Part of Michael’s Drums series of life-long joy
Michael’s Drums 6
2009-10 — Jason Greenwalt recordings from 2000 / 2001
In the winter of 2000 Potomac Dawn was in production. Vance, who wanted to feature local musicians in the film’s soundtrack, invited Jason Greenwalt to record a song for use in the Conner/Summer music store dance scene of Potomac Dawn. Jason, his girlfriend and several others met in the studio to hammer out something for evaluation. Good atmosphere meant ‘one quick take’ soon became several impromptu takes each of maybe one dozen songs. He kept playing guitar and we kept rolling tape. The setting was basically Jason sitting on a couch with an AKG C3000 microphone for vocals and another near his guitar’s soundboard. Both mics directly fed a Sony DAT recorder. Except for some rack-mounted echo post-applied to “The Wanderer” (and a digital conversion from 48kHz to 44.1kHz) these recordings are raw and untouched.
We also ran the tubed stereo AKG C24 microphone, boomed a few feet above and in front of Jason, into the rebuilt tubed two-track quarter-inch Ampex model 351 (electronics chassis serial numbers 102 and 103). That recording is very special. While the recording made by the Sony DAT sounds quite good, I can say that playing back the master reel tapes through the Ampex makes the proverbial jaw drop on the floor as Jason magically rematerializes for a repeat performance. It’s so palpable it’s spooky.
Anyway, we’ve enjoyed hearing these tunes ever since recording them and hope others will also appreciate Jason’s performance.
Chasing Trains – My personal favorite. I love Jason’s anecdote at the beginning — we had recently filmed a short scene near the spot he speaks of (the 1906 big “Gothic” railroad bridge over Seneca Creek / AKA “the fifty-foot drop” (it’s actually much taller)), and I had been there before several times many years before. Though I’ve never actually chased trains as he describes, I’m sure we can all relate. MAP of location we discuss.
Media Song – A passionate observation and statement of the times then, that has only grown since. “To the world the media speaks, to the enslaved viewer, staring bleak.”
The Wanderer – Haunting, introspective. “I am a wanderer; that’s what I do. I am an explorer; take notice of you. Be afraid ’cause I don’t stalk on that pain; so casually just another face in the rain. But this smile; is smiling at you. I am a watcher; I hate TV. I am a voyeur; waiting endlessly. A ‘peeping Thom’ but I am not at your window; just malls, coffee shops and places I go. And I sit for a cup or two, but leave empty. When it seems like I am not watching; you’re most likely under my eye. No need for any senseless paranoia, I’m really quite a harmless guy…” “…a slave to freedom, with no one to please…”
Subsequent to the studio session, we took some nice equipment over to the Arcadia music store in the Kentlands and recorded Jason’s live performance there one spring night, 2001. I believe he sang into a Shure SM-57 and used a removable pickup that were both amped into a crate combo. We mic’ed that with an AKG C3000 fed thru a rack mic pre into a Sony DAT recorder.
Virus – “This one’s got just kind of a kind of groove that makes everybody jump into it, so anyway. I wrote this in ninety-six about watching every field that I ever had a campfire in, learned to ride my bike in, or– just any place that I considered sacred that wasn’t populated, watching it turn into a strip mall, and it just got old, really quick. This song’s called ‘Virus’.” Includes percussive audience participation…cabasa, tambourine, various shakers.
All Along the Watchtower – Chills. Several persons had been browsing the CDs in “Arcadia” (now WarHammer, MAP) up to this point. By the time Jason finished playing this song, the number of people inside the store had tripled and a group had gathered on the sidewalk out front. Clearly still powerful, and a gripping performance.
