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!

MAX, Keke Palmer, AM!R record in the Mezzanine

The inimitable Keke Palmer and MAX stopped by the studios with fellow artist and engineer AM!R this week to record vocals for a new MAX track. The session was held over an afternoon in our Mezzanine studio and recorded by Dubway engineer Zac Suskevich, and from the sounds of things was a very productive and fun time.

MAX is an up-and-coming pop star, hailed by iHeartRadio, Billboard, and GQ as one to watch –click here to watch & listen. Keke Palmer is a singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer known for Akeelah and the Bee, True Jackson, VP, and releases on the Atlantic, Interscope, and Columbia record labels. In addition to his own solo material, AM!R has produced for artists including Sia and Panic! At The Disco.

Stay tuned for new music coming from Keke soon, and in the meantime, check out one of our favorite Keke Palmer moments of the past year.

Violinist Susan Keser records for new CD

Susan Keser, courtesy of the artist.

Local concert violinist and performer Susan Keser has been recording tracks for her next CD at Dubway! Susan has been recording at Dubway for years and we always love having her in the studios. These sessions have primarily been violin covers of popular and classical musics, with Dubway engineer Keenan DuBois recording and Susan and her business partner (and husband!) producing.

You can find her CDs on her website, linked above, and if you live in New York, you can find her in Central Park busking, performing in venues, and at private events.

Liddy Clark continues work at Dubway West

We’ve written previously about singer Liddy Clark’s sessions at Dubway West, where she’s been hard at work with head engineer Chris Montgomery on the followup to her breakout EP and singles. The singer/songwriter has continued work at our LA studios in the new year – but this time she’s got the band in tow.

Liddy’s studio crew includes Devon Eisenbarger on guitar (Katy Perry), Kyle Whalum on bass (Katy Perry), and Eman Cervantes on drums (Gwen Stefani). Producer Mark Siegel helped assemble the band, and kept things running smooth during the session.

You can find more about Liddy and the sessions in our earlier post or on Liddy’s website (above). Great sessions so far!

Cellist Ben Larson records with composer Kevin Dolan at Dubway

We recently had the joy of recording new music by composer Kevin Dolan, with cellist Ben Larson performing and coordinating strings, and Kevin conducting. Dubway recording engineer Zach Grappone sat behind the boards for this session, and the group, together with a full string quartet of players, had what sounded like a very fruitful session, managing to record a tenor vocal track in addition to the planned material for the day.

Both Kevin and Ben are extremely active figures in the New York new music and contemporary chamber music worlds, known for writing and performing (respectively) challenging and diverse new works by living composers (Kevin included!). You can find them at the regular chamber series, Concerts on the Slope or at the website linked above, and keep your eyes out for this recording, among others, coming soon!

Ben Larson, courtesy of the artist.

Liddy Clark, Mark Siegel record at Dubway West

Liddy on the mic.

Singer/songwriter Liddy Clark and producer/songwriter Mark Siegel have been keeping the Dubway West staff – and particularly lead engineer Chris Montgomery – busy over the last few weeks. Both artists are working on new music after strong years in 2019. Liddy is coming off her well-reviewed EP in 2018 and a recent single this year, and is back in the studio tracking vocals with Mark, who has been hard at work on recent releases by Megan Davies, Seaforth, and Jackie Castro, producing the recordings.

Keep your eyes out for these songs at the links above, and give Chris and the Dubway West team a call for your next project!

Mark Siegel in the control room at Dubway West.

David Snyder records cast album in the Mezzanine

Composer Charles Bloom and director David Snyder recorded vocalists for a cast album – Pablo, a musical biopic of the life of Pablo Picasso – in our Mezzanine studios this past month. Dubway engineer Violette Furton oversaw the recording process from behind the console, spending several days working on this music alongside Charlie and David in the control room and the talented musicians in the live rooms.

Pablo is written by Charles Bloom – both music and lyrics – and produced and directed by David Snyder. This team has worked together on many other projects, including Insomnia in 2004.

Look for Pablo soon as CD release, or listen to the previous recording at the top link above.