Posted on October 2, 2021
I first heard of Cosmic American Derelicts from a friend of the band who knows I am always looking for interesting artists to record for my Soundkeeper Recordings label. He knows I seek musicians whose work I not only enjoy but who would be amenable to the recording without a net process. After checking out the band's website, a number of videos, and samples of their recordings, I found myself taken by their songs—some plaintive, others joyful—by their voices, and by their playing. I exchanged several email and text messages with their leader and bassist, George Kapitanelis. When George confirmed the band's interest, the search for the optimal recording venue ensued, and therein lies a story of its own.
I had recently relocated to more rural environs of rolling hills dotted with farms, and since the music for this project is country/bluegrass-oriented, I thought it appropriate to record these voices and acoustic string instruments in the intimate, woody atmosphere of a barn. What better place to record country than in the country? While there is no shortage of barns in this area, the Covid-19 pandemic was rampant and I was more than hesitant to approach folks, much less undertake a recording, until I was fully vaccinated. Around this time I heard about one local farm that had a history of association with music as well as other creative endeavors. A few months later, after receiving the vaccine, I went to visit.
Widely known as the Silo, Hunt Hill Farm can be found on the National Register of Historic Places. The farm was active for close to 300 years when it was acquired half a century ago by noted musician Lyle "Skitch" Henderson. Henderson founded the New York Pops, was musical director at NBC, and was the original bandleader for The Tonight Show. Skitch and his wife Ruth operated the farm as an art gallery, cooking school, and museum. In 2003 they partnered with conservation groups and with the local town to found The Hunt Hill Farm Trust as a nonprofit organization to preserve their farm's land and buildings and to celebrate Americana in music, art, and literature through the creation of a living museum. They sought to make the place an artistic center for the community.
Years after the Hendersons passed away, the board, despite their best efforts, determined their funds were insufficient to cover expenses. Hunt Hill Farm was closed down. No more name chefs teaching at the cooking school, no more famous show business folks and musicians visiting the farm. Much was put up for auction in order to pay the farm's debts.
What would have been a sad ending was turned around less than a year later when Alessandro Piovezahn and his wife Daniele entered the picture. Though they were not previously familiar with the Hendersons or the Silo, they wanted a place to raise their family and provide the community with a space that fostered the arts. Alessandro is in the process of donating the farm to The Hunt Hill Farm Trust, the nonprofit created by the Hendersons, but now controlled by Piovezahn as Chairman of the Board of Directors and pro bono CEO. His vision is to restore the Henderson’s legacy. The Silo cooking school is set to return, as are various art exhibits. Walking trails on the land are going to be rebuilt, and there are already regular concerts and other public events on the premises.
I wondered if there might be a space at the Silo that would be appropriate for recording the project I planned. A phone call to Alessandro led to our meeting at the Silo where he showed my wife and myself around. As he spoke to us, it didn't take long to feel his infectious love of the place and his vision for it. We wanted to help in any way we could.
The first of a number of possible recording spaces Alessandro showed us was the largest. It has been used as a performance space, exhibit space for art, and as a hall for weddings. While the room was a fine one, it was reverberant in a way that would be great for a large choral ensemble but I wanted something more intimate for the upcoming recording.
The next building was the barn, built in 1820. As soon as I entered I knew this was the place. Part of the building is where Alessandro and his family live. This is where the Hendersons lived when they were here. But aside from the living quarters, what was long ago a farmyard barn housed this room, which is now part of the museum. Up in the loft, among other musical instruments, is an 1862 Vocalian pipe organ. On the walls, there are photographs of some of the celebrities who have visited the Hendersons here, and throughout the space there are other items such as some vintage books and, hanging from one of the rafters supporting the 27-foot high ceiling, the Henderson's chandelier.
The main floor is home to one of the world's most famous and sought-after 9-foot Steinway grand pianos, a 1952 model D, known as the CD199 or the Old 199. This was the piano Henderson played at Carnegie Hall when he led the New York Pops. This instrument has also been played by Gary Graffman, Eugene Istomin, Vladimir Horowitz, Leon Fleischer, Jacob Lateiner, and reportedly, Leonard Bernstein, Elton John, and John Lennon. The piano was kept in the basement of Steinway’s showroom on 57th Street in New York City across the street from Carnegie Hall. It became Skitch's piano after Steinway decided to retire it in 1974 to end dispute among some of the world's greatest pianists about who would be playing it next.
The room had exactly the qualities I wanted: primarily made of wood, with a quite short reverberation time, and lots of air. Clapping my hands to hear the room's response, I smiled at what I heard, and remarked at the warmth and intimacy that would result from recording here. One of the greatest challenges of recording the way I do is finding the right place in which to record. The space becomes an integral part of the sound, almost another player in the band. This room fit the bill to a tee.
When working out the fee, Alessandro added a condition I was not prepared for, but which made me smile and admire him more than I already did. Aside from the financial arrangement, he asked that I provide 100 lbs (~45 kg) of nonperishable food, to be delivered to the local food bank. It turns out that in addition to his community orientation regarding the arts and a place where folks can enjoy nature, Alessandro is intent on feeding the hungry. I was later to find out that providing some amount of nonperishable food is part of other events that occur at the Silo. What an unbeatable combination: promoting the arts, providing a place to commune with nature, and feeding the hungry! No wonder Alessandro elicits the desire to help him realize his vision any way one can.
Could I have been more fortunate? I found a perfect locale in which to record the Derelicts, met a wonderful individual with a marvelous vision, and helped feed hungry people at the same time. A recording date was scheduled, along with a second date if needed. The project was on its way.
Next time, the recording session.
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