Put It All Down in a Letter CD Release for Robert Sarazin Blake & the Silver Shirts

Listen to a unique moment in America. It was the First Day of July 2011, the scene: a small progressive City, Bellingham WA. Robert Sarazin Blake and the Silver Shirts were playing at Boundary Bay Brewery. A beautiful day except it had been the wettest year since 1900! The North Westerners were good-natured though perhaps a little wrinkled. A Documentary about the Subdued String band Jamboree was also being debuted. Robert created the Jamboree for Local Artists, though it has grown into mixture of near and far; Traditional Folk and Bluegrass share the Stage with Spoken Word, Belly Dancers and the Beat Box of CR Avery. Robert Sarazin Blake came to Bellingham to study at the University (WWU) in 1995, after 2 years his musical interests had him pursuing a Higher Calling. Bellingham has a rich Musical Scene and many overlapping Traditions. Robert jokes that Bellingham is a Big Support Group for Struggling Artists! I know that Bellingham would not have as diverse and authentic Music Scene without Robert. I can not say with any certainty what kind of Music Robert will be playing next! I can say he will be giving it all he’s got! He is likely to have friends with him; While Robert brings many to Bellingham he meets performing on the Road, he continues to fully engage with Local Artists. Robert not only promotes Artists through the Jamboree his Label: Same Room Records is dedicated to Musicians performing together in the Same Room! An all too rare way to make Music these days! Not only is Robert a wordsmith, he embodies Music, and invites us to join in Divine Creativity! His latest incarnation with the Silver Shirts defies simple categories and genres, Jazz, Beat Poetry, Working Blues, Funk and a lot of Cool. I can add Activist and Bard to his accomplishments. What more can I say? Listen to the Silver Shirts! The Silver Shirts are composed of Jordan Rain, the Leader of Yogoman Burning Band and Keeper of the Sacred Flame! Jordan Rain is often at Boundary as DJ Yogoman. His dance Ensemble is known to happy feet up & down the West Coast; they are Bellingham’s Dance Band. Aaron Harmonson walks soft and carries a Big Bass. Like a Helmsman his steady figure guides the Ship through Still Water and Raging Storms!  The Stage is flanked by the twin Horns of Mars Lingren and Thomas Deakin!  We are blessed to have such fine Horn players in Bellingham. Mars is famous for his efforts in the beloved and missed ensemble Yambique which Tanya Kitterman fronted as Lead Singer. Thomas and Mars wail with Yogoman Burning Band, as well! Jan Peters is the leader of the Naked Hearts, another groundbreaking band which Aaron also plays bass in (& in Bar Tabac!). Jan’s mandolin playing is well-loved, as are his Vocals and Harmonica which he played with the Librarians, who did a great set opening the Evening’s Festivities; with the Silver Shirts he plays upright piano. Jan is adept at Folk, Jazz and World Music. The Naked Hearts and DJ Yogoman are weekly regulars at Boundary. [ Jan often lives in Davis, CA ; He will be back at the Jamboree!] Robert Sarazin Blake released the CD he recorded in Philadelphia with his friends the Powder Kegs (Put It All Down in a Letter). You can listen to it through his link on Facebook (All of these Artists have links and pages). He is performing with the Powder Kegs at the Jamboree. Robert also recorded a Record in Belfast, Northern Ireland earlier this year! He makes small pressings of Vinyl Albums for Collectors (they sound great). Last Year he performed with Giant’s Causeway. For this Show he played a (Guild?) Hollow body guitar, he can make it purr or rubble like a Train (speaking of which), listen for the Train which answers (in Key!) during the song Mike and Ruthie. Trains can disrupt, but the Band added the Locomotive to their Jam! My friend Mike Cloud was the Engineer for the show, he works for several clubs in town including Boundary Bay. We love to talk audio, trade tips, and have lent our ears to each other on several projects. Mike has worked Sound at the Jamboree before, and connected me with the right people when I said I wanted to help! I am a General Contractor. I am also recording Artists in Bellingham and Environs, working Sound and learning the many steps of Producing Music. Coming in through the Backdoor, I have experience in Theater, though more from the Stage Crew than the Stage. I have always loved Music. I moved to Bellingham in 1988 earning my living as a carpenter (25 years). Always dabbling with tech, I like building computers. I learned Recording, Sound and then started singing and backing Bands. I love live music! I call my business: Backup Experience. I have been experimenting with Old School ear based models, while combining this with the New School approach (when possible) of Multi Channel Board Digital recording. I try to have a light hand when it comes to Digital Signal Processing; It took me years to figure out some of this, much to learn. I had been talking with Jan about recording again (a long story shortened); Mike asked Robert if I could give it a try! For those interested, I used a SONY stereo microphone (ECM-959) in front of the Sound Board, and mixed this with the Main Outs and signals from the Bass, Guitar and Piano on separate tracks, 7 in total. I integrated all the Audio through my MOTU Traveler. I recorded (and rendered) with REAPER in 24 bit/ 44.1 KHz; with a modicum of post production DSP from Studio One. Why write this? For some of the same reasons I made these recordings. Because I Love this Music! Many of us grew up reading Record Jackets and the CD booklets that some Bands knew to document the Journey, share stories, and the Songs. I think there are some souls who can’t get enough regarding Music (and who actually read the Notes). Written words can only say so much without poetry, and a good band! Thanks again to Robert & the Silver Shirts for these moments in Time! Roger Anderson Hull * Bellingham   August 5Th, 2011.  The week before the Jamboree!