Check Out This New Album Recorded in Bob Dylan’s Big Pink

Kinny Landrum, whose synthesizer work can be heard in ‘Twin Peaks’, presents a multi-genre album recorded from one of the Valley’s most recognized properties.

Recently, it seems musicians are turning to the Hudson Valley for not only inspiration, but a change of scenery for their recording. Whether it be The National creating their latest album, “Sleep Well Beast,” in an old farmhouse, or Beach House’s “Teen Dream,” which was recorded in Woodstock’s Dreamland Studios, the location has led to incredible results. Kinny Landrum, a Westchester County based pianist whose synthesizer work can be heard in the cult classic Twin Peaks, is following suit, and just released The Band in the Basement’s Process of Illumination, which can be purchased here. It’s a raucous collection, covering a spectrum of genres, jumping between classic rock, deep blues, and a dabble of everything in between. The group took their moniker from where they recorded — Bob Dylan’s infamous Big Pink!

 

How did the rest of the band come together and decide to work on this album?

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I found out online that the house known as Big Pink was available for rent and had been for only a few years. Usually, only the house is available, not the basement, but the website said that it could be made available for certain events. 

So I contacted the owner, Don La Sala, and asked it I could rent both the house and the basement, for an extra fee of course. Seems the basement wasn’t usually available because he actually still uses it as a recording studio for his own projects. After he knew I was a serious musician, he agreed to rent it to me for a week, and even supply an engineer to do the recording, which was an unexpected bonus.

After the house was booked, I called some of my favorite musicians, including two from way out of town (Kentucky and California) and asked if they would like to participate. All I had to say was “Big Pink” and they all said yes. Some stayed there, some came in for just a day or two.


 Photos by Arthur Rouse

Process of Illumination albumn cover

What was the driving force behind recording these songs, at this time?

Two reasons really. As you may know, this summer was the 50th anniversary of when Dylan and The Band used it for making the Basement Tapes, and next summer would be the 50th anniversary for Music From Big Pink. Also I was turning 64 and decided it was something I wanted to do, once I found it was possible.

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What’s your personal history with Bob Dylan? When did you begin listening to him?

I really began listening to Dylan around the Highway 61 album, although I had of course heard the hit songs on the radio before then. But The Band themselves were even bigger influences. Since they had two keyboard players, and were such great songwriters as well as singers and players, they had a big effect on my own songwriting and playing.


Related: Woodstock’s Simi Stone Takes to Pastels While Waiting to Drop New Album


How long were you in Big Pink? What was the recording process like?

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We were there for 6 days, although the playing was only for 5 since the first day was just arriving and setting up. By agreement with Don, we rehearsed and they got the recording process together for the first two days, and then we recorded for real for three days, about 8-10 hours each day. Since we had the rehearsals, we knew exactly what we we were going to do.

I asked two singer/songwriter friends of mine whose work I know and greatly respect, Joe Cerisano and Eliot Osborn, to bring material and we did two or three songs from each of them. I asked a harmonica-playing blues singer friend, Wailing Dave Robinson, to come and we did a few songs with him. Richard Lindsey, the bass and guitar player, brought a great instrumental, and we did two instrumentals of mine with my saxophonist friend Charlie Lagond.

And the song I knew I wanted everyone on was an old Etta James song I heard on the soundtrack of the movie Hurricane (also a Dylan reference) called In The Basement. It’s a great fun song about literally having a party in the basement, and we did it with everyone singing and a party track to boot.

In fact the only thing we didn’t get done was a song of mine that I rehearsed and was going to sing called Trouble Flies, but hey, that’s show biz.

 

How did you come about renting the home? Was this spontaneous, or a recording space you’ve dreamed of working in for years?

The first part of this is answered above, I think.  I hadn’t really even thought it was possible before, so it was essentially planned spontaneously. I might have liked time for more jamming and making music on the spot, but we could always go back.


Related: Bob Dylan Bows Out of Nobel Prize Ceremony

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