PRODUCTION NOTES

IN THE WAY OF THE WATER was recorded at Blackbird Studio D and Blackbird Studio H in November 2015 and January 2016 respectively. The first track HELP ME is my own as a personal prayer to some higher power as I travel on my spiritual journey. I have been often afraid to ask for help, and I need it. Don’t we all? THE CORNERS OF A SOUL came out of me thinking about the mistakes I’ve made in my life, as well as the actions in my experience of which I am most proud. I carry them all around all the time, they live together inside and shape who I am. THE TWO OF US written with Tim and Angela Lauer is a was featured in the TV show THE FOSTERS. I’ve always loved the lyric of the song “What shall we do with the two of us?” - It makes me think of two happy people who feel so grateful to be together, and it makes me smile. CURVES is a song I wrote for our daughter, Viva, who has scoliosis. She had to wear a big uncomfortable brace for over a year when she was an adolescent, and I felt so deeply for her and wished she didn’t have to go through the ordeal. It was very tough for a young teenage girl, but there are valuable lessons in the challenges we face. SOME LOSS was written as I continue to explore loss given the death of my brother Terrence. We never let go of loss, and it affects me in different ways each day. I continue to try and understand it and learn from loss. IN THE WAY OF THE WATER comments on the challenges around saying what we need to say and not holding it in, which can build up as dangerous resentment. I believe healthy communication is a key to life. I have struggled with this and have focused on the practice of nonviolent communication over the past five years-a difficult but tremendously rewarding practice.

There were dynamite performances from all of the musicians on this project; VICTOR INDRIZZO on drums blew me away on every tune, especially on IN THE WAY OF THE WATER and his delicate playing on SOME LOSS is an amazing example of his musicality. This was the first time VICTOR INDRIZZO and TONY LUCIDO recorded together; a rhythm section from heaven. JERRY MCPHERSON’S guitar playing serves a song as creatively as any guitar player on the planet; as evidenced by his work on SOME LOSS and CORNERS OF A SOUL. KRIS DONEGAN’S bending sort-of-single note solo on HELP ME is a highlight for me as well. BOBBY CAMPBELL came up with some numerous super-cool synth sounds that helped lay the foundation for this album.