Vin Downes: News

Here is a new review of "Unlike the Stars" by Kathy Parsons at www.mainlypiano.com. http://www.mainlypiano.com/2014_Reviews/Downes-Unlike_the_Stars.html

My new CD in now available for purchase. You can order CDs from the STORE tab to the left, or CDs and downloads from CDBaby. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/vindownes3

The album will be available for download on iTunes and Amazon, as well as a number of other music sites, next week. 

Here are a couple pre-reviews for the new album, "unlike the stars".

Music and Media Focus ~ Michael Diamond 

http://michaeldiamondmusic.com/2014/01/08/unlike-the-stars-by-vin-downes/

New Age Music Reviews ~ Keith Hannaleck

http://newagemusicreviews.wordpress.com/2014/01/09/instrumental-guitar-review-vin-downes-unlike-the-stars/

All of my incredible Kickstarter supporters have received their pre-release downloads of my new album "unlike the stars", along with the album artwork done by Anthony Saint James. The CD is currently in the duplication process and is also out for pre-reviews. It looks like the official release will be the last week of January 2014.

K. Lyn Wurth has highlighted me in her newest blog entry, "Strong Music, Never Far From Me". K. Lyn is a wonderful writer from Iowa who recently published her novel, "The Darkwater Liar's Account". I am a big fan of K. Lyn's writing and I am very grateful for her unending support of my music. Check out her monthly blog and pick up a copy of her book!

http://www.klynwurth.com/vin-downes-strong-music-never-far-from-me/

This past week, I spent three days in Vermont at Imaginary Road Studios with engineer/co-producer Tom Eaton finishing overdubs and completing the mix of the new album. The overdubs consisted of Tom playing a beautiful piano solo in one song and Tony Levin adding bass to four songs. Having the opportunity to work with Tony was an extraordinary experience. I am so grateful for his contributions to the record.

We were also able to edit and mix in two woodwind charts written by David Watson and Darryl Dixon of Chops Horns. David performed and recorded these flute/alto flute charts for me in October at Tim Shider's studio in Plainfield, NJ. They really add a unique vibe to the album, and I am very thankful to David and Darryl for being a part of the project.

On November 18th, Will Ackerman will be adding a guitar part to one song before reviewing the final mixes with Tom. Mastering is set for December 20th at Tom's Universal Noise Storage Studio in Massachusetts. If all stays on track, I am hoping for a January release.

With Tony Levin 11/7/12 

Tony recording on his NS.

With Darryl Dixon and David Watson of Chops Horns.

I wanted to update everyone on the progress of the new record. On August 12th, multiple Grammy Award winning cellist, Eugene Friesen added a track on my song "Unlike the Stars" at Imaginary Road Studios. Unfortunately, I was  unable to be in the studio while he was recording, but Will Ackerman called me during the session for a listen-in, and later sent me a rough MP3 of the track. Words cannot describe the emotion and beauty in Eugene's playing...unbelievable! I am very thankful to have him as part of the project.

Eugene's website ~ http://www.celloman.com/

We are currently looking to finish tracking (piano/Tom Eaton, vocals/Susan Whittle, bass/Tony Levin, guitar/Will Ackerman) and mix the album in the first half of November. This is later than first projected, but Imaginary Road Studios is an extremely busy place and Tony Levin is currently on tour with Stick Men and Peter Gabriel in Europe through October.

In the meantime, as much as I want to be able to release this album right now, I have to try and be patient. It will be well worth the wait...I promise. 

Again, please know that I truly appreciate your confidence, encouragement and support.

I spent an incredibly creative and productive week with Will Ackerman, Tom Eaton and Anthony Saint James at Imaginary Road Studios in Vermont. I have recorded 11 songs, coming in at 46 minutes of music.  We have already started mixing of the solo guitar pieces. The next phase of the project will be adding contributions from some amazing guest artists, including Will Ackerman on guitar, Tony Levin on bass, Tom Eaton on piano, and the possibility of adding others on percussion, voice and solo instruments. All of this will be decided as we move forward and listen to see what the music calls for.

I am extremely happy with the work we have done so far and I am eager to move forward. I am very excited about this record! I will keep everyone posted as things progress.

As always, thank you all for your encouragement, support and positive vibes!

~ Vin

I have a Kickstarter up to raise some additional funds for my new Recording with Will Ackerman this summer. Check it out and be a part of this project with me!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1823248297/vin-downes-new-album-with-producer-will-ackerman

Today was an incredible day, spent in the hills of Vermont, at Will Ackerman's Imaginary Road Studios, where we began pre-production on my next recording project. Will and I worked through the first nine songs that will appear on my next CD.

Working with Will is a dream come true for me. His musical ears and their dynamic and emotional sensibilities are unsurpassed in the field of acoustic music. His ability to push an artist to new levels of performance is truly remarkable. I left with a brand new perspective on my music, a new way to approach my instrument and a new understanding of how to communicate my compositions to the listener. 

This CD will be produced by Will Ackerman. It will include some re-recorded songs from my first two releases with a fresh new take, as well as some great new material that I am very proud of. The recording sessions will take place the second week of July, 2013. These sessions will include some remarkable guest players, including Will himself. 

I am really looking forward to this project. This is where my love for fingerstyle guitar began ~ Ackerman, Hedges, Cullen, de Grassi ~ Somehow, someway...it lead me here. 

So grateful....

Next week I will be heading up to Vermont for a pre-production meeting with Will Ackerman at his Imaginary Road Studios. Will's initial listening notes are incredibly enthusiastic and positive. This project will include re-recording songs from my previous albums and a handful of brand new pieces. We are both very excited to begin working together. The recording sessions will take place in July. 

Here's the trailer for the new season of Roadtrip Nation, which starts airing on PBS this fall. My song "Glad Rags" is featured in episode one. I am very happy to be a part of this fantastic show for another season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXQjCPFCEYE&feature=youtu.be

On July 9th, my wife and I had an absolutely unforgettable afternoon visiting with Grammy Award winner and Windham Hill Records founder Will Ackerman and his engineer, Tom Eaton, at Imaginary Road Studios in Vermont. Will gave us a tour of the studio and his property, and shared an array of music created in this state of the art facility.

I am thrilled to announce that Will has agreed to produce and record my next project. We will begin pre-production of the music in the fall, with the recording sessions taking place in the spring of 2013.

I am extremely grateful for this incredible opportunity to work with one of my favorite musicians and producers. Will's music, and the music of Windham Hill Records, including Michael Hedges, David Cullen and Alex de Grassi, have always had a prodigious influence on me as a composer and fingerstyle guitarist.

http://imaginaryroadstudios.com/

My song "Glad Rags" has been selected for use in the soundtrack of episode 1 in the new season of Roadtrip Nation on PBS in the Fall of 2012.

Know anyone who needs music for a film, commercial, video project or slideshow? Check out my music on You License....

http://www.youlicense.com/Artist/ArtistStore.aspx?ID=525945&a_aid=PlayerWidget&a_type=W&a_p=artist_525945

I recently did some long distance recording with Canadian guitarist Denis Turbide on his tune "Reaction Times". The process of writing together and sending tracks back and forth was good fun, so more collaborations are on the horizon.

Give a listen...

http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_11949004

Check out Denis Turbide's music. Your ears will thank you.

http://www.reverbnation.com/denisturbide

Vin Downes' second studio release, "What Falls Away", is comprised of nine compositions for solo fingerstyle guitar. These songs evoke various styles, moods and tone colors in a naturally acoustic setting. Co-produced with Anthony Saint James and recorded and mixed by Igor Martinez, "What Falls Away" is an eclectic and refreshing fingerstyle guitar album.

Go to the CD and TABs page to purchase CDs.

CDBaby  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/vindownes2

iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/what-falls-away/id474969875

A music video for "On Eastern Tack". Take a look and pass it on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =dkAAFnMoVmA&feature=channel_v ideo_title

I have two new performance videos up on my YouTube Channel ~ "Never Far From Here" and "Mudshine".  Give a look and listen.

http://www.youtube.com/user/vindownes71

Just an update on the new CD... We are just about to finish the mastering process and we are also currently putting together the packaging and artwork. The album will consist of nine new instrumental songs for solo guitar. A couple of the songs will contain additional guitar tracks, but for the most part, this is a solo guitar album.

I am very happy with these songs and their production. It is a bit of a return to my fingerstyle beginnings, where I have revisited various alternate tunings, but it also contains a few country blues type tunes as well. Eight of the songs were recorded on my 1974 Martin 000-18, my first serious fingerstyle guitar purchased years ago, which I have recently set up and rediscovered. It has been a wonderful reunion with that guitar. The other song was recorded on a new Guild GAD-C2 nylon string.

I am hoping to have this all wrapped up and sent out for duplication by the end of August. That would make the CD available somewhere around late September.  More to follow...

I am currently working on my new CD with engineer Igor Martinez of L-I ProAudio Recording Studio and co-producer Anthony Saint James. I hope to have the project wrapped up by summer's end with a release date in early fall. More info to follow.

http://www.victorymusic.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1168%3Avin-downes-skies-and-openings&catid=82%3Acurrent-month-reviews&Itemid=85

Video for "Skies and Openings". Cinematography by Anthony Saint James.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2CHCuUMPwQ

Four of my songs will be featured in three episodes of season 7 of Roadtrip Nation on PBS. Check out the airtimes and tune in to a fantastic series.

Songs/Episodes:

Words Over Us , On Eastern Tack ~ Episode 3

Climb ~ Episode 6

Sachem Road, Goodbye ~ Episode 10

‎"Pen City Rag" is being used in the soundtrack for Philip Gardiner's new paranormal movie "The Stone" to be released in early 2011.

http://thestonefilm.com/