and I started spending time in this very special country cottage up in the Hudson Valley. The vibe there was so incredible that I found myself constantly playing my guitar and writing songs… honest songs. And I was having an absolute blast.
 
I showed the songs to George and he got excited. Of course, he knew exactly what to add to the ones that needed work. Suddenly, I found myself saying I’m ready to get out there with a band and play these tunes. George was all over it.
 
Enter Jeremy Beck, the keyboard phenomenon, Phil Palombi, bassist extraordinaire, and Stephen Purcell, the ‘pocket’ man. George would be large and in charge on electric guitar and I would play the songs as I wrote them, on acoustic. We had our band.
 
We rehearsed 7 of the songs then performed them live in front of a packed house at New York City’s The Bitter End on June 21, 2016. It was scary as hell, but more importantly it was some serious fun!!! It was time to commit to the next step… recording.
 
A month later the five of us holed up for 5 days in a wonderful recording studio in Rhinebeck, NY called The Clubhouse where we laid down the basic tracks and keyboard and percussion overdubs for the 9 songs that would appear on the album. By this time, George had moved to Stowe, Vermont. He was producing the album so I went to Stowe for 3 days to do all my vocal tracks (great place to record by the way). During those sessions I was turned on to an amazing singer, Kat Wright. We had to have her on the album! Thankfully, she said yes. We set up a couple of days of sessions at a wonderful new studio in Vermont called Meadowlark Studio and Kat came in and slayed it!
 
Then we sent our roughs to the incomparable David Mann to arrange and play the horn tracks. What David sent back blew our minds and raised the bar for the entire project. David Mann is the Man!
 
Well, that’s when George the guitar virtuoso went to work! He deepened every track adding passion, emotion, delicacy, fire and his superb craftsmanship. As a songwriter, I am so incredibly fortunate to have an artist like George supporting my work so completely. Thank you Brother George.
 
Then came the mix. Again… Thank you Brother George! 
 
And finally, the mastering was done by a gifted artist who lives and works in Brazil, Mauricio Gargel. Thank you Mauricio!
 
So, that’s how we got here. I really hope you enjoy it!
 
If you want to know more, let me know… Because believe me, there are stories to tell!
 
Big up!
Bill

Album Tryptic Text

All songs by Bill Block (WBWB Publishing, BMI) except ‘Woman In The Window’, ‘King Of The World’ and ‘Walking Waste Of Time’ by Bill Block and George Petit (JEITO Publishing, ASCAP) © 2017.

Produced, recorded and mixed by George Petit Assisted by Mike Dwyer, Joe Capps, Luke Young Tracked at The Clubhouse Studio, Rhinebeck, NY; Meadowlark Studio, Vermont; Downtown Studios, NY; Petitjazz Studio, Vermont Mixed entirely ITB at Petitjazz Studio, Vermont Mastered by Mauricio Gargel Photos by John Scott Album and Website Design by Justin Danforth

The producer wishes to thank... Roger Sadowsky and Sadowsky Guitars, LsL Guitars, Rutters Guitars, Santa Cruz Guitar Company, Fuchs Amplification, Henriksen Amplifiers, Joshua Thomas, Rupert Neve Design, sE microphones, SPL, Grado Headphones, Dynaudio and Søren Winther, Voodoo Lab, La Bella Strings, Ron Ellis, Steve and Troy at Wildwood Guitars, Joe Ferla for the inspiration and friendship “In addition, George wishes to thank Bill for the project, the confidence and support, the fun, the incredible writing and constant positivity, the humor and bretherenness, but over all of this, the decades of friendship, collaboration and love...and whatnot.”