Jerry Velona

Little Child was recorded and mixed at Q Division studios in Somerville, MA - a great studio where many fine records and bands have recorded included one of my favorites, Fountains of Wayne. Pat Dicenso was the engineer and did the mixing and he's a very talented guy who really captured what we were trying to do I think. The players on the track are Zac Casher on drums, Duke Levine on guitars, Larry Luddecke on piano and Richard Rosenblatt on harmonica. I arranged the tune and provided the basic outline but it really just fell together when we started to play it in the studio. The guys are all such great players and I think we might have done 2 or 3 takes max. Originally the tune had a harmonica solo only but I brought Duke and Rosie back to share the solos and it came out great. I'm kind of a musical sponge when it comes to influences. I couldn't help but hear the early J Geils Band when we started playing the tune and so on some level the vocal is probably an homage to the great Peter Wolf but I'll let you be the judge of that.

Locked Out & Loaded was a tune I wrote about "those guys" who so many girls love despite the fact that they treat them like crap! Growing up in New Jersey, my mom always taught me to be a gentleman and I was polite and respectful to girls and ended up being friends with most of them and boyfriends with few of them. Luckily as I entered adulthood, the qualities I brought to the table were more in demand from the ladies so it's all good!

I have to acknowledge Judas Priest from whom I borrowed the "Loaded" chorus from their song "Living After Midnight". When that song comes on my Ipod at the gym, I always do a couple of extra reps! LOAL was originally recorded at Straight Up Music in Arlington, MA with my good friend and bandmate Larry Luddecke at the controls. I re-recorded a few things at Q Division and Pat Dicenso mixed it there. The players on this song are Kevin Barry on guitars including the great slide parts, Jim Fitting on the harmonica, Richard Gates on bass, Marty Richards on drums and Tom West on the piano. I played a little percussion on this one as well as the vocals.

Bill Bromfield mastered both tunes at Bromfield Music Nashville and my very talented son Chris Velona took the photos.

I hope you enjoy them!