Many thanks to Leslie Payne,studio owner at Colorama Studios for his help as he put it together himself for me.Now i can present my producer,ken Veenstra with all of the data for the original rhythm tracks so they can be mixed.Individually from square one.These tracks were recorded very well by producer/engineer Kevin Knoll who is a blast to work with yet they were never mixed you see other than a "spot"reference mix and such was the only file that I had.To begin laying more tracks on top of that would have seriously compromised the quality of the recording as 7 tracks were compressed to one file.So they could only be mixed as a whole you see and not seperate tracks.Now if they had been fully mixed and dumped down to one pro-tools file of high integrity that could have been seen to be workable but such was not the case,after the tracks were recorded maybe an hour was taken to build a good reference copy,and a very good one at that,one that I perhaps could have lived with but no,It is like secular life,it is ALMOST there yet not quite.Everytime i would hear it I would be aware that I compromised on the full sonic fidelity of the recording.Any other producer of any quality would know it too...I really appreciate that I am working with a high level producer and right away I am limiting his abilty to totally control the song as he hears it.I was booked to do the piano session on it and it would have become pasting a piano and all else that is forthcoming over it instead of integrating a piano performance into it and I know he would have stopped the session,it would not have even started.if I insisted it would have been done of course and I would have to accept the responsibility for the results which would have been a passe recording.Kenny would have very lucidly explained that to me and like him I want to get into it man,I want to have a lot of fun and dig the best quailty of sound that we can come up with.I love making records,I always have,it is thrilling to create something that is going to last forever and not just a one night stand.Something that my producer can just go to town with.It may somewhat sound as a sellout that I rely so heavily upon my producer in a session yet that is so to be sure but you see this allows me the entire freedom to be an artist which in terms of recording science is to produce the diamond in the rough.And then have the jewler cut the diamond to bring it forth to shine in it's optimal color spectrum.Much more important to me then selling out is to expierence growth...increase.The qualifications I have for my producer are of a very high standard,you first must be a certified recording engineer,at some point in time during a session I want the producer to assume total control of the onboard engineering process,to also be a musician and have perfect hearing.To be able to assist in creating and developing the project not be being bitchy and picky but showing me that you see my vision and now let's take it way up here.The ability to draw the best out of me in a way that is rewarding and fun as well as challenging.Not just some cold person/corporation with a big bank account paying for it and enslaving it.They have fully studied the demos and know every angel of what we are working with,and where we are with it in all ways at all times.It can be quite grueling to get just a small simple part together the right way.And it has got to be just right.I MAKE DAMN SURE I AM WELL REHEARSED ON IT IN.It is a creative and co-operative partnership.I get a phone call going "I have composed a new chorus or bridge that I would like you to try.and it is really good,a humdinger!When i find people like this I am prepared to humble myself and beg them to produce sessions for me.I am blessed that they would give me the time of day let alone agreed to produce the sessions.Then the give me their low down on it which is always the same,"Rene I will only do it if you and I are going to have fun doing it.That is the number one issue for me,that we have fantastic vibes doing it and good feelings about it when it is done." In kenny's case he went further to say that he would only work it if it was a full album project."I want to do something that is more expansive and expressive than a single."My entire recording career,in terms of my contract obligations has been as a singles only artist.I never went into a project with any kind of concept towards doing an album,let alone an EP.so his opening pawn to queen four was a welcome challenge.I agreed to an album minimum of eight songs.I had to emphasize though in saying "let's just get started with the work and then we will know where to go and how to do it.That makes it a reality for us then." That leaves me going into the mission with a very inspiring vibe as opposed to just being world-weary and tired.It is what I am living for.Everything I have to go through comes down to that in terms of my human expierence.It is tremendously focused,we get a lot of good work done in a short period of time.and this tune that you have been singing for months around campfires is becoming a work of art.This tune you have been humming in your head.I will sit out on my front porch strumming and singing it a thousand times,my neighbors say "He sounds real good but is that the only song he knows?"