Chasing for the Chop [Brooker / Reid]

The Bluegrass Geeks [USA]

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Dennis Fetchet, baritone lead voice, guitar, bass guitar, mandolin and fiddles; Rodger Phillips, high lead vocal, banjo

The photo on the wall behind shows the Geeks with Procol Harum at BB King's Club in Hollywood (July 2003), framed at Vincenzo's in Los Angeles where Rodger and Dennis play every Saturday with The Grateful Dudes.

DF: I loved the 'Gospel/Coasters' feel on Chasing for the Chop the first time I heard it (thanks, Joost): certainly a real basic groove. I also loved the 'recorded in a garage' sound on the original recording.  The Bluegrass Geeks, because we are using primarily traditional bluegrass instruments, try, for the most part , to keep with the original arrangement. That way, in a sense, we're following the Commander's orders but with our own little twist :-). While we are overdubbing the various instruments, each track is played through fully to try and get a 'performance'. No punch-ins here! We use Alesis Digital Audio Tape machines: Alesis was the first company to make the change/transfer from analogue to digital happen for home recordists, such as myself: VHS-based recording, 8 track machines capable of linking in sync to another 15 ADAT machines!

2 x AKG 414
ART TPS II mic preamp
2 x ADAT
Blueridge BR-160 guitar
Givens A5 mandolin
Gibson Mastertone banjo
A French fiddle
Solid body black teardrop Vox electric bass ('It looks really cool – like the old white Brian Jones guitar, but a bass.')

 The recording was made 'flat' and mixed the same, except for a little midrange 'bump' on the vocals

The #10 'Tight Room' ambient patch on the Alesis Wedge was the only effect used

We also used the preamps in the Mackie 1604 for ... vocals! Just worked out that way

Tracklisting

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