During our first session, Joe told me that he was a retired pro baseball player and that he had always wanted to sing. His father was a famous band leader in the 30’s and 40’s and his uncle was still playing his sax when he was in his 80’s. Now it was Joe’s turn. Joe had never sung with a band or had any previous recording experience so we started slowly. During this first session we recorded 14 songs and then I made a quick CD for him to listen to. This was the first time he had ever heard his recorded voice and I wasn't sure what the next step would be so we parted ways and some time passed.

At our next meeting Joe was serious about putting together a band and making a CD. The songs he sings are Jazz Standards and, in this country-infused part of the world, locating musicians that knew this material was going to be a challenge. Then Carl Cooper came my way. Carl is a bass player that I have known for years but, with my failing memory, I had forgotten that he played in a jazz band. Carl introduced me to Jimmy Duran and the rest is history.

What truly amazed me about these sessions is how easily they flowed. We finished 13 basic tracks (drum, bass and keyboards) in two afternoons and then started on the vocals. Like I mentioned, Joe had never sung with a band before so it was rough going at the start. But each time we met, Joe had worked on perfecting a at a time until we reached the results you are listening to today. It was amazing to see the improvement at single session. Like Jimmy says, Joe would be incredible if he had started singing 30 years ago. Frankly, I am very impressed with what he has accomplished over these past 6 months.

Now comes the “impact on my life” part. Other than some personal recordings, I haven’t recorded others in years. In fact, when we started this project, all I had to record on was a laptop at home in my library. Joe changed all that. He inspired me to purchase a new recording computer, create a studio in my office conference room (it would have been tough getting 5 players into my house) and to start producing in earnest again. His sheer determination and dedication to this project reminded me that anything is possible. Seeing Joe overcome his own struggles and experiencing his continuing positive attitude every time we met made this project a joy. An extra benefit from these sessions is that I met some wonderful musicians who are now a continuing part of my life. Thanks, Joe, for including me in your adventure.

~ Richard Paul Thomas (RpT) ~