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This is my very first solo record and attempt at making music on a broad scale. I ve tried to solidify some concepts and make music that is truly my own. If you re listening, I hope you enjoy it. 1. The Bishop this is a tune done in the style of Dr. Dan Matrazzo, whom I played with when I lived in Atlanta. The clav, Wurlitzer, Prophet 5 pad, and Moog processing is signature Dan. The song form is also loosely borrowed from the Doctor. On a tune like this, we would vamp on the ending section for a while... 2. The Road Home this tune was written about the trip from San Francisco to my former home in Sonoma. The intro describes the crazy downhill section once you cross the Golden Gate from Sausalito down to Mill Valley. Once you get to Mill Valley, the terrain levels out and it s more of a sane journey up to the Wine Country. The sharp B3 organ hits represent brake lights that you encounter on the freeway. 3. Popcorn Colonel I was given the nickname the Colonel by my good friend Saul Kaye. He has a nickname for everyone, and he nicknamed me kernel when I told him I don t really dig popcorn, and it evolved into Colonel . The song s mostly 16th notes at a pretty good tempo, so the sound fits, coincidentally. 4. Crescent City Ditty New Orleans. Everyone has strong feelings about the place, even if they ve never visited. Well, I lived there for about 3 months, and I developed a love/hate relationship with the place. Loved the music, hated the place. This tune was written before I even decided to move to NOLA and was originally inspired by the Charlie Hunter tune Fistful of Haggis . 5. Dance of the Robots this is the very first tune that I wrote, produced, and played all the instruments. This is where the seed was planted for the melody being played by 3 guitars in harmony, which seems to be becoming my signature sound. My good friend Joseph Patrick Moore inspired me to get the equipment and music together to produce a record. Hats off to you, Joseph! 6. Dying Flower- a slower, more introspective tune inspired (again) by Charlie Hunter. He s a pretty big influence on my writing despite the fact that I ve never really studied his music. He s the next Scofield, but he s taken Sco s concept to a new place. It s in two sections, the first being the slow, reflective part; the second section is a little brighter, representing the cycle of life regeneration process. I m sure Charlie would ve used great jazz harmonies on a tune like this. 7. Desert Road this melody came to me in New Mexico/Arizona when I was traveling across the country, moving from New Orleans to Sonoma. The melody was so strong that I recorded the tune months later and didn t have any trouble remembering it. It s a beautiful part of the world, and I tried to capture that in this guitar duo. I thought about subtitling it Land of Enchantment . 8. Memorial A song dedicated to all beings that are not on this Earth anymore (specifically ones that I came in contact with). A short, sweet statement with a slight nod to Pat Metheny (who, in my opinion, is one of the greatest composers in 20th/21st century music).