Locust Grove (MP3 album)

Chris Monti is a traveling singer/songwriter playing an exciting mix of original songs: acoustic folk, blues, rock 'n roll, and world music. Chris has a unique style but his roots run deep to old-time fiddle music and country blues.

14 MP3 Songs in this album (50:34) !
Related styles: FOLK: Modern Folk, ROCK: Americana

People who are interested in Bruce Springsteen Bob Dylan & Paul Simon should consider this download.


Details:
Locus Grove was recorded and mixed in the spring of 2005. This is my second album and this time around it seemed right to make a live, solo album: what I sound like sitting in a room playing the guitar and singing.
The whole album was recorded live at Two Ears Studio in good old Elmwood, Providence. I produced the record and Sue Metro, engineer extraordinaire, was the woman down the hall at the controls with the headphones on. Also assisting were one gallon of water, one thermos of coffee, and one Nalgene filled with warm water, grated ginger and honey. Sue and I ate a lunch of frozen carrots and hummus, and later I ate a mealy protein bar pilfered from my roommate.
Stylistically the songs on Locust Grove were influenced by reggae, country-blues, west African music, old-time fiddle music, rock and roll, hippie music and by the many songwriters and musicians I have worked with over the years. And I know that people like John Coltrane, Ali Akbar Kahn, and Thelonious Monk are somewhere in my songs and playing even though I'm not playing jazz or Indian music.
The recording session was, in a way, unremarkable. It was a grey day and maybe that helped us to stay inside and work through 30-something takes
In addition to my small bodied Martin, I played a 12-string on loan from Jake Haller, a big-bodied Alvarez on loan from Chris Daltry, and Shawn Harris's unfrettable Dixon with strings from the 80's. If you are interested enough to know what was played on each track, you are probably able to figure it out by listening.
The harp is played in the rack (not the Howlin' Wolf put-it-in-your-mouth method). The slide parts on Lowland were played with an unwieldy and heavy lap-steel steel. It was that or a plastic lighter since I forgot my slide at home.