Fredy Argir's LAST TIME AROUND

Last Time Around

Last Time Around is for sale on the Internet at all the usual places. I recommend CD Baby, it's a quality online store and quite musician-friendly. Last Time Around is also available here in beautiful Austin, Texas, at Waterloo Records ("where music still matters"). If you'd like to listen to a bit of Last Time Around or perhaps just get a little more info about what exactly is going on here, just click on over to MySpace/fredyargirmusic.

Last Time Around on the Radio: Twin Cities Radio, one of the finest Internet radio stations on the planet, recently added me as a featured Texas artist, which I very much appreciate. When you have a moment, check out what's happening with Internet broadcasting these days. Twin Cities Radio, run by Minneapolis' infamous Jazzy J, plays an amazing variety of independent artists. I listen often.
Still on the subject of airwaves, I want to thank the fine folks at Radio Free Texas for adding me to their playlist. Y'all should check out their excellent site and maybe even request a Fredy tune or two.
Also, mucho appreciato to Austin's legendary Tommy White for adding us to his Black Coffee Music Radio Playlist.

Finally, a few Last Time Around reviews:
First, Fred Mitchum's review on Austin.com.
And, Austin Daze's McRiprock gives it a 4.0.
Then there's this one from Rootstime in Belgium.

Lastly and somewhat after the fact, here's an interesting review of Last Time Around written by esteemed critic John Ziegler of the Duluth (MN) News-Tribune during my October (2011) Minnesota tour.

Okay, Ladies and Gents, here are the top five questions we get about Last Time Around. Here we go, Number ONE!

1. Tell me about the music. What songs are on the CD?

There are ten songs on this CD that weigh in, time-wise, at a chunky 66 minutes. (This is easily my longest album.) All were written in the past few years with the exception of the title song, 'Last Time Around.' In order, they are Infinity Blues (the band always opens with this song, it's got that "we said forever, but forever never came" chorus), New Orleans (need I say more?), Came a long Way (in a Short Time) (and how), No More Goodbyes (it's me talking to my music), Vanishing Proof (here's a new genre: the historic shuffle), Never Blue (I used to open my solo shows with this song but the sax has changed the character of it making it less acoustic/percussive and more New York attitudinal), The Last Dance (in my lifetime of performing, I think my favorite place ever is the Pine Beach Resort and this, along with several other songs of mine, refers to that dance floor), Looking Back at Me (cool groove, serious subject), Too Blotto (blotto is an expression my father used, I think it's from the 40s), and Last Time Around (my uncut hit that I wrote in the 70s and only now finally recording it). The band also cut three others tracks that didn't make it to the album because we just didn't have the time mainly because we recorded these songs using our live arrangements, which are admittedly longish. Those songs were Echoesville, which has been with me since the 70s (the clarinet on the original demo was played by Chet Bernard, father of B.), Ambiguities and Rye (which is even older), and Eight Years, a brand new and somewhat complex song about life in the corporate world, enough said. Of course, we always do these three songs in live shows.

2. Where and when was this CD recorded?

This baby was done fast and local. Fast like in one month and local like in my back yard. That's right, every bit of recording was done in the month of February, 2009. And it was all recorded right here at my Lake 505 Recording Studio. Chet Himes was the co-producer and engineer in charge, Eli Smith engineered the initial tracking sessions, which were cut live in the studio. And the rest was engineered by your truly. Everything was recorded in Pro Tools (LE, v6.9.2) at Lake 505, and when it was done, the drive was carefully transported to the ASM Studio in beautiful South Austin, where it was mixed over the next few weeks, usually until very late hours.

3. Who are the musicians on the CD?

The band on the CD is the exact same group that performs with me in the Austin area. These folks are all truly accomplished players with very individual styles who really bring a lot to these songs. Chip Martin plays electric rhythm guitar and sings harmony vocals. Chip's a renaissance man in every sense of the word, a multi-talented guy with sort of a European rhythm style. I've known Chip for a long time and his excellent last album, Body Language, is, in my opinion, one of the most stylistically-original albums to come out of Austin in the past 20 years. And yes, I was the producer on that album, but Chip had it all together long before I came on board on that project. Brad Mock and Ronnie Green joined the band around the first of the year, and these guys are a top shelf rhythm section both live and in the studio. I really admire Brad's proficiency, and he invariably makes me smile at gigs because he's one of those players who's always pulling out something unexpected at the most bizarre time. Also, when it came down to the final decision of whether or not to do this recording, I had a lot of support, but in the end it was Brad's can-do attitude and offer to help with the production that actually pushed me over the top and on to making this album. Ronnie Green is quite simply the smartest and most professional drummer I've played with in a very long time. Too long, in fact. He clearly understands the mechanics and the history of the instruments he plays and his jazz background is extensive. He often launches himself into fills that I find myself doubting he can finish and yet he never fails to do exactly that and then some. I'm not sure from what side of the creative brain that comes, but it's cool. Linda Mock is Brad's wife. Linda brings a whole different element to the band both in texture and approach, adding that midnight midtown polish to the guitartown boys. Check out her wonderful solos on Last Time Around on both clarinet and sax. Francis McGrath is the newest addition to the group, which is, after all, only a few months old. He has a wide palette of sounds and styles and is a really energetic player who knows his catalog and but seems to prefer the edge. Or maybe the ledge. Francis is a gifted songwriter and recording artist whose last album No Less Days is available from all the usual Internet sites including iTunes and CD Baby.

4. How about the gear? Who was using what?

Fredy says: "I used my two customized PRS Hollowbody II guitars ("Champ" is black sunburst and "Detroit" is whale blue) for all the lead work. For rhythm, I used my 7up Custom Shop Strat that I got on a trade from Stephen Bruton, and I also used two acoustic guitars, both Martins, a 1965 D-18 and a 1998 D-42K. I also used a McSpadden dulcimer on Infinity Blues. Amp-wise, I used a Mesa Nomad on a few of the rhythm tracks, but mostly it was my vintage Fenders, a 1965 Twin that I've owned most of my life, and a 1959 Champ recently renovated by John Bessent, Austin's best. I used a touch of Ed Box on Goodbyes and a smidge of Sex Drive here and there, but the majority was recorded with zero effects."

Chip's Setup: Chip plays a 1996 Fender Stratocaster with some custom work through a Digitech RP250 and a Marshall MG250DFX amplifier. He also uses D'Addario Strings and George L's cables.

Brad's setup: Brad Mock (aka BassBrad) played his favorite '81 Carvin LB-50 Koa bass, Squire Vintage Modified Fretless Jazz Bass & Peavey Verdine White Signature Model Bass. He used Monster Cables, Music Electronix Submarine preamp, Yamaha NE-1 Bass Preamp, Avalon U5 Direct Box and D'Addario strings. He also uses Polytone, Peavey and GK amps, Zoom effects and custom Walter Boxes for live performances.

Ronnie's setup: Ronnie uses the Sonor Drums 3007 Jungle Kit, which includes a 10 x 8 tom tom, a 14 x 12 floor tom, and a 16 x 16 bass drum. (And the good thing about the Jungle Kit is it's waterproof.) He uses Paiste cymbals excusively, including a 14" Light 20 Series, a 16" and a 17" Signature Series Fast Crash, a 14" prototype China Extra Thin, an 18" prototype Fast Crash, and a 20" prototype Ride. (Just kidding about that waterproof thing...)

Francis says: "I used a Kurzweil K2500 and a Wurlitzer 200A Electric Piano."

Linda's setup: Linda Mock played her Buffet-Crampon R13 Clarinet with a Vandoren B45 mouthpiece and Gigliotti ligature. Her saxophone is a Buescher Aristocrat Eb Alto played with a Selmer C* mouthpiece. She used Fibercell reeds. For live performances, Ms. Mock uses a Naiant miniature omnidirectional condenser microphone (clip-on) and ART Tube MP Studio Pre-Amp.

5. Do you have a button I can click to buy the CD?

eMail Fredy