Riptide: America’s Contra Dance Band!

Something about the unselfconsciousness of making music purely for dancing has brought out the best in this group of stellar Portland ME based traditional musicians: Alden Robinson, Owen Marshall and Glen Loper,  joined by the Contradance world’s leading percussionist Mark ‘Pokey’ Hellenberg. Contra dance aficionados will instantly recognize that this collection represents the apex of the genre’s musicianship.  Those who have …

“…that’s an Irish Lullaby”

The challenge: to produce an instrumental CD without calling attention to the instruments, without distracting the listener from the beauty of the melody, to create an ambience of soothing relaxation for adults and children alike. I think that Bill Verdier, John Mock and I rose to the occasion in this collection of Irish melodies played as sparse, gentle lullabies we’ve …

MPM Studio’s You Tube Channel

Link to MPM Studio’s You Tube channel In 1976 I was playing with a Boston-based Country/Swing band called the Rockabilly Shufflers, doing venues like The Hillbilly Ranch, Kevin’s, The Blue Star, Jack’s, Inman Sq. Men’s Bar, etc. We eventually landed a house band gig 5 nights a week at the Turtle Lounge in Ashland MA  (that’s me on the gig …

The Studio Build-Out is Complete!

The Live Room: It’s an absolute pleasure to make music in the acoustically pristine live room, with the relaxing view of the Mill Pond preserved. The clarity of the sound makes you just want to keep playing and singing. The Control Room: High ceilings, long room length and custom designed sound diffusion panels create an accurate listening, mixing and mastering …

Mudhook: ‘First Home’ CD

Just in time for the Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival, Dave Hallowell, Peter Hale, Mike Jenneau and Alan Eaton, collectively known as Mudhook, have completed the special ‘collector’s edition’ of their new CD, here at Mill Pond Music. With charming, mostly traditional material, ringing guitars and bouzoukis, sweet fiddles, haunting low whistle and vocals sometimes rowdy, sometimes plaintive, this project exactly …