Music, 2013

Music – Three Black Bungalows

MY GAL 4:54
SWIM THE BIG DIPPER 5:09
PUT MY SHOES 4:02
NO STRANGER 4:40
OPEN MIND 5:10
PEOPLE DO 4:40
JOHN HENRY 5:14
THERE WAS AN ANIMAL 4:04

All lyrics and music by Joe Lewis © 2012
Published by: Black Bungalow Music ASCAP

Produced by Joe lewis and John Chiodini
Recorder between 1998-2012
Recorded at E3 studios, Woodland Hills CA
Engineered by Emilio Palame
Additional recording at Big City Recording Studios,
Granada Hills, CA
Engineered by Paul Tavenner
Mixed and mastered by Paul Tavenner, Big City
Recording Studios
Cover art and design concept by Jay Vigon
Special thanks to Alexis Kelly, Jimmie Wood, Paul Tavenner, Emilio Palame, Laurie Chiodini,
Ginger Chiodini, Nicole Mitchell, Ed Vodioka,
Phuong Luong-Lewis, Joey Lewis IV, Joseph S. Lewis

One afternoon Laurie Chiodini, one of my students, came into my office and saw a guitar leaning up against the wall. “You play guitar?’ she said excitedly. “My dad plays guitar, the two of you should get together and jam sometimes…” I nodded yes and the reviewed one of her assignments. The next day she popped in and said, “how about dinner Thursday night?” Ah… … o… kay.” She promptly gave me her family’s address. Hows 5:30?

Okay, imagine this scenario, your daughter comes home from school and says the chair of the Art Department plays guitar, and the two of you should get together and jam. Oh, did I mention, she never heard me play?

Thursday night came, I drove over to their house, ring the bell, the door opens, and lining the walls are gold and platinum albums, cassette tapes, and CDs. I immediately think this guy is really for real, and I’m just a guy who plays his songs.

Laurie introduces me to John and her mother Ginger. We have an excellent Italian dinner that I find difficult to eat because of my nerves. I learn he was Natalie Cole’s big band guitarists. Now it’s impossible to think of the desert.

John asks to see my instrument. I bought a Martin o16 New Yorker and Gibson ES 250 (that belonged to Elmer Snowden). He pulls out a Gibsons and begins to play.

His music is fantastic. He was into a samba hot jazz thing at the time. I tried to follow and stumble along, dropping in a couple of notes here and there. After a few minutes- that seemed like an hour or two- he looks at me and says, “ let’s hear one of your tunes.” I don’t remember which song I played- he had no problem following me. He asked me to play another number. Afterward, we just sat there for a few minutes and then John said, “

You should record that stuff”. A few weeks later we were at E3 studios recording that “stuff”.

That was in 1998. Fifteen years later we finally finished the project. A Special thanks to Laurie Chiodini for introducing me to your dad. And John, thank you for having faith and vision in my music to hang in there and complete the project with me.