Kristin Callahan Videos

Kristin Callahan’s voice has been described as fresh, vibrant, hypnotic and mesmerizing. To capture her unique style, Kristin chose Forge Recording’s Studio A as a backdrop and guitarist Josh Nussbaum as accompanist for four videos. The songs were recorded and mixed by Forge Recording Lead Engineer Ron DiSilvestro.

Kristin is a Baltimore native who has been performing jazz since 2009. She is currently working on two projects. The first is Songs of Peggy, a program consisting of songs Peggy Lee recorded throughout her career and original songs by Lee. The second is Sway with Me, a program of Latin jazz tunes, and highlights songs written by Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Kristin will be performing at the Cultural Center in Havre de Grace, MD on December 17 with the Melting Pot Big Band.  She will also be performing at Woodmere Art Museum, 9201 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, on March 16, 2018 for Women’s History Month.

I had a great experience with Forge Recording! Everyone was easy to work with and I received my final takes so quickly.
–Kristin Callahan

You can learn more about Kristin at www.kristincallahanmusic.com.

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Studio Jams – Grace Kelly

In between tapings of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Boschsaxophonist Grace Kelly visited Forge Recording to film an episode of Studio Jams.

The session was recorded in Studio A by lead engineer Ron DiSilvestro. Grace Kelly was joined by bassist Chico Huff, guitarist Kevin Hanson, keyboardist Matt King and Tracy Alexander on the drums.

Grace Kelly is an accomplished saxophone player, vocalist, composer, educator and performer. She recorded her first album, Dreaming, at age 12. It was followed by Times Too, Every Road I Walked, GracefulLee, Mood Changes, Man With The Hat, Grace, Live At Scullers, Working For The Dreamers, and her latest project, Trying To Figure It Out. She is a regular in Stay Human, the house band led by Jon Battiste on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Studio Jams is a creative, up-close and inside look at the art of making music. Click here to watch Studio Jams sessions filmed at Forge Recording.

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Minas Re-Releases Num Dia Azul on Vinyl and CD

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Thirty-three years after the release of their first album, Num Dia Azul, Minas are re-releasing remastered and re-mixed versions on vinyl and CD. Patricia King and Orlando Haddad make up the musical duo, whose influences come primarily from Brazilian jazz. The two recorded the album in 1981 and released it two years later. From there, the record began to gather momentum and attracted a musical cult-like following. Due to an unfortunate house fire, approximately 600 of the 1,000 copies were destroyed, leaving only a few hundred left in circulation. With this, Num Dia Azul become an international collector’s item, and for good reason. The sultry jazz sounds combined with fun and upbeat Brazilian melodies and instruments are enough to entrance any jazz lover’s attention.

The album has been out of print since 1985, leaving listeners unable to purchase physical copies as the ones in circulation are highly sought after. The band has received requests for this record from all over the world, the demands only increasing over the years. Forge Recording’s very own Brendan McGeehan has worked with Minas for years and took on the task of remastering and remixing the album, this time with two previously unreleased tracks. McGeehan engineered the album here are Forge, utilizing the top of the line equipment the studio has to offer.

Along with the re-release, there will be a live performance of the album at World Cafe Philadelphia on April 16th, which is, appropriately, Record Store Day. King and Haddad will be joined by David Licht on drums (who played on the original album), Jim Stager on bass, Dendê covering percussion, and Steve Tirpak playing the tromboneIt’s bound to be a night full of good memories and great music.

Congratulations to Minas on this immense accomplishment and milestone! Listen to the album below:

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Janis Siegal, Studio Jams

Janis Siegal, nine-time Grammy winning jazz vocalist, and original member of The Manhattan Transfer, joined pianist John di Martino, bassist Chico Huff, drummer Vic Stevens and saxophonist Andrew Neu for a jazzy Studio Jams session. For the first song, Ms. Siegal selected “Love Won’t Let Me Wait” in honor of Philadelphia producer and composer Bobby Eli who also attended the session. “Equinox” is a tribute to another notable Philadelphia artist, John Coltrane. Tom Emmi is the producer of the series, which brings artists together to create new takes on old standards.

 

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Nathan East – Studio Jams

Another installment of the Studio Jams series, produced by Tom Emmi, brought bassist Nathan East to Forge Recording. East, who is perhaps the most recorded bass player of all time, is known for his work with Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, George Harrison, Herbie Hancock, and Daft Punk. Mr. East was joined by drummer James “Biscuit” Rouse, guitarist Gil Parris and keyboardist Matt King. Check out the videos below.

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M’Balia Singley: Halfway There

M’Balia Singley’s new album, “Halfway There,” is released today. You can learn more by visiting her website here.

Singley recorded half of the album during a snowstorm this past March. We were able to plow the parking lot and get setup just in time for the musicians. Produced by jazz pianist and composer Orrin Evans, the album also features Gene Jackson, Mike Boone, Byron Landham, Madison Rast, and Tim Motzer. The album features original compositions and a few of Singley’s favorite jazz standards. Singley recorded half of the album in Studio A, and utilized the Academy Studio for editing and overdubs.
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Rodney Holmes visits Forge for Tama Drum filming

Rodney Holmes came to Forge Recording to film a video for Tama Drums. He worked with lead engineer Ron DiSilvestro who has gained notoriety for producing amazing drum sounds in Studio A. Ron skilfully utilized Forge’s extensive microphone collection to capture the nuances of Holmes’ performance.

 

Rodney Holmes’ drumming credits include Santana, the Brecker Brothers, Wayne Shorter, Steve Kimock, and many others. We were pleased to welcome him to our studios.

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Capturing the Magic: from Concert to CD

Renowned jazz musician Dylan Taylor held a live in-studio concert at Forge Recording with Jazz legends Larry Coryell and Mike Clark. The concert was a new experience for producer Brendan McGeehan. Here’s a quick Q&A with Brendan.

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Q: What are you working on from the session recordings?

A: I’m currently working on a live in-studio album for Dylan Taylor. The album features two other very important and influential musicians, Larry Coryell and Mike Clark. I originally recorded the material back in February on a very snowy night. An intimate audience was treated to a night of music by these three, playing both their own compositions as well as the music of others.

 

Q: What did you learn from this experience?

A: Since the in-studio concerts are relatively new, I learned a lot about how fans experience the studio and the musicians playing in the room. I will continue to build how we present these in-studio concerts, as they have become very popular amongst fans looking for a different kind of concert.

 

Q: What about this session made it special for you?

A: It was special because it combined my long working history with Dylan and helping him fulfill a dream of performing and recording with two musicians he greatly admires. It was also special for me because I’ve been listening to the work of Mike Clark and Larry Coryell for a very long time and have great respect for their musicianship.

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Brendan McGeehan is an accomplished composer, arranger, musician and educator. In addition to being on staff at Forge Recording, Brendan is a producer for notable artists like Dylan Taylor.

Dylan Taylor is a veteran member of the greater Philadelphia area Jazz scene. Taylor has been playing the cello and bass since he was a child. Now he is also a master composer and arranger. Taylor is known for his works with Bobby Zankel and Kelly Meashey.

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Michelle Lordi in-studio concert on Saturday, May 16th

Join jazz vocalist Michelle Lordi for our next in-studio concert. She’ll be backed by some of Philly’s finest jazz musicians, including Sonny Troy, Larry McKenna, Mike Frank, Matthew Parrish, and other special guests. The concert/live recording takes place on Saturday, May 16th, with sets at 7pm & 9pm. Ticket includes food, open bar and a digital recording of the session. Tickets available here.

Here’s a video that explains how our in-studio concerts work:

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