2021 was a shitty year overall for the world, but here at House of Cha Cha I still seem to have managed to get a whole lot done.
Among my year’s highlights (in chronological-ish order):
1 – My man Stripmall Ballads won a 2021 WAMMIE Award for his awesome record “Distant” (mixed by me)
- Don’t Mind Me *mixer* *americana* Stripmall Ballads 4:12
2 – Had some fantastic winter and spring producing and/or mixing releases from Dezron Douglas (mix), Caleb Wheeler Curtis (prod/mix), Queen Esther (prod/mix) and Nicki & Patrick Adams (mix), to name a few
- MEDITATIONS ON FAITH Dezron Douglas 6:22
- Ain’t No Storm Caleb Wheeler Curtis ft. Sarah Elizabeth Charles 4:39
- All That We Are Queen Esther 4:07
- E.S.P. Nicki & Patrick Adams 5:08
3 – Was featured with my Analog Players Society cohort Amon Drum in Jazziz Magazine’s “When Jazz met Hip-Hop” issue
4 – Published a Downbeat Magazine Master Class article entitled “Expanding Musical Storytelling via Modern Production Methods”
5 – Released the single “Home in America” featuring hip-hop legend Masta Ace and Analog Players Society (Donny McCaslin, Orrin Evans, Dezron Douglas, Eric McPherson) on Ropeadope Records
- Home In America Analog Players Society x Masta Ace 4:23
6 – “Home in America” was featured in the final episode of Erika Alexander’s excellent podcast “Reparations: The Big Payback”
7 – Had some wonderful summer and fall producing and/or mixing or bass playing releases from James Maddock (upright bass), Shine and the Moonbeams (prod/mix), Jon Irabagon (mix) and Jon Dryden’s band Drifter (mix), to name a few.
- Under Milky Wood James Maddock 3:48
- High Frequency Shine and the Moonbeams 4:41
- Quasimodo Jon Irabagon 5:42
- Reno Girls Drifter ft. Moses Patrou 4:52
8 – Did my first livestreamed Master Class on “Producing and Mixing you own Music,” hosted by JazzHeaven.com
9 – Earned a Grammy Nomination for co-producing and mixing Shine and the Moonbeams’ track “I Believe,” which appeared on the 1Tribe Collective’s record “All One Tribe”
- I Believe Shine and the Moonbeams 3:12
Thanks for reading all the way down and hoping that 2022 is anywhere near as good. Maybe I’ll be working with YOU!