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Acoustic Chicago
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Acoustic Chicago is a CD/DVD collection of acoustic music released on November 20, 2007. It is the first release in a series of "Acoustic" albums by indie record label Stonecutter Records. The project is the brainchild of Stonecutter Records president and 20+ year music industry veteran Chris Steinmetz. Acoustic Chicago's purpose is to take the voice of small independent musicians and expose them to a much wider audience. While the album features many independent musicians, it also carries star power with new original songs from Marty Casey & Lovehammers (Marty came in second place on the hit reality show "ROCKSTAR: INXS"), Howard Levy (founding member of legendary bluegrass band Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and Andreas Kapsalis (composed score for popular documentary Black Gold. Each artist has one song on the collection (with a few exceptions). It was recorded and shot mainly at the world famous Chicago Recording Company. The first single off the album is Marty Casey & Lovehammers "Driving Blind". The album also features special guest appearances by the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, Bill "The Buddah" Dickens, and Ernie Adams, to name a few. Focusing on Chicago musicians, Acoustic Chicago hopes to be the first of many "Acoustic" collections around the country (Acoustic New York, Acoustic California, Acoustic New Orleans), and eventually around the globe (Acoustic International). Eventually creating a net of acoustic musicians all over the planet. A release party was thrown @ Joe's Bar on November 21st, it featured mostly mini-sets from 11 out of the 13 artists, with full (1hr+) sets played by Marty Casey & Lovehammers, and The Andreas Kapsalis Trio. Acoustic Chicago and Excentrique Boutique teamed up to provide live fashion segments throughout the evening. CD/DVD The CD and DVD portion of the release are very similar, featuring the same song order and sound quality. The difference being that the DVD takes each song and brings it to the screen as an "in-studio/music video". Each song was filmed as the artists recorded it. The DVD also features interviews, song lyrics, and more. Acoustic Chicago tracklist: # Malcolm Palmer- "Gasoline" # Micki Croisant- "Smile" # Scottish McMillan- "Infinity Grooves" # Tim Nagle- "Pins and Needles" # Sarah Potenza- "The Eastside" # Malcolm Palmer- "Armageddion" # Marty Casey & Lovehammers- "Driving Blind" # Shannon Fortune- "Your Life is Killing You" # Noah Gabriel- "Keepin' On" # Mari Anne Jayme- "Waiting For Me" # Howard Levy- "The Evanston Express" # Mike Mangione- "Don't Take This Song" # Jen Porter- "My Own Hand" # Noah Gabriel- "New Day Rising" # Malcolm Palmer- "Cold World" # Micki Croisant- "Beauregard" # Andreas Kapsalis- "Nubian" *The album was produced, recorded, and engineered by Chris Steinmetz *The DVD/Video was mainly produced by Mike Tysh, head of Tyshpix *The audio was mastered by industry professional Matt Schultz *The album artwork was done by Matt Haywood, head of H-Line Design A full list of credits can be found on the DVD. Style There are many different styles of music covered on Acoustic Chicago, which is why so many people have praised it for its diversity. From Scottish McMillan's funky "Infinity Grooves", to Howard Levy's amazing harmonica solo "The Evanston Express". From Malcolm Palmer's reggae-tinged "Armageddion", to Jen Porter's sexy piano ballad "My Own Hand", there are an array of instruments, voices, and styles featured on the album. DVD Easter Eggs There have been rumors stating that there are hidden features embedded in the DVD. More on this can be found in the December 18, 2007 issue of the Stonecutter Records newsletter. Friday Night Sessions During the course of the production of the album, unique, in-studio concerts were put on @ Chicago Recording Company called Friday Night Sessions. With a capacity of only 80-100 guests, artists' fans were able to experience up-close and personal performances and Q&A sessions that are not possible at other music venues. These shows have received great praise for their great environment, and great performances. Artists who have performed include: *Lovehammers- July 13, 2007 *Howard Levy- June 1, 2007 *Sarah Potenza (2 occasions)- May 25, 2007, July 13, 2007 *The Andreas Kapsalis Trio- June 1, 2007 *Scottish McMillan- July 13, 2007 *Jen Porter- July 13, 2007 *Malcolm Palmer with Noah Gabriel, Howard Levy, and special guests- June 1, 2007 Stonecutter Records hopes to put out a DVD collection of some of the greatest performances in the near future. A "Women of Acoustic Chicago" Friday Night Session is in the works, with a "February/March" TBA date announced. This will feature Jen Porter, Micki Croisant, Mari Anne Jayme, and Sarah Potenza. Stay tuned to http://www.stonecutterrecords.com for the most up to date information. See Also *Stonecutter Records *Acoustic International *Acoustic New York *Acoustic California *Acoustic New Orleans *Chris Steinmetz 
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