The Official JaR Website. Jay Graydon and Randy Goodrum are JaR.

 

JaR News Archive

Update from Jay Graydon - November 10, 2015

It's been like 5 years since Randy and I started working on the upcoming JaR CD. We take JaR very seriously and dealing with the programming in the best fashion as to make sound and feel good takes major time. The ironic part is the song writing process went quickly. After the programming was complete, the overdubs began, which take time as well as to find fresh parts. I spent much time trying different guitar techniques like playing single notes to shape chords. In some cases, you will think I am playing steel guitar, which is not what I did. Instead I bent strings along with other tricks. All of that grunt work paid off as you will hear.

I have started to mix the songs. That may take like 3 months since I will get very picky and Randy's input as to the mix will constantly be in play.

The difference of the mix on this CD compared to the last JaR CD is the new CD will be bigger sounding in general.

So much more to note when we are finished.

As with the last CD, we will not use bus compression that will hurt dynamics. We refuse to get into the level wars that pop music does for one major reason — on a stereo system, there is a control called a volume control to make the playback as loud as you want.

Of course we will recommend buying the CD as it will always sound better than MP3 files BUT as to iTunes downloads, we are considering compressing those files since when playing on a computer without outboard speakers, the compressed level is needed to get the level loud enough.

Again, the compression will destroy dynamics.

So we need input from our fans. If you will not buy the CD and will be playing in iTunes (or the like) without outboard big speakers, we ask you give us feedback regarding compressing the download version. The majority will win so please note if you will buy the download, do you want it compressed or not?"

Please e-mail us your thoughts regarding compressing or not compressing the download version. - Jay and Randy

 

How are things going with the new JaR album you might wonder ... HELLO??? ... What's happening??? ...
Nobody around at Garden Rake Studios???

Phew!!! Here they are, still working hard on the new songs and having fun. As you may already know, Jay broke his right arm in August of 2013, while power walking in the surroundings of his beach house. He fell and had a difficult elbow and shoulder fracture with painful consequences, as noted by Jay on his website. However, Jay is slowly healing and having rehab and will get back to studio work as soon as he possibly can, so rest assured, the 2nd JaR album is coming along nicely, even though the release date will need to be pushed forward to next year.

Photos © Denise Marie Luko.

 

Randy: We have several songs that are just a tidy-up from being finished. Some that are, actually, finished. We, however have a few wonderful tracks to tackle. We're on it, but we're obviously not speed demons.

Jay: I have been working on other projects and we will post details as things unfold. The way JaR works is Randy and I had written all of the songs a while back and we record all of the tracks first with most of the overdubs. We are now at the stage in which we sing the songs, play solos, and do some other overdubs. Since we are doing other projects as well, it is taking time to finish JaR and we work on it when we have the time.

While waiting for the new album, you will surely find Inside Musicast's interviews with these two music master minds very interesting and entertaining...

• Jay Graydon interview
• Randy Goodrum interview

 

The JaR song ESQUIRE from the album SCENE 29 is featured in the Summer 2009 issue of JAZZIZ in the ON DISC section.

JaR - SCENE 29 is also featured on a 4 CD compilation - CALIFORNIA GROOVE - with 75 of the best songs within Westcoast AOR music over 40 years, released exclusively for France in April (Virgin Megastores plus a few others) where the song CURE KIT is chosen to represent the NEW style of classic Westcoast AOR, taking the genre to the next level, or as Bill Champlin says about the SCENE 29 songs:

"That's what I've been calling "The New Music". I consider JaR to be the flagship of that "Movement". - Bill Champlin

 

* Jay Graydon Official Web Site

* Randy Goodrum Official Web Site

* Jay Graydon on Facebook

* Randy Goodrum on Facebook

 

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