Another Study Proves It – Live Music: Definitely good for the soul.
By Randall Richards
Images: Mike Heffernan
Fat Hands, creating good vibes, L to R: Walt Kutylowski, Gerry Putnam, Dana Flewelling, and Nic Kutylowski
OK . It wasn’t an official *scientific study, but ask anyone who was there, at Gerry Putnam’s CedarHouse Sound & Mastering recording studio when he hosted his annual music get-together, and they’ll tell you – Their souls felt better after having been there – both musicians and listeners alike. This year, I had the good fortune of being a listener. We had missed most of the day’s party which had started mid-morning, but we certainly weren’t short-changed for music.
The party has been the brainchild of Gerry and recording artist Kathy Lowe as a vehicle to showcase Gerry’s studio for potential recording artists, and to thank past artists who had already done an album (or two, or three) at this heavenly studio, complete with a concert grand Steinway piano, and Gerry’s masterful abilities to engineer top quality albums.
As the night wore on, and most of the day’s musicians had headed home, brothers Walt and Nick Kutylowski, also known as “Fat Hands” sat down and started to do a few numbers unplugged. (The day is usually fully “plugged in”). Then, Putnam pulled up a chair and started picking his classical guitar. Gerry not only recorded and mastered Fat Hands’ two albums at Cedarhouse, but ended up playing lead guitar on them as well. Enter drummer extraordinaire Dana Flewelling, (from Night Kitchen) who usually has a whole “trap set” in front of him. He sat down with a djembe and a set of brushes.
Small but appreciative audience
My wife Amanda and I, Walt Kutylowski’s partner Christy, Mike Heffernan and Kathy Lowe were all that remained of the audience. The rest of the party-goers had all headed home in the cold night air.
The music and energy that happened was nothing short of way cool. They must have played for an hour or more, and we, the privileged few, just sat there taking it in.
Fathands has a few upcoming **gigs but we’re threatening to kidnap them and take them to New Zealand the next time we head down under, and from the sound of it, they might be willing go. Meanwhile, we (at Mountain Spirit Institute) will most likely be offering to put on a house concert or local venue concert for these guys if they’re up for it. They deserve to be heard. Check out Fathands, and Gerry Putnam’s Cedarhouse Sound and Mastering through the links above.
* This is a scientific study about the healing power or music, by the BBC.
** Deerfield CoffeeHouse, NH, April 10 2010, with Gerry Putnam & Kent Allyn
Musterfield Farm, New London, NH USA June 19th, 2010
Thanks to Mike Heffernan for getting his camera out to capture the moment.
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