I entered the studio this morning and was stricken with a bit of an intestinal bug just before lunch. Not a big deal and it seems to have worked its way from my system. Nothing helps one stay focused on the creative act, though, like putting down a guitar and hustling to the toilet. Still I made progress shaping several songs for Breathe.

I believe I've worked out the fundamental song structure for Winter Breath, the short piece based on the improv Frankenstrat 050103. I really need to keep this song open and airy, simple and clean. I'll let it rest a bit and return in a few days to see if I have it where it needs to be.

One of the LCGE sketches in play was originally called Baritone Stomp Loop, a sister loop to Baritone Stomp Loop 2 which eventually morphed into Bigfoot. I began working with the loop, first by relearning its component parts, then by writing a couple of additional guitar parts to go with it. I created an interesting descending chord passage and a pair of lines with oblique bends. The first line has a whole-step bend on the second string while the second line has a half-step bend on the 3rd string. The two guitar parts work together wonderfully well and raise the question as to whether or not they will stay with the loop that inspired them or if that loop will be jettisoned. I'll let this one rest a couple of days, too, but I'm thrilled with the direction of the tracks I captured today.

I'm fascinated with what Fernando Kabusacki calls miniatures. I'm not sure if this is a generally accepted musical term or one Fernando coined. My interpretation of the concept is the distillation or simplification of a song, essentially capturing the theme of an ensemble piece and performing it with minimal instrumentation. Bryan Beller used the method with stunning results on View, as well. I'm working with this approach on Breathe with the goal of having four short miniatures, each realized on solo fretless guitar, distributed throughout the running order of the album. I expect some of the pieces proper on Breathe to be candidates for the shrink ray, but have also co-opted five pieces from One Feather Shy; Baritone Drift, Evening Bells, Sand Sculpture, Thank You Dan Savio, and When Dads Fly Away. I created the Pro Tools sessions for each miniature, pulled in the appropriate session and audio data, and took an initial stab at the conceptual points of miniaturization. I'll record each of these and will re-purpose what doesn't get used on the album.

The ball is moved a little further down the field.