Gary Weiner - I Shall Be Released

I am one fortunate guy. Over the past year, I've had the opportunity to work with Warren Dennis Kahn, an old colleague of mine in the music business (such as it was in the 70’s in Santa Rosa, California) at Banquet Recording to get a damned fine start on a lifelong dream of mine. I'm recording my first album. At first, it was just going to be one song, the great, timeless tune by Bob Dylan, released (so to speak) first, by The Band on Music from Big Pink. I've been singing I Shall Be Released for 50 years.

But, I never in my wildest dreams (well, that’s hyperbolic) thought it would turn out like this: https://goo.gl/ehjAe9. That's on my new Bandcamp page and it includes a video slide show of some of my work as a fine art photographer along with a couple portraits of me. The credits include Warren as engineer and co-producer and my son, Ben Weiner, associate producer, drums, backup vocals and partial backup vocal arranger. Working with Warren has transformed the music and our previously limited interaction from colleague (and attorney – client) to collaborator, encourager in chief and, yes, friend. It has also give me a chance to strengthen the bond I have with Ben, working alongside him instead of “just being dad.”

The beauty of the record depends so much on the gorgeous playing of two crazy talented Bay Area musicians. All those gorgeous guitars are the work of Nina Gerber, a Sonoma County native. Go see her play wherever you can. Check http://www.ninagerber.com/. And, on bass, a guy that Warren recommended and to whom he referred as “one of those cats,” the real deal, a fine and sensitive musician and an incredibly warm and supportive player, Kai Eckhardt. He's here: http://www.kaizone.com/.

I'm looking forward to releasing an album with a few more tunes and a lot more great players and, someday soon, an album release show here in the North Bay.