It started with this…
…and ended with 16 people from all around the world making a beautiful racket!
As a musician, being told you cannot entertain people is a nightmare. It’s what we’re designed to do. It’s in our DNA.
With talk of an impending lockdown becoming more and more likely, an idea hit me just a little before 11:10pm on Wednesday 18th March 2020. Tentatively, I put up a post of Facebook, and almost immediately withdrew it. That is until the like and comments (all positive) began to flood in.
I thought to myself, “maybe I’m in too deep here, I mean, I don’t even have a song in mind…”
But then the wonders of social media saved me; my old band mate Tim Aves suggested we have a bash at “Splendid Isolation” by the late, great Warren Zevon; an artist I am a huge fan of.
I picked out the core band from the folks who had shown interest, then set to work on a guide track. Once complete, I sent it to them and within 24 hours I had my first track back. Bob Fridzema, king of the Hammond Organ followed closely by Newark-based drummer John Joe Gaskin.
Then, the floodgates opened.
There I was, 2 weeks later with a 16-piece “Isolation Orchestra”.
The personnel are as follows:
Ian Siegal (Vocals), Tim Aves (Vocals/Harmonica), David Richardson (Vocals/Guitar), Joel Fisk (Vocals/Guitar), James Payze (Mandola/Backing Vocals), Mike Ross (Guitar/Backing Vocals), Son Henry (Lap Steel), Bob Fridzema (Hammond Organ), Costa Tancredi (Bass), John Joe Gaskin (Drums), Gary Leach (Percussion/Backing Vocals), Neil Doherty (Trumpet), Josh Wakeham (Tenor Sax), Claire Tomsett (Baritone Sax), Linden McKenzie (Trombone), Benjamin Reid (Horn Arrangement).
Mixing, Mastering & Video by yours truly.