James Pennebaker

The Franklin Sessions was born out of the desire to get back to a more organic approach to recording. All the rhythm tracks were cut with one take live in the studio. Kevin McKendree put a great band together: Yates McKendree on drums, David Santos on bass, James Pennebaker on guitar and Kevin on keys for the session and they cut 4 tracks. Guldin was so pleased with the sound, the vibe and Kevin’s guidance the he brought his Rollin’ & Tumblin’ Bandmates Bill Sharrow, Billy Wear and Tim Hooper back to The Rock House and recorded 9 tracks over two days with Kevin joining them on keys. These recordings capture the essence of Rollin’ & Tumblin’!

You could say Brian Langlinais’ new recording, Right Hand Road, was birthed by an ice storm, but that would be getting ahead of the story. Long before that weather event, the album’s roots ran from sea to sea along I-10, home to a slew of bars and nightclubs where bands earn gas money between major cities. For decades, these venues have fostered the uniquely American art form called roadhouse music: a big tent under which blues, country, zydeco, and even jazz come together—often in the same band. Roadhouse legends such as Delbert McClinton, Marcia Ball, Omar and the Howlers, Mason Ruffner, and Lee Roy Parnell all came through Langlinais’ hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana, where he cut his teeth in bands playing this crowd-pleasing music.

A musician and manager of the 60's and 70's Chapman ultimately tired of the industry but he continued to hit the studio with his friends periodically. A couple of years ago, he decided he wasn't finished with music, so he reached out to his former Bloontz All Stars bandmate Terry Wilson, who had become a respected producer and engineer. Recording in Los Angeles, London, Houston, Nashville, and Mobile, Alabama, Chapman and his fellow musicians sent tracks to their keyboardist friend John "Rabbit" Bundrick (The Who, 1979-2012) for his contributions, and had Braunagel jump into L.A.'s Ultrasound Studios to add drums.

A surprising and entertaining explanation of how the words we use (even the ones we don't notice) reveal our personalities, emotions, and identities.