New stuff from Elu....still working on it, but I have started something new.....Illustrious Q.

Illustrious Q was created when I approached Don and said "I want to do something new". Not that I think Elu has run it's course because the "Beautiful Things" album continues to be heard and new opportunites just keep popping up, but because I need something that is more tailored for pleasure, something that is universal, something that unifies peace, love and understanding.....what you say??? I know...who said that? In my book, it really is what I am looking for. And for those who gasp and say what about Elu?! We want a follow up to "Beatiful Things"....I am still working on a new Elu album. I have always put Elu's music out every couple of years...but it's time for me now so I'll get there. For those who don't know, Don has been playing drums for Elu when we perform our live shows in the Albuquerque area and our one bomb of a gig in Denver....and from that twist of fate, we started a long friendship that has never turned sour. (Refer to musicians who are at each other's throats with their humongous crazy mad ego's all over the place.) I have to say I have lots of respect for Don and his musical abilities and in the back of my mind I was always wondering how to incorporate our abilities into something positive and fun and different than the stuff we were both used to doing. From what I know, Don is a layed back guy who let's things roll as they will and I am not so layed back and am always pushing for the next idea that might allow me to retire into a full time musical position. And if you didn't already know, in my world, work sucks and music is bliss.

The hardest part of turning loner type songwriter's and producers into a successful duo is trying to figure out who does what. There are two huge issues in my book as to hurdles that need to be overcome with this new music. In Elu I am the producer, songwriter, arranger, etc. and all the music is written in 4/4 time with a basic pop and rock premis. Stuff I have been playing since high school and know quite well. Don's work consists of spacey piano work with jazzy undertones. Basically he can do things that I can't and I think that's what makes this duo work.

I'm not going to sell myself short, I can put some cool keyboard chords together, but not jazz chords. Jazz chords by nature are thick and smokey and beautiful and have 7ths and 9ths and diminished notes and added notes and all kinds of crazy voodoo things that I could only do by step editing in my DAW system. A very slow and unsatisfying experience. So with Don's ability to pull Jazz chords out of his ass, because he actually has 6 fingers on each hand, and his mad drumming skills and my ability to manipulate and layer sounds and play guitar and bass we laid down some ground rules. He works the progessions, I work the lyrics and vocals and the guitars and together we work out the rhythm. We both play producer and I play recording engineer.

Into the studio realm....Yes, I am a computer geek and have always benn one. I have always built my own computer systems for my studio. I even did electrical engineering design for a world class recording studio here in Albuquerque. Yes there is one here too! And with the flick of a switch my studio comes roaring to life with every component in the place talking to another component, not to mention I have to have all the latest and greatest synthesizers, drum machines, mastering equipment and hardware. It looks like a christmas scene at night. Don on the other hand absolutely hates technology and would prefer to solve his computer issues with a baseball bat in the back yard. He has always learned to do all of his recording in real time. A long process of playing the entire piece over and over again until it's nearly flawless, I said nearly. This is something I am just not willing to spend the time on. So you can see how this is beginning to work out between both of us....but after some prodding on my part and explaining that computer systems will help bridge the gap and link Don's studio with mine, we are learning how to put things together.

Our first song "serenade" posted on this myspace page. www.myspace.com/illustriousq is a combination of an older tune that Don had written years ago with some new vocal work. It was originally written as a solo piano piece that had to be re-worked to provide some "space" in the mix to allow for new instrumentation and vocal work. The song "Ever After" also posted on this page is a rework of an Elu tune and features Don on the Rhodes Electric Piano.

So we are moving full steam ahead with our conjunctive writing and studio work and in addition I drive for a thousand miles every friday and we rehearse together for at least 4 hours a week in order to develope an intimate live type show that we can take anywhere, with or without a full band, that still sounds sexy and satisfying, even paired down to piano and a guitar it sounds simply amazing. This project is something that seems to work without effort, except for drive time and computer stuff.

Our first gig......Well, following only 4 weeks of rehearsal, Illustrious Q played their first gig on July 31st at KISS coffee and art gallery in Old Town. It was a small intimate setting in the courtyard. Sicadas were out in full click, although they never got the beat quite right. It was a little warm because after all we do live in the desert. But it was way cool. It was Don's own gig doing his sit down piano music and he pulled me in to break in IQ. It went unusually well for a gig based on all of my past experiences with live shows. It was layed back, there was absolutely no pressure and only kind words were said regarding our paired up abilities as song writers and performers. We are looking forward to continuing the success and plan on releasing our first album early to mid next year, 2010.

Until next time. Peace, love and success to all.