Cayamo is the name of the singer/songwriter cruise I just got back from playing, and it was amazing. In addition to being a part of great and well-received sets by Evan McHugh and Arlington Priest, I got to reconnect with old friends (Adrianne, Kevin Leahy, Clay Cook, Little Country Giants, and Garrett Moore) and make some new ones (Aslyn, Meghan Coffee, Beth Wood, The Bowmans, Rob Calder, Chuck Carrier, and Miss Tess).

But my favorite surprise was getting asked to play a set with Shawn Mullins! You've probably heard his songs "Beautiful Wreck" and "All In My Head" on the radio in the last couple years, and you certainly heard "Lullaby" in the late '90s ("E-ver-y-thing's gonna be all right/Rockabye"). It was a real honor to play with such an amazing writer, and I don't think I've ever felt more like a rock star than being on stage with Shawn, Clay Cook and Kevin Leahy in front of a completely packed house. Thanks to Shawn for asking me to back him up - his new album comes out March 11th, and it has some really spectacular songs on it.

And thanks to everybody else for the great times and the tremendous music! Now, back to work...

Lots going on - not the least of which is that it snowed TWICE in Atlanta this year... within a week!

I'm just finishing up an album with the amazing Danielle Sansone. What started out as a simple disc of lullabies ended up a 14-track ode to childhood wonder, with everything from bluegrass swing to intricate and intimate symphonic arrangements to...yes, a few lullabies. Danielle's angelic voice will make you swoon and lull you gently, smilingly away to sleep. A guaranteed hit with the younger set, and importantly, it's quality material - we've gotten some amazing players on this disc (including Peter Ostroushko of Prairie Home Companion fame, as well as Danielle's brother Patrick, who, as a member of Wilco, is a Grammy nominee this year) been working really hard to make sure that it bears repeated listening.

Coming up next, I'll be picking up the ball on The Brilliant Inventions' first studio CD. They've been plugging away for a while on the tracking, and I'm thrilled to be starting work with them - especially since the basics were tracked so well, and I get to do the fun parts. Check out "Lights You Up" on the fellas' myspace page for a preview of our work together - the three of us recorded it here this past July.

I'm also helping Nathan Beaver resurrect an album that fell victim to that bane of modern studio recording, data loss. Fortunately, he recorded the drums and acoustic guitar to tape (rather than hard disk), so all was not lost - and we'll pick it up right where he left off.

And the next project way out on the horizon is Rebecca Loebe's second full-length CD. I always love working with Rebecca, and was honored to produce her vocals on her first record and completely produce her wonderful EP "The Brooklyn Series," which came out last year. Her writing just keeps getting better.

Finally, the big news is that I leave on Monday to play on the Cayamo cruise! I'm playing two sets with Evan McHugh, a great up-and-coming songwriter I've been playing upright bass with for the last few months, and a single set with Arlington Priest, whom I've gushed about enough here and whose CD you can purchase here. Most of all, though, I'm just thrilled to be able to see sets by Lyle Lovett, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin, Shawn Mullins and David Ryan Harris - and when I say "sets", I mean at least two from each of them!

That's all (and enough) for now. Some teaching news around the corner, just as soon as I get the final word...

Stay warm,
Will

I had the good fortune earlier this year to work on a pair of EPs for a couple of very talented artists.

Rebecca Loebe's The Brooklyn Series EP started out life as a quick-'n'-dirty, one-weekend affair late last year, but the quality of the songs and the performances quickly outran whatever notions we had about this being a small record. Yes, it's short, but it's also the most intense work to come out of this young artist. Rebecca's CDBaby write-up says it best: "Folk-rock minstrel Rebecca Loebe pulled over to reflect on heartbreak, down some red wine, fall asleep to the evening news and wake up to a handful of dark chocolate in the 'peace and quiet' of Brooklyn."


Ken Kiser's eponymous EP gives the world a first taste of his brand of Mason Jennings-/Jack Johnson-flavored songwriting prowess. Anchored by Ken's voice, which moves easily from hilltop proclamations to whiskey-soaked morning afters, this set of songs gets into your throat and your foot so thoroughly that you almost miss its depth. We had a great time working on this record, and you ought to check it out.

Much more in the works for the second half of '07. Stay tuned...