Jimi Hendrix is one of the biggest reasons I do what I do. I remember exactly where I was when I first heard him, and within seconds, I was enthralled (it was his version of “All Along the Watchtower”). A friend in middle school played guitar insanely well and was way into Jimi. He needed a bass player. So I went to our local record store, which had exactly one bass (the closest musical instrument store was about an hour away). I snagged this bass, rushed home from school every day, and learned all of the Hendrix songs I could so that I could keep up with my friend.
I studied acoustics with John Storyk in undergrad, and quickly learned that Storyk’s first studio build was Electric Lady, Jimi’s dream studio that he owned. But to be one degree of separation from Jimi was amazing. Once, Storyk had to stop class because of an incoming call from Eddie Kramer. Hendrix always seemed so mythical and mystical that it would almost feel like he never existed in physical form – as if the music cut through the clouds like beams of light. But Storyk made him seem a little more real.
Yesterday, everything became very real. I finally got the opportunity to work at Jimi’s studio, Electric Lady. Beyond the nervous excitement I feel before just about any session, from the moment I walked in and descended the stairs into Studio A, I felt different. I truly felt the history in the walls, the instruments, and at the console. Everything felt comfortable and worn in just the right amount without feeling old.
Yesterday’s session was with the incomparable Cyndi Lauper. I am so grateful that we’ve done quite a bit of work together over the last three years. Yesterday’s mission was to record her song, “Sally’s Pigeons,” to be aired as part of the Grammy nominee announcements happening tomorrow (but also check out the version we recorded and released earlier this year in response to Roe v. Wade being overturned). Yesterday’s session was filmed and can be seen on the Grammy site and various social media platforms on Tuesday. We got to spend the day in Studio A – from setup to tracking, to mixing and picture sync. Starting and completing a project in one day was quite satisfying, and not very common in my world.
I am so grateful for the continued opportunity to work with Cyndi, and extra grateful for the chance to work at the studio of my dreams. I’ve rambled and gushed long enough, but one more story: after setting up the vocal mic, we were experiencing a strange sound. My assistant and I chased down every part of the signal chain, but it was still happening. Then it suddenly went away and never came back. I am not the guy who believes in these types of things, but I must admit-Jimi’s presence looms large in the whole facility. From the custom purple SSL console in one of the studios to the wifi password being a very obscure piece of Hendrix trivia, it felt like he was everywhere around me. When the strange sound finally disappeared, I smiled and thought that Jimi was playing a little prank on me.
