CD Releases @ The Offical Website of The Vincent Hayes Project

***Song Samples***

From "2.09" by The Vincent Hayes Project

Songs From "2.09". The Vincent Hayes Project's 5 song promotional EP, featuring interpretations of songs by Ray Charles, Peter Green and Howlin' Wolf. Released in March 2005.

Musicians:

Vincent Hayes-Guitar

Dave Alves-Bass Guitar

Tom Bush-Percussion

Things Just Got Worse (Released 2000)

Track Listing:

If You Be My Baby

Showbiz Blues Mp3

The Sun is Shining

Making Peace w/ The Demons (V. Hayes) Mp3

Worried Dream Mp3

Shake Your Money Maker (E. James)

A Good Time For A Change (V. Hayes) Mp3

The World Keeps On Turnin' (P. Green)

Donna's Blues-Instrum. (V. Hayes)

About the CD...

The songs included on this CD are the result of three spontaneous sessions which took place between February 28 and April 19 of 2000 at "The Coop" recording studio in Casnovia, MI. All tracks were recorded on 1/2 inch analog tape, and mixed down to DAT, then transferred to digital CD.

All tracks were engineered by Phil VanLente, and produced by Phil VanLente and myself.

Originally I had planned to use the tracks only as a promotional demo for a press kit. At the time I was mainly performing as a solo artist and so the first two sessions were merely me, my guitar, and a guitar case stuffed with a pillow and a microphone.

"Showbiz Blues", from the first session, features guest musicians Brian Fedewa on tambourine, and Joe VanLente on the "hand claps". Although no overdubs were performed, I did record 2-3 different versions of many of the songs, but in conclusion, it was the first takes of most of them which were chosen to be on this release. As they say: "first take, best take."The last session was recorded with the help of a bass player and a drummer.The session was set up the night before,
and the musicians (Elbert Evans- bass, Aron Robinson-percussion) learned the songs in the car during the the twenty minute drive to the studio.

Again, because the intent was to use this material only for promotion and booking shows, two cover songs were chosen (If You Be My Baby, Worried Dream), rather than original numbers. Both songs were recorded on the first take, and unrehearsed-we merely plugged in, and played each song once with the tape rolling. The intention was to allow each musician the freedom to interpret each song as they merely felt it, much like a jam-to form a collective picture, and to find that groove which exists in the "now"-or perhaps to just let it find us, whatever you believe

What culminated from these recordings was a testament to a few of the artists who have inspired me, rather than an original-based recording, but I make no apologies for that. I had fun doing it, and it is a worthy glimpse of what you may expect at one of my live shows. I am not a Delta Bluesman, nor a Chicago Bluesman, nor a West Coast Bluesman-and for that matter, I'll leave it to the listener to decide if I am a Bluesman at all. I claim nothing but a love for the music, and I do love play to the blues.

The studio was struck by lightning about a year before the sessions. On my way to the last mixdown, the sky became a deep shade of green fading into black, and the wind about swept my car off the highway as I persisted onward in the pouring rain. I gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles, and smoked as I watched lightning hit in the fields nearby. Thankfully, neither I, nor the studio were hit this time around, and as I pulled into the driveway I remember thinking to myself, "how appropriate."

Listen, I don't lay claim that "Things Just Got Worse" is my best work, but its good, and its honest. There is no "glossing over" here, no studio gimmicks, no overdubs-just a few moments alone and with some friends, tapes rolling, playing the music I dig. I hope you diggit too.